Last Friday was a perfect illustration of Larson and Dewease’s unique relationship.
As he’s done so many times before, Dewease took control of the 25-lap main event at Williams Grove, round one of PA Speedweek, midway through the feature. But Larson, who’s never ran particularly well at Williams Grove, found his way to second from the fifth starting position and, with six laps to go, was suddenly battling Dewease for the win.
They never raced side-by-side in those closing laps, but the simple fact Larson hunted down the speedway’s all-time wins leader and stayed in his tire tracks – perhaps a car length or two away from one of his hallmark slide jobs – was captivating.
“For us to battle him for a win, I think that’s what fuels the fans’ excitement and engagement,” Larson said. “It’s cool to be a part of.”
Dewease held on for a .931-second win, his 99th victory at the speedway, while Larson settled for second. The fans loved it and Facebook lit up.
But the individual who cheesed the hardest wasn’t Dewease or some young fan. It was Larson, who clearly enjoyed the thrill of racing Dewease for a win at Williams Grove – comparable to racing an Andretti for a win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway or an Earnhardt for a win at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
“I think he really enjoys when he comes in here (to Pennsylvania) and races, and more so than a lot people realize,” Dewease said.
Moments like the Speedweek kickoff forge a deeper meaning in the pair’s evolving relationship. And whenever Larson is in town, they make time for each other, preferably on the golf course.
“He’s definitely a better golfer than I am,” Larson said of Dewease with a laugh.
This week, they were supposed to golf on Monday, prior to race four at Lincoln Speedway, but Larson and Dewease cancelled to prioritize rest.
To make up for that lost time, they text. And text frequently.
“I text him a lot more than he texts me,” Dewease noted, chuckling.
Last Wednesday, during the All Star Circuit of Champions event at Port Royal Speedway, Larson sent Dewease a text after the four-lap dash. Larson had just finished second to Brock Zearfoss and prepared to start fourth for the feature.
“Hey, what did you think?” Larson texted Dewease, who subsequently offered some confidential advice.
“Whatever he took from our exchange, he was terrible,” Dewease started, “until he decided to knock the wall down and drive to second.”
The next morning, Dewease sent Larson a text, practically justifying his sheer talent is just as lethal as 38 years of racing experience.
“Forget about anything I told you and just be yourself,” Dewease told Larson.
“He does impress me when it gets to that kind of stuff, of how good he is at doing that,” added Dewease, describing his thought process when he watched Larson finish second at Port Royal with the All Star Circuit of Champions. “The way he rides the top, I’m just shaking my head and thinking, ‘I’ve never done that in my life.’”
Larson, too, wishes he’d be half as good as Dewease in his element, which is slick-track mastery.
“We joke around about driving styles,” Larson said.
What started as a naive California kid who knocked down Big Diamond’s tire barrier and the Pennsylvania legend who just wanted to lend a hand has turned into a lasting friendship and one intriguing plot: Dewease racing for win No. 100 and Larson going for win No. 1 at Williams Grove.
“The only thing that could make that perfect is if we could tie,” Dewease jokes. “But that’s not going to happen.”
Who knows how it’s going to shake out. It’s sprint car racing, where anything flies. But if Larson wins, will Katelyn shotgun some sort of brew?
“I will,” she affirmed. “And I hope Lance will do it with me, too.”
“I will not because I don’t drink,” Dewease later responded. “But I will celebrate with them.”
Then he paused for a moment.
“Let me rephrase that,” Dewease said. “If I l flatout get beat, I’ll be happy for him. But if I get passed late, eh. … I want to see him get a win at the Grove. But not at my expense, though.”
If either of them do outperform the rest, the celebration will likely be the same tune of their friendship: low-key, reserved, and with the idea that all flash is left on the track.
“A quiet relationship means a lot,” Katelyn Larson said. “They don’t expose it. It’s special.”
SPEED SPORT’s PA Speedweek coverage is presented by Diversified Machine Inc., one of the leading machine shops in the Central Pennsylvania region. Through the DMI and Bulldog component lines, Diversified Machine Inc. has grown from modest beginnings to become one of the premier rear end manufacturers in the motorsports industry.
DMI’s vision is to create a relationship with their customers, where they know that not only are they a valued customer, but also a part of the DMI family. They want the customer to know that their successes are DMI’s successes, and they will do everything possible to prove to the customer they made the right choice by entrusting DMI with their safety, providing them a fair value and offering the highest-performing components available in motorsports today and in the future.
For more information on Diversified Machine Inc., visit www.diversifiedracing.com.