Justin Peck is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. (Paul Arch Photo)
Justin Peck is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. (Paul Arch Photo)

Justin Peck: Learning From Mistakes

A year with Grove’s team followed, allowing Peck to race against some of the best in the business. Though the results weren’t always there, Peck believes his time with Grove allowed him to understand the skillset it takes to be a touring sprint car driver — preparing him for the next door to open.

“I was extremely fortunate to pick up the opportunity that I did with Pete Grove because that got me out on the road and running with the All Stars more,” Peck tipped. “I learned a lot, spent a lot of time in Pete’s shop during that period and learned a lot more about the race cars. That’s ultimately what I feel like has led me to where I’m at now. I feel like I have a better understanding for the mechanics of the cars I’m racing. That’s a big deal, no matter who you are. 

“It was a good opportunity. It was a good deal for me,” Peck added. “I hope Pete felt the same way. To me, that’s part of what led me to get hooked up with the 13 (Buch Motorsports) guys, because I was able to be out in front of them and got to know those guys a little bit. They were able to see some of what I was capable of … and then a door opened that gave us a shot to work together.”

Then-Buch Motorsports driver Paul McMahan tested positive for COVID-19 following the Capitani Classic at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway, sidelining McMahan and leading crew chief Sean Strasbaugh to tab Peck as McMahan’s fill-in for a late-August doubleheader.

A 14th-to-fourth drive at  the Plymouth (Wis.) Dirt Track in Peck’s second night working with Strasbaugh told Peck that he had found something that worked for him.

2021 Ascoc Sharon 4 Cap Henry Justin Peck Lead Battle Julia Johnson Photo
Cap Henry (4) fends off Justin Peck during an All Star Circuit of Champions Buckeye Cup at Sharon (Ohio) Speedway. (Julia Johnson photo)

“We just clicked,” Peck said of working with Buch Motorsports. “From the first time I strapped in, we all had the same goals in mind and they were able to give me what I needed. Everything just worked.”

McMahan finished the All Star season in the Buch No. 13, but the team tabbed Peck as its new driver, starting with the World of Outlaws Last Call weekend at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in November.

The deal included a full All Star schedule this season and through the first four months of the year Peck proved the Buch team’s faith in him was well placed.

Back-to-back victories at Pennsylvania’s Williams Grove Speedway and Port Royal Speedway were followed by a win in the All Star opener at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park and a second All Star triumph at Ohio’s  Sharon Speedway.

Peck was second in All Star points when he was hit by debris during an event at Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway and missed several races.

But he bounced back with an Ohio Speedweek triumph at Muskingum County Speedway.

Peck says his association with Buch Motorsports isn’t a one-and-done situation. Both driver and team hope their pairing will last for an extended period of time.

“We’re in it for the long haul. We’re not in it just to do it for this year and then them kick me to the curb because I didn’t get the job done or anything like that, and vice versa,” Peck said. “We’re going to see how we do, go out and, hopefully, win a couple more races and fight for a championship. I feel like that’s what we’re doing so far, and we’ll just see how it goes … stick together and keep fighting.”

What has Peck learned during his three-year odyssey from prospect to outcast and back to contender?

“I don’t think anyone’s going to be able to knock me down anymore, I can tell you that,” Peck tipped. “I think, to an extent, it was a good thing. Obviously, it sucks that it happened, but at the end of the day, I believe it just made me stronger.

“It’s not the path that you want to take to get where I’ve gotten to, but it’s a part of my story and, going forward, the lessons I took away are things that I’ll use to try and achieve the goals I’ve set for myself.”

One of those goals was driving a winged sprint car professionally. That box has, finally, been checked.

In Peck’s eyes, it’s all about focusing forward.

“When I was 18, and ever since I was younger, this was what I was working toward,” Peck said. “This has always been the goal. And this is exactly where I want to be. This is exactly where I thought I would be when I was 18 years old. 

“It took a bit longer to get here, but I think it made me stronger and I think I’ll be better off because of it.”