GALESBURG, Ill. – RFMS Racing owner Don Fike has announced his team will not continue to participate in the ARCA Menards Series.
Fike, who has been involved in racing for more than 50 years, has decided to sell his race team and step away from ownership. Travis Braden, who won the Snowball Derby in December, drove for RFMS Racing the last two seasons.
“I almost sold the team after the 2017 season,” Fike said in a press release Thursday evening. “I had a bicycle accident that year, which ultimately made my Parkinson’s symptoms worsen. My doctor and I talked about reducing my stress, so I decided to stop racing. My wife and some of my closest friends could tell how miserable I was with my decision to sell, so they talked me into doing it another year or two. But it’s time now. As much as I love racing, I just don’t need the extra responsibility anymore.”
Fike has spent more than 50 years either driving a race car, working on a race car, sponsoring race cars or owning them. He developed his life-long passion during his college years, when he put together his first stock car. He competed in a six-cylinder races at local tracks in Illinois such as the Mazon Speedbowl, where he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.
Fike continued with his late model driving career for many years before developing RFMS Racing in 1996. RFMS Racing raced midgets and Silver Crown cars in the United States Auto Club, in addition to a number of different sanctioning bodies, including ARCA.
“I am very proud of finishing 4th in driver points and 7th in owner points in the ARCA Menards Series in 2019,” Fike said. “ARCA was such a competitive series, we learned a lot, and it was a fun change of pace from the open wheel stuff. One of the things I am most proud of in my career though is our USAC National Midget Championship in 2012 against some very tough competition. I will also always remember our Springfield wins in the USAC Silver Crown Car and the ARCA car with my son, A.J.. We were proud to win at that home track in both series. The most important thing though is all the friends I have made doing this. I really have some of my closest friends and best memories from being involved in racing.”
Fike plans to continue his Racing for Others Program, where adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are able to attend a race.
“We take them to the track, give them t- shirts, a meal, have drivers stop by and sign autographs,” Fike said. “They have a great time, and it is something that they wouldn’t normally be able to do. We cover all the expenses, and put them up in a suite and everything. It has become one of the things I look forward to the most.”