Now Showing: Ricky Peterson Jr

When I think of the old days of dirt racing, I think of guys grinding it out in the shop after a long day of work. I think of the weekend warriors doing whatever it takes to get to the racetrack. I think of guys gathering up used parts to sell so they can upgrade their race car. Now, when I think of guys who are still doing that today, I think of Ricky Peterson Jr.

Ricky Peterson Jr grew up racing go-karts in small-town Rawson, Ohio. If he wasn’t racing, he was going to different sprint car races with his family around Ohio. At the age of 15, he got behind the wheel of a 305 sprint car for the first time.

“If you go back to the beginning, I started racing go-karts when I was 4 or 5 years old” said Peterson Jr. “My Dad raced go-karts and racing has always been a part of the family.”

For Peterson, the transition into full-time sprint car racing was a long process. He would occasionally take his 305 sprint car to Fremont, but really only ran about 15 races in the first two years. During the next seven years, Peterson Jr raced 305’s locally, but never put together a full season of racing.

“We ran 305’s for seven years, and then we kind of had some help with a motor. The first few years were so slow, I really didn’t start full-time racing until about 3 years ago.”

Before he could put together his own 410 program, Peterson raced for a few different car owners in 360 competition. He mixed in a few non-wing races and an occasional 410 race. It wasn’t until 2020 that he was able to put together his first full season of 410 sprint car racing. That year, he was able to win six races, including four in a 410 (in just 30 starts), one in a 360 and one in a non-wing car.

The 2021 season saw Peterson step up his program and set new goals for himself. He ran 43 races, primarily with the All Stars, FAST and AFCS in Ohio, but was unable to find victory lane. Although he didn’t find the success he was looking for, Peterson did not let the struggles deter him.

In 2022, Peterson had arguably the best season of his young 410 sprint car career. In 57 starts, he finished in the top 10 in 30 of them. He collected 3 wins and 16 top five finishes.

“After 2022 I was chomping at the bit for last year, but man, it just did not go as planned.”

Leading into the 2023 season, Peterson’s small team was beginning to look at the bigger picture. They were getting themselves close to a position where they could go full-time All Star racing. With no full-time crew guys or a crew chief, Peterson decided to hold off another year, and continue his primarily local schedule in 2023. For the last two seasons, he has had consistent help at the track, but nothing on the level of some of the top teams in the country.

“Typically in the shop, it’s just me full-time. My buddy, Luke Wolford, is in the shop a good bit with me and at every race. We’re a long ways off from full-time crew guys and a crew chief. I’d like to get there eventually, but right now, it’s primarily just me and Luke in the shop.”

When I asked Peterson to describe his 2023 season, he let out a brief sigh of relief, almost like he was happy that it was behind him.

“Oh man, it was absolutely up and down with no consistency. There were a lot of good things that happened but a lot of bad things too. It was a really stressful year equipment wise.”

Despite the bad luck, Peterson’s goals never changed. He had some sponsors step up and a really solid group of support around him. Again, he was looking at making the jump to go full-time All Star racing in 2024. Unfortunately, for Peterson and many other in his position, those goals changed once it was announced that High Limit Racing was acquiring the All Stars and moving to a national schedule.

All of the rumors and concerns coming out of Ohio came to fruition for Peterson and his team. Regardless of who is sanctioning Ohio Speedweek and the new regional series coming into the picture, losing the prestige and the option to run with the All Stars really put a damper on Peterson’s 2024 plans. Even with most of the facts out, Peterson’s opinion on the situation hasn’t changed. He estimates that there could be 10 to 15 teams in Ohio alone that are in the same position as him.

“The All Stars being gone does effect me and teams of my size. Obviously, the All Star races are what everybody wanted to be at. My goal for the last two or three years was to get to the point where I could run with the All Stars.”

“High Limit is great for people that are equipped to go race with them. There are only so many teams that are in a position to go be competitive with those guys. If you are not racing with them all the time and you are not on the same level, it’s like going to an Outlaw show.”

While there is no way for Peterson to hide his disappointment, he remains thankful and optimistic about the potential of the new Maverick Winged Sprint Series and the new changes taking place with the FAST Series.

“FAST fits what we like to do really well. You get to travel a little bit. Aaron (Fry) is trying really hard to make it better for the racers and I appreciate that. It makes sense for somebody like me, but it is just not the All Stars.”

Peterson makes a great point. The All Stars were the longest running winged 410 touring sprint car series. Even during the years where the series lacked star-power, the All Stars name alone got fans to the racetrack and people watching at home. There are concerns about the historic Ohio Speedweek and what the attendance/car count will look like without the sanctioning body that was the All Stars attached. He, like many others at all levels of sprint car racing, believes that the sport needs a “feeder” series.

“If there was no local racing or no feeder series, are we just going to have big shows? There needs to be multiple levels of sprint car racing for it to be successful.”

Today, you can find Peterson fully invested in his team. To make a living, Peterson ditched a full-time job to buy and sell race parts. In the past, he would do a full team buyout, keep what he needed for his team, and then sell the rest. With the help of his sponsors and supporters, he has been able to put all of his focus into improving as a driver and getting the car better.

It’s the teams like Peterson’s that do not get enough recognition in today’s sprint car scene. He embodies true, “grassroots” racing that the sport was built on. From doing whatever he can to get sponsorship help, to grinding it out in the shop every day, Peterson, and many others in his position, are consistently being overlooked.

“It helps a ton being involved with racing all day and being able to be in the shop all day. It has really allowed us to build our team.”

For 2024, the goals are simple. Be more consistent, improve on qualifying efforts, win 3+ races, and put his name in consideration for a full-time or part-time ride from other car owners. In terms of a schedule, the team is still in the process of penciling in dates. The only thing set in stone right now is a trip to Western PA for their Speedweek. He is considering the full FAST schedule and some trips to Indiana for some of the Maverick races.

Tentatively, Peterson is hoping to run around 65 races in 2024. He recognizes that things can change, bad luck happens and that having a full schedule picked out before the season might not be for him. “The goal is 65 races as long as we feel prepared going into every race.”

When I joked with Peterson about him potentially being jealous about all of the money going around in the neighboring state of Pennsylvania, he wouldn’t rule out spending a full season racing against the Posse in the future. With all of the unknowns floating around the sport in general, he is definitely keeping all of his options open.

“You see the money over there and say, man should I spend a season racing against those guys in Pennsylvania? It’s all for good money and there are a lot of eyes out there for your sponsors. Those guys are so good and the teams are so well-equipped for the tracks, but it would be awesome to race out there.”

Throughout his career, Peterson has bounced around in different rides with different teams. His hard work and dedication has provided him with his own team, but that doesn’t mean he is content in his current situation. While he doesn’t want to go back to bouncing around, he is absolutely open to any conversation about driving any type of 360 or 410 sprint car for a different team.

“I feel like we are the best prepared right now than we ever have been going into a year. I’m just thankful and excited. It’s been a lot of work and grinding it out. I want to get myself back into the conversation of hired drivers. I’m not just locked into this deal where I can only run my own stuff.”

In a sprint car landscape that is evolving faster than ever, we can’t forget about the backbone of the sport we all love. The excitement around High Limit is warranted, but there is no denying that the new series is having a direct impact on Peterson and other teams in his position. Make all of the arguments about payouts and start money increasing in Ohio, it doesn’t change the fact that just making an Outlaw show is extremely difficult, and that will be the case with High Limit as well.

You can find Peterson primarily racing locally and hammering the cushion in Ohio in 2024. He and his team are excited to launch a new website, with the hopes of selling more merchandise and bringing more attention to his brand. Be sure to give his Peterson Motorsports page a follow and support him, as well as all of the other local teams that keep sprint car racing alive.