By Jill Chastenay
Who is your teammate?
By Yoda
Jeff Zuidema has two teammates when he runs the Pro 4 Modifieds. While he runs the 1M, Norman Wrenn
runs the number 37 and Adam Norton runs the 01. Unfortunately, on August 19 at Monadnock all three drivers
ended up with a bit of bad luck in the Pro 4 feature. After two laps Zuidema brought his machine to the inside of
the track when his transmission broke.
Wrenn started on the poll, both Zuidema and Norton started in the middle and near the back of the pack. Adam
came up through the field quickly and was a contender for a top three spot when he and the 97 tangled on lap 7
putting him to the back. He came up through the field again and looked like he might be headed for a top three
again until some aggressive racing, and cautions took their toll on his car and he pulled out on lap 15 after
overheating.
The 37 of Stormin’ Norman Wrenn was hard to even touch starting on the poll. He was living up to the name
Stormin’ Norman and was only given competition from the 13 and the 97 during the course of the race. Of course
a win was not meant to be. On lap 22 the 97 spun Wrenn, taking himself and the latter out of contention for the
win. All were robbed of a great night of racing. However, earlier in the evening I was able to interview the up and
comer of the team Adam Norton.
Adam is 23 years old and has been racing for 11 years. He raced karts for six years and has been in cars for five
years now. Since moving from karts to cars Norton has raced SK’s, Pro 4’s and Pro Stocks, no small feat for
someone who’s been driving cars for five years. He’s also raced at a lot of tracks in his short career. So far
Adam has raced at Stafford, Waterford, Lee, Thompson, Twin State Speedway, and Beech Ridge where he got
his first win. A couple of tracks he ran while running kart include Sugar Hill and my favorite Thunder Road.
When asked how he got into racing Adam had an interesting story. He laughed, “My dad came home on a Friday
and told my mom and I he just bought a g0-kart. Then he told my mom she would need to get me a fire suit,
helmet, and shoes so that I could race the next day!” Nothing like jumping in feet first! He then added that he
had raced dirt bikes before going to go-karts. The way Norton races it looks like the six years of karting have
helped him in the move to the open wheeled Pro 4’s.
Some of Adam’s accomplishments include earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2000 when he started running
the Pro 4’s. He also got third in points that year, not to shabby for someone in his early twenties. So far this year
Adam has earned three feature wins in the Pro 4’s. Adam says his most memorable moment was, “my first win at
Beech Ridge.” The way Adam races he’s sure to have more memorable moments such as this.
Surely having two older teammates must help Adam in his ability to race so well. When I asked Adam, “What it is
like to have Jeff as a teammate?” he replied, “He helps me a lot. He does anything for me, and I wouldn’t be as
good if not for him and Dennis.” After observing all three working in the pit it is obviously a very positive
experience. It’s nice to observe some “Old-timers” grooming some fresh blood for the future of racing. When
asked about his future Adam he said, “ I definitely want to get back into an SK and eventually run the Whelen
Tour.”
By Yoda
Jeff Zuidema has two teammates when he runs the Pro 4 Modifieds. While he runs the 1M, Norman Wrenn
runs the number 37 and Adam Norton runs the 01. Unfortunately, on August 19 at Monadnock all three drivers
ended up with a bit of bad luck in the Pro 4 feature. After two laps Zuidema brought his machine to the inside of
the track when his transmission broke.
Wrenn started on the poll, both Zuidema and Norton started in the middle and near the back of the pack. Adam
came up through the field quickly and was a contender for a top three spot when he and the 97 tangled on lap 7
putting him to the back. He came up through the field again and looked like he might be headed for a top three
again until some aggressive racing, and cautions took their toll on his car and he pulled out on lap 15 after
overheating.
The 37 of Stormin’ Norman Wrenn was hard to even touch starting on the poll. He was living up to the name
Stormin’ Norman and was only given competition from the 13 and the 97 during the course of the race. Of course
a win was not meant to be. On lap 22 the 97 spun Wrenn, taking himself and the latter out of contention for the
win. All were robbed of a great night of racing. However, earlier in the evening I was able to interview the up and
comer of the team Adam Norton.
Adam is 23 years old and has been racing for 11 years. He raced karts for six years and has been in cars for five
years now. Since moving from karts to cars Norton has raced SK’s, Pro 4’s and Pro Stocks, no small feat for
someone who’s been driving cars for five years. He’s also raced at a lot of tracks in his short career. So far
Adam has raced at Stafford, Waterford, Lee, Thompson, Twin State Speedway, and Beech Ridge where he got
his first win. A couple of tracks he ran while running kart include Sugar Hill and my favorite Thunder Road.
When asked how he got into racing Adam had an interesting story. He laughed, “My dad came home on a Friday
and told my mom and I he just bought a g0-kart. Then he told my mom she would need to get me a fire suit,
helmet, and shoes so that I could race the next day!” Nothing like jumping in feet first! He then added that he
had raced dirt bikes before going to go-karts. The way Norton races it looks like the six years of karting have
helped him in the move to the open wheeled Pro 4’s.
Some of Adam’s accomplishments include earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2000 when he started running
the Pro 4’s. He also got third in points that year, not to shabby for someone in his early twenties. So far this year
Adam has earned three feature wins in the Pro 4’s. Adam says his most memorable moment was, “my first win at
Beech Ridge.” The way Adam races he’s sure to have more memorable moments such as this.
Surely having two older teammates must help Adam in his ability to race so well. When I asked Adam, “What it is
like to have Jeff as a teammate?” he replied, “He helps me a lot. He does anything for me, and I wouldn’t be as
good if not for him and Dennis.” After observing all three working in the pit it is obviously a very positive
experience. It’s nice to observe some “Old-timers” grooming some fresh blood for the future of racing. When
asked about his future Adam he said, “ I definitely want to get back into an SK and eventually run the Whelen
Tour.”