Rebounding from finishing two races outside the top-15, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East rookie Tristian Van Wieringen (@TW1Stan) and his Rette Jones Racing (RJR) team head to Dover (Del.) International Speedway hoping to build on their 11th place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and end the year on a high note in Friday’s Crosley 125.
“I’m looking forward to Dover this weekend,” said Van Wieringen. “It’s been a very influential summer and early fall getting to race these K&N cars and even though we haven’t had the results we were looking for, we still have an opportunity to end the year on a high note with a strong finish in my Dover debut.”
Van Wieringen, the brother of former K&N competitor Dominique Van Wieringen took over the driving duties for the Rette-Jones Racing No. 30 team just past the halfway point this season. The first stint of races certainly haven’t come easy for the 20-year-old who had his first starts at tracks like Iowa Speedway, New Hampshire and Watkins Glen, but he has been able to maintain a positive outlook despite the learning curve.
“Going from New Hampshire to Iowa and then Watkins Glen was definitely a challenging start,” he said with a laugh. “You have to put full trust in the car just believe that it will stick. It’s definitely a lot different than what I’m used to in short-track racing, but my Rette Jones Racing team has been behind me every step of the way.”
For his debut with Miles’ Monster Mile, Van Wieringen isn’t having to go far for support. Between his sister and co car-owner Mark Rette, the Amherstburg, Ontario native is optimistic for the season finale.
“I’ve been told that I’m going to like Dover,” he said. “Dominique has been able to give me some pointers and Mark has given me a guideline to help me prepare. Even though I’ve done a lot of talking and researching, nothing matters more than seat time. I’m looking forward to a busy but productive day at the Monster Mile.”
Outside of the K&N seat, Van Wieringen is an active member of the eSports community, spending time both as a professional player and now as a coach.
“I’ve been playing video games since I was a little kid, but I started playing them competitively when I was about 12,” he explained. “It turned out I was really good at it and eventually I was connected with the right people which allowed me to play for a team known as the Detroit Renegades which is owned by an NBA player (Jonas Jerebko).”
Van Wieringen has become part of the wave of eSports that has seemingly taken the world by storm. It has become the fastest growing entertainment industry in recent memory, with a global market value that is expected to approach 1-billion U.S. dollars in 2018 according to forbes.com.
It has also come with its fair share of controversy from consumers around the world that don’t believe video games should be seeing this kind of money and success.
“You either like it or you don’t and it’s definitely received its fair share of backlash from a lot of people. My biggest thing is that I will take what I can get out of it because for now it’s stable but like many sports, once there is someone better than you, you’re out.”
With his playing days now behind him, Van Wieringen has now turned his focus to coaching. While balancing both racing and being at the helm of an eSports team, he is also a full-time student at the same college that he coaches for.
“I’m now working with a team as a coach at a college in St. Louis so hopefully I can help them out and win the collegiate season,” he said. “There are some serious investors like (New England Patriots owner) Robert Kraft and other owners of major sports teams so there’s a lot of money in it. College teams have started to take note of that and are now putting money and effort into their programs.”
But before he returns to his coaching duties, Van Wieringen hopes to shine on the big stage at Dover – and perhaps bring Rette Jones Racing their first K&N victory.
“I’d love to see us end the year with a top-five finish or even a win,” he said. “It would be a big deal to Mark and the guys who bust their tails to prepare these cars for me. No matter what happens on Friday afternoon though, I’m appreciative for the opportunity to race in NASCAR and hope to do a lot more in 2019.”
Rette believes Van Wieringen should have the instincts to pick up on Dover’s fast-pace quickly and make them contenders for the 14th race of the season.
“It’s been a trying year for Rette Jones Racing – but we made it to the final race and we’re looking forward to making the most of it,” Rette said. “Tristian has done a good job adapting to these K&N cars. We threw him in with the wolves and he has survived.
“I think Dover is a track that should fit his style. He’s taking advantage of the resources around him to get up to speed and I know we’re bringing a fast No. 30 Durobyte Ford to aid him. (We) can’t predict what will happen on Friday afternoon, but we won’t go down without swinging.
“No matter the result, our team is going to be heavily focused on regrouping after Dover and focus on making ourselves better for 2019.”
In addition to Durobyte, JRI Shocks, Huntilar Corp., Goodridge Fluid Transfer Systems, Ford Performance and Jones Group International will serve as associate marketing partners for Friday afternoon’s race.
The Crosley 125 (125 laps | 125 miles) is the 14th of 14 races on the 2018 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule. Practice begins for the one-day show on Fri., Oct. 5 from 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Group qualifying is set for later at 1:20 p.m. The race set to take the green flag later in the day at approximately 5:00 p.m. The event will be televised on a tape-delayed basis on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) on Thurs., Oct. 11 at 6:00 p.m. All times are local (Eastern).
Rette Jones Racing PR
