MichiganCircleTrack.com is the online home of the MARC Times Racing News & Michigan Racing Scene and MARCTimesTV.

Cory Pressler has worked his way up the ladder in racing.  The 26 year old has been racing since age 16.  Running at speedways across Michigan, Pressler has run Hartford, New Paris, Plymouth, Kalamazoo, and of course, M40 Speedway.  This year is different however, Pressler is running his first full season in the Late Model division.  After running in Sportsman division, and the Pure Stock division, where he got his start, he feels ready to make the move.

“ Dads raced for about 30 years, that’s how my brother and I both got started.  He told me when I get older, if I want to race, he would get me a car...I’ve been doing it every since “, said Pressler, who now is driving for Mike Shewchuk.  “ The number was on the car when I started running for Mike, its the number he chose “, adds Pressler.  Although Cory drives for Shewchuk, he does have a car of his own.  “ My brother drives my Pro-Stock, while I drive for Mike “, said Pressler.  He does plan however,  to run his own car in some of the big Sportsman races this summer.

Cory basically just works in the shop on the race cars, currently not working anywhere else.  “ Our schedule is pretty hectic, working in the shop all day and all night “, said Pressler.  “ I help my brother on the Pro-Stock, when I get done on that, I start in on the Late Models.  We race every Friday, and Saturday night, if there is a Sunday show, we try to run that as well “,said Pressler.

When you race as much as the Pressler family does, you definitely need help, as a lot goes into racing.  Pressler owes a lot of his gratitude to his dad ( Randy ), Mike Shewchuk, and all his guys that show up on raceday to help get the car to victory lane ( Bobby Stremme, Shawn Amor, Bryant Ragcock, Adam Litker, and Nick Pressler ).

Pressler likes racing at M40 Speedway.  “ It’s fast, tight, and there’s a lot of speed “, said Pressler.  He absolutely loved the track earlier on in the 2009 season, as Pressler has gotten his biggest victory of his career.  Pressler won his first ever Late Model feature race at the track. Before that, Pressler admits that his best moment was 2007, finishing eighth in the feature at Late Model Jones, when he made his way in on time.  “ Both moments are special, but this years feature win tops all “, said Pressler.

On the flip side, Pressler remembers his worse moment in racing as well.  “ It was 2004, I was at M40, stopped on a red flag.  My car ( Pro-Stock ) got clipped from behind, and the rear clip was completely ripped off.  I was very upset over someone else not paying attention “, Pressler recalls.

Pressler is pretty content right now.  “ Running here ( M40 ), running competitively, trying to see what I can do at Kalamazoo Speedway.  I got a good enough car, just need to work on it and see what I can do “, admits Pressler.  “ I really love racing, coming to the track, all your buddies are here.  When the cars good, its fun, when its bad, its not to much fun.  Still, you got all your buds here, joking and laughing, and its a huge adrenaline rush “, Pressler adds.
Pressler admits there are some things about racing he would like to change.  “ Promoters need to get all the tracks on the same page, run the same tires, and they’d get better car counts “, said Pressler.
Pressler plans to run the Kalamazoo Klash, the Summer Sizzler, and all the big Sportsman races at Kalamazoo.

Although he is still young, Pressler is already reaching his goals.  Not only is he driving in the Late Model division, but he is also a car owner, which was his goal he set for after he was done racing himself.  Pressler enjoys driving for someone else, his advice for guys trying to find a ride...” Keep cool, guys don’t want to hire a guy who will tear bodies off the car.  owners want a guy who can finish third, and the cars in one piece, rather than finishing last with no front or rear end “.

You can come out to the M40 Speedway every Friday night, or Kalamazoo Speedway every Saturday night.  See the black and blue No.32x Late Model and driver Cory Pressler, as he takes on the elite from both tracks.