Profile On: Jon Agan!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Jon Agan, #54 360 Sprint Car Driver
by Joanne Cram
Knoxville’s own Jon Agan is back in the seat for a full season of action packed 360 racing for the 2009 season. Teaming up with the Boyd and Lisa Burnham, Otley based #54, Agan is looking forward to racing with his new team and is excited at the prospect of the new season unfolding.
30 year old Jon Agan has lived in Knoxville all his life, aside from his adventures of running with the All Stars during the 2004 season. Jon’s family has always been involved in racing, hard not to be living in this town! Jon’s dad, Craig has been an active member of the racing community from working with the legendary Bob Trostle, to previously working for the Hall of Fame. Jon fondly remembers growing up around the sport especially his time spent around Bob’s legendary #20 car’s. These days, Jon is able to help Bob out when he has any welding projects or is working on restoration projects. Jon’s older sister Beth also had deep involvement with racing, working for the Indy Racing League for nearly 6 years in Marketing and Promotions.
With his job as an OEM Account / New Product Development Manager for Dee Zee, Inc. out of Des Moines, Jon has been balancing race nights with his career and new family. Recently a new dad to Reese Elizabeth (4 months old), Jon and his wife, Naomi have a new adventure ahead of them with parenthood. Reese will surely grow up a race fan! When there is a spare moment away from racing, working on race cars, spending time with his family and attending athletic events of his high school crew members’, Jon likes to jump on his Harley and ride.
As Jon grew up in Knoxville and with a family involved in racing as much as the Agan’s have been, its no wonder he ended up racing. The Agan’s hosted many drivers over the years while they were in town racing, but most memorable for Jon was Jeff Shepard’s stays with the family. In the early 90’s when Jeff was an up and comer, he and his family would head out to Knoxville for the Nationals. In return, when Jon was old enough, he began going out on the road with Jeff and his team.
After a successful collegiate freshman year at UNI, it was decided that Jon had earned the opportunity to race his family’s car at Knoxville. The Agan’s #U2 360 sprint, sponsored in part by Warren and Butch Johnson’s United Expressline, hit the Knoxville Raceway half mile. Jon’s first year, as most any other new driver, wasn’t as successful as he would have liked according to Jon. However, Agan says this was a great learning year and he was even able to travel to some other tracks to get laps. A highlight from that first year was his race over at West Liberty, where he ran 2nd to Max Dumesny. Jon was also able to travel to Eldora, where that year’s Tournament of Champions race was held. Jon won the 15 lap Knoxville Qualifier at Eldora.
The next season began with much more promise. Agan won his heat race and ended up 5th in the feature opening night at Knoxville. The season was off to a great start and Jon was sitting in a top 3 points position. Then the dreaded Twin Features curse hit. Its long been known that a bad Twin Features night could do in your chances at the points race. With a blown motor during his heat race, not being able to compete in the twins features was devastating for Jon’s chances at a top 3 in points. The following week ended prior to the feature event after a nasty wreck destroyed his car.
The team thought they were ready to begin the 410 adventure the following year. The Agan’s bought an older Moro motor and ran both 360 and 410 races, focusing on the 410 towards the end of the season in preparation for the Nationals. Jon would run the Trostle #20 car in honor of Bob Trostle’s fortieth Nationals. Agan’s rookie Nationals dreams ended short after leading nearly all of his qualifying night heat race only for it to end with an impressive oil fire while racing.
With two broken motors and an unclear vision of what the next season would hold, the Agan’s fixed the 410 motor and put it up for sale, hoping to fix the 360 from the previous season with the sale proceeds. The 410 didn’t sell, so with that being the only motor that was running for the opening of the season, Jon began racing the 410 weekly at Knoxville. Jon had a decent season, with a 3rd place feature finish as a highlight with numerous heat race wins. That was the season Jon also began driving a Silver Crown car on the side. The family had the basics of a car and some parts- so they threw a Crown car together and began running a few dirt races. Agan notes that he really enjoyed the Silver Crown car, but to be at a competitive level, their focus would have had to been shifted solely to these cars. A hard feat having sprint cars and Knoxville Raceway in your back yard.
With the successful year the team had, they decided to upgrade their motor program to a Lee Nelson 410. Jon was able to do more traveling, and hit many All Star and Outlaw shows that were within a reasonable driving distance. This was the season he really felt like he was getting a strong, consistent grasp on his racing, with several top 15 finishes with the touring series, as well as several 2nd place feature finishes at Knoxville.
The following season, Jon was able to put together a program with his own car to get out to Ohio and run with the All Stars. This opportunity was largely in part to the flexibility his employer Dee Zee allowed him. Agan worked out of the Kemenah’s shop and was able to develop a great friendship with Chad Kemenah, who Jon credits with teaching him a lot about racing at numerous tracks that season. Jon recalls this season as being the highlight of his racing career, being fortunate enough to travel full time that season. All while learning a lot about racing on different track sizes, as well as track surfaces. With all that professional competition, Jon had a long way to fight his way to the front of the field of sprint cars, but had gained a lot of confidence in his driving that season.
The next Jon returned to Knoxville without any sponsorship. The season started off well with strong runs at Knoxville with the 410 and at other area tracks with the 360 running with the Sprint Invaders. Unfortunately following a Friday night destruction at Donnellson and a Saturday night 410 adventure at Knoxville that ended in the same fate, the season was practically over for the Agan team. This led Agan to a two-year hiatus from racing. He took two full years off barely even attending races in 2006, and then returned to crew chief for Bryan Dobesh of South Dakota in 2007.
2008 brought Agan back to Knoxville Raceway to run a 360. He hadn’t planned on running a full season last year, but was able to hit 75% of the shows and finished the season with a strong 8th in points. All in part to many strong runs and numerous top three finishes.
This season the Agan-Burnham combination plan to be a top contender at the weekly 360 races at Knoxville. Jon believes the car is capable of being in the top 3 every night, and hopes to find himself in Victory Lane on many occasions. Jon is excited for the fans to see the new car rolled out, the color scheme will be an entirely new look for Burnham Racing and Jon this year.
Crew includes Boyd and Lisa Burnham (owners), Goose Gosselink, Luke Hileman, Cory Collins, and Brody and Blair Burnham. Jon would like to thank the team for all of their hard work in the shop this winter all in preparation of what is to come. Most importantly Jon thanks his wife, Naomi for her support and understanding as he spends many nights away from home at the race shop. Jon would like to invite all of the fans down to see the Iowa Diamond / Dee Zee #54 and hopes to have new T-shirts in a few weeks.
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