Profile On: Josh Schneiderman!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Josh Schneiderman, #49 410 Sprint Driver
by Joanne Cram
21 year old West Burlington native, Josh Schneiderman, has been working hard this season to get his car to the front of the pack at Knoxville. The team has had new struggles this year off the track, with Josh’s dad, Bart’s return battle with cancer. He has been making frequent trips to Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota to receive treatments, and has surgeries scheduled for this Friday and Monday.
The “Professor’s” family-owned team now has 4 cars to run this season. Josh will put the familiar number 49 410 sprint on the track, as well as a 305 sprint for 19 year old brother, Jarrod Schneiderman. Jarrod also hopes to put together another 360 for the family-run team so he can compete at Knoxville next season as well. The other two cars are Josh’s 360 sprint, which he runs a very limited schedule this season with the Sprint Invaders, and the second 360 being the previous Knoxville regular, #2 of John Schulz, who also happens to be Josh’s uncle.
So with this much equipment, one would have to assume that this is a family addiction. That assumption would be correct. Bart Schneiderman, Josh’s father, began the legacy back in the mid 80’s by running the super modified class, eventually moving into the 360 sprint class. Bart ran around southeastern Iowa, northeastern Missouri, and the west-central part of Illinois. Bart was enjoying the racing so much in the early 2000’s, that he decided to add another car to the team. Matt Rogerson began driving the other Schneiderman machine, which he drove through 2003 when Matt began his own team. Within that stretch of two car ownerships, Bart also decided to put his brother-in-law, John Schulz, behind a third 360 sprint for the team.
When Josh was a little guy, his grandmother nick named him the Professor, because he was constantly asking questions and wanting to know everything about anything. This love for knowledge helped him to acquire quite a bit of sprint car knowledge at a young age.
2002 found a 14 year old Josh behind the wheel of his first 360 sprint car. He chose the #49 because his favorite numbers were taken. Since Bart had become good friends over the years with Max Rogers, who owned the #49 that both Wolfgang and Lasoski both piloted, Josh decided on using that number. Plus, the number 49 didn’t seem to be overly popular and the dreaded x behind the car number wouldn’t have to be used very often! That first season, Josh competed at some Sprint Invaders races, but at the age of 14, some tracks would not allow him to race. This would be the case for the next season as well, until Josh was of legal street driving age. On his final night of ten races in 2003, Schneiderman won his first ever heat race. The Sprint Invaders voted Josh Most Improved Driver for that season.
In 2004, Bart brought the team to Knoxville to run the weekly show. At this point it was only a one car team at Knoxville, as Josh was running with the Sprint Invaders full time. He made every show that season with the Sprint Invaders and finished high enough in points to qualify for an invitation to the Brodix Tournament of Champions at Knoxville’s famed half mile.
With a full season of racing under his belt, 2005 was another fast paced season with the Sprint Invaders. Highlights from that season were a dash win at Bloomfield, earning the title of Sprint Invaders Fan Favorite, and again being voted Most Improved Driver.
Josh’s Knoxville Raceway career began in 2006, where his father had both 360s racing weekly. Schneiderman had a fairly successful first year, finishing 13th in points, and had several top ten finishes. He nearly won his first feature on the last night of racing when he tangled with a lapped car and ended up trading a win for a runner up finish. Josh also finished just shy of a top ten in overall points with the Sprint Invaders. Josh’s biggest accomplishment of his racing career thus far was also in 2006, when he set quick time at the Masters Young Guns Challenge, as he had never qualified in a sprint car before. (360 sprints at Knoxville and many other Midwest 360 series draw for heat positions in lieu of time trials and are given passing points to set up the features.)
2007 found Josh back at Knoxville Raceway, as well as running with the Sprint Invaders. Highlights of 2007 included ten top 5 finishes, and 22 top ten finishes in 33 appearances of both Knoxville and Sprint Invader races. July 14th was also Josh’s first A Main “win” in a sprint car. Technically, Josh was not awarded that win due to a cylinder head specification issue. The Schneiderman team was unaware of this unconformity, and had no intentions to run an illegal motor. The team thanks all the loyal fans and crew that stood by them and believed in them.
2008 found a lot of rain outs early in the season, which made getting more time behind the wheel of the new 410 a little difficult. While much of the equipment is the same on a 360 and 410 sprint, the two cars handle much differently and minor driving style adjustments have to be made. The team ran a full season at Knoxville last year, finishing 17th in points. He ran races in the 360 with the Sprint Invaders with 2 feature wins and finished 3rd in points, 33 points out of the top spot.
The team runs full time at Knoxville this year in the 410, as well as with the Sprint Invaders in the 360 when the races are close enough. Josh would like to hit as many Midwest 410 races as he is able to, but with Bart’s treatment schedules, Josh may not get in as many races as the team had initially planned. Everyone is pulling for another full recovery from this newest battle with cancer for Bart.
Josh has several goals to focus on this year and in the near future. At Knoxville, Josh is aiming to make every A Main this year, but knows this is going to take a lot of work and consistency with Knoxville’s 410 competition. He would love to get a feature win for his dad and is also hoping for a top ten points finish. Future plans for racing are on hold for now, until Bart’s health improves. Josh wouldn’t mind putting together a second 410 so the team has a back up at Knoxville, hoping to add another sponsor or two to get the additional funding needed to get it done.
When Josh isn’t racing or working on race cars, he works full time as a radiator technician at Advanced Radiator. He graduated last year with a business degree at Southwestern Community College, and will be moving to Cedar Falls this fall to attend UNI. Eventually, Josh hopes to run his own business with his business administration degree from UNI.
Josh has a very loyal family, and thanks his parents, Bart and Suzie for all the sacrifices they have made so Josh can race. He knows how much it takes to run a race team and put together quality cars, and couldn’t do it without his family’s support. In addition to his parents and brother, Jarrod, Josh has an 18 year old sister, Janelle- who will be a contestant in this year’s Knoxville Nationals Queen Contest. When asked if Janelle would be seen racing soon, Josh tells me that Janelle is one heck of a softball player and is focusing all her energies on making it to college playing softball. Josh says if it weren’t for the softball, his sister would probably be right there with the brothers racing as well! Josh’s grandparents, Harold and Sandy Schulz are fixtures on the racing scene also, along with Aunt, Robin. Cheering Josh on as well is girlfriend, Brittany Griffith.
Crew for the #49 J & J Auto Racing/Automotive Machine (built by former Knoxville regular, Manny Rockhold) are dad, Bart; Darren Grimshaw, Dewey Bergquist, Chad Evans, Cale Riley, Jeff Dean, and Derek Evans. Sponsoring the Schneiderman team are J & J Steel, I Wireless, J & J Auto Racing, Automotive Machine, Hoosier Tire, Butler Built, Kum & Go, Rocket Headers, Engler Injection, Amp Energy, Bell Racing and Red Line Oil.
Josh would also like to thank Manny Rockhold for all that he has done to help with the motor program this season, as well as his parents for all they do for his racing career. 2009 T shirts are available!
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