Profile On: Glen Saville!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Glen Saville, #75
by Joanne Cram
It’s not unusual to spy a sprint car driver carrying his suit and nomex before a race, but to spot one carrying a suit, nomex, AND a palm tree by a blow up pool?! Well, then you’d be in the #75 pit stall of Glen Saville!
The 26 year old native of Razorback, New South Wales, Australia, has been a fixture at Knoxville for the past four seasons crewing for Terry McCarl and Lynton Jeffrey. For his fifth season in America, Glen decided it was his turn to get behind the wheel!
Glen has a long history of racing. His dad, Ian, was a midget racer in Australia for nearly three decades. When Glen was 7 years old, he jumped in the seat of a kart and started tearing up NSW. Glen and his family traveled all over his home state to race, where as a junior he won eleven state championships, an Australian title at the age of 13, and raced in New Zealand with the CIK (the top level of junior karting down under). Feeling like he was ready for the next level of challenge, Glen moved up to the Senior division a year early, at the age of 15. He added 5 more championship titles to his collection that year.
Adding to his racing addiction, at the age of 16, Glen moved into midget racing as well as karting. While busy with school and college, Glen didn’t give the midget racing his full attention, but made each feature and learned a lot those years. The decision to not stay in midgets was a difficult one, but with only 25 or so cars showing up for each race and parts being difficult to get his hands on, Glen decided that eventually sprint car racing would be the way he would go.
When Glen was 18, he decided to move to the next level of open wheel racing and stepped into sprint car racing. With a 1990 Gambler Chassis, Glen began racing at Paramatta, the same year that the World of Outlaws began their Oultaws Down Under Race. Glen made it out for ten races and learned a lot that season. In the off season, he continued to race karts as well. The following season the team changed up chassis and upgraded parts and continued to race. While Glen was finishing up his degree in mechanical engineering, he didn’t spend a lot of time chasing track championships or titles, was just getting more laps under his belt and working on turning a smoother lap. After he graduated college, Glen was able to dedicate more of his time racing.
Then in 2008, the opportunity to work in the States for Terry McCarl materialized and Saville hopped on a plane to hit the road. The following three seasons he helped out Lynton Jeffrey, so Glen is no stranger to the half mile. In the off season, Glen decided to put a plan together so he could be inside the car, as opposed to outside looking in!
Glen began the 2012 season racing back home and in New Zealand, and partnered with Jeff Morris of Des Moines, to get a team together here in the states. Glen bought a car and motor is able to keep it at Morris’ shop where the crew of Jeff, Josh Lampkin, and TJ Williamson work out of.
Glen says this has been a challenging, yet fun year. His goals were to come over here and have fun trying to learn how to race on a half mile. He has only raced on short tracks back home, the biggest being a 3/8 mile track. He jokingly says that Knoxville’s corners are bigger than most straightaways he’s raced on! He isn’t disappointed, feels like he’s getting better, and each time he goes out on the track he feels he’s turning faster laps than before. Ultimately, he hopes to get a few top tens before he completes Knoxville’s season and returns home to Australia. With the Nationals coming up, Glen is also looking forward to running in the World Challenge Race that he’s qualified for as well.
Sponsors of Glen’s J&J, Kinser Racing Engines powered 410 include Morris Automotive, Wreckamended Collision Center, Downs Duplex, Hinchman, Butler Built, Voretex, Schoenfeld, Moose Magnetos, and Ottsen Oil Company.
Cheering him on from down under, are Glen’s parents, Ian and Sandra, as well as his younger sister, Stephanie. When Glen isn’t racing, he’s a mechanical engineer and loves to do anything outdoors, including swimming, catching football and rugby games, and anything involving a motor. While spending time in the states, he’s caught baseball fever and will watch a game any time!
|