El Cajon’s Pierce Has Plan for Bigger, Better Things in Racing

Ask Ron Pierce something about his racing career, and he reaches into his briefcase and pulls out his self-prepared press kit.

It seems Pierce, 20, has learned one important fact early in his career: You can’t get to the top of your profession by just sitting behind the wheel.

Pierce, from El Cajon, has his resume ready in case he should run into any potential sponsors. Another fact of the sport: No sponsors, no racing.

So far, Pierce hasn’t had too much trouble attracting them. He has dominated the superlite class in off-road racing, winning more main events than any driver. He will be competing in the San Diego stop of the Mickey Thompson Off-Road Championship Gran Prix tonight at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

The series is nothing new for Pierce, who won the overall superlite title two years ago and finished second last year.

But if everything goes as planned on the 10-race circuit this season, he will leave superlite for bigger and better things. If there is one thing Pierce works on besides driving, it’s planning.

Pierce works full time for his father’s plumbing business and spends his off hours contemplating his racing career.

The first item on Pierce’s resume: Career Goals . . . 1992 Indianapolis 500.

In between, Pierce has listed what he has to do to get to Indianapolis. Somehow, things look more possible when they’re in print.

“This is my last year in superlites,” Pierce said. “I’ve got to move on. For what I want to do, which is road race, I finally decided I have to move on and get in a bigger car.”

Getting into something bigger than superlite won’t be too difficult. To get an idea, imagine strapping an engine with the approximate horsepower of a subcompact car onto a frame of lightweight steel tubing that is less than seven feet long.

What you get is one of the more popular race classes with fans, especially women and children. Women like them because they are cute, and children enjoy them because they can relate to the size. On first glance, a superlite looks like something you would find in the toy section of a department store catalogue.

But these are not toys. A superlite can reach speeds of 40 m.p.h. racing around the tight stadium courses. And every driver has experienced the thrill of flipping the 600-pound car.

The most important thing for Pierce this season is erasing the No. 2 on his car, which represents his finish in the point standings last season. Russ East won the championship.

“After being No. 2, you want to get No. 1 back again,” Pierce said. “You want to win, but you have to have that little extra to do it. Last year, I wanted to win, but I just didn’t have that little extra.”

Pierce nearly pulled out the title at the end of the season. He would have had to get the best qualifying time, win his heat and win the main event in each of the circuit’s last two stops. He pulled it off in Denver but fell short at Las Vegas, where he had the best qualifying time and won the main but finished third in his heat with a flat tire after crashing into a wall.

“I was not going to race (superlites) this season and instead drive in the Barber-Saab Pro Series,” Pierce said. “But my sponsor, Cal Bumper, asked me to drive again, and I would like to be known as the top driver in my class before I move up.”

Next season, Pierce plans on racing in the Barber-Saab. He hopes to make a few dollars on the circuit this year (he earned $6,000 two seasons ago and about $4,000 last season) and then figures to sell the superlite he built after last season.

A superlite costs around $12,000 to build. But the Barber-Saab series is run in bigger cars with a bigger price tags.

The car is Indy style and about three-quarters the size of those used on the Indy circuit. The car gets its name from Skip Barber, who designed the vehicles using Saab engines. Each driver has the same car with the same engine, so driving ability and luck are the two important factors. It costs $5,400 per race to rent a Barber-Saab car, and that includes a mechanic. What it doesn’t include is insurance. If a driver wrecks the car, and it was his fault, he has to pay for the repairs.

This venture is considerably more expensive than Pierce’s first car. When he was 14, his father matched his $700 savings, and Pierce purchased an Odyssey, which is what the superlites used to be named.

Pierce went out and won his first race at Borona Oaks in 1983. He also won the Riverside/SCORE Off-Road World Championship in 1985.

Pierce isn’t exactly sure when he decided he wanted to race. He says he can’t remember that far back.

“My grandfather used to own half a sprint car and I’d go with him to all the races,” Pierce said. “I just loved racing. I think I’ve wanted to race ever since I was born.”

There was one particular instance, however, that may have had an impact on an impressionable boy.

“Ron Shuman (well-known sprint car driver) was my hero for about five years,” Pierce said. “I had his posters in my room, and I joined his fan club.

“When I was 11, I was at a race in Arizona and the announcer kept saying Ron Shuman would be arriving. He was at a race back east, flew to Arizona and landed in a helicopter behind the track. He got out, won the main and left to fly back to another race. I said, ‘Gosh, I’m going to be just like him.’ ”

Now that was planning.