Curt Michael

CAR COLOR: Green

CAR NUMBER:5G

MOTOR: Don Ott Racing Engines

CHASSIS: Maxim Chassis

BIRTHDATE: February 1, 1972

HOMETOWN: Ocean View, Delaware

PREVIOUS DIVISIONS: Quarter Midgets, Micro Sprints, 358 Sprints, 360 Sprints, 410 Sprints

FAVORITE TRACK: Williams Grove

FAVORITE BEVERAGES: Iced Tea & Diet Coke

FAVORITE FOOD: Hot Wings

FAVORITE MUSIC: Rock
 

When Curt was born in Allentown, PA, his two older brothers, Chris and Sean, were already racing Quarter Midgets.  At the age of five, he started racing his own.  His Mom and Dad took all three racecars and kids to the races twice a week.     Curt’s oldest brother Chris started racing Modifieds at Nazareth Speedway.   A few years later, Curt’s other brother, Sean started racing Micro Sprints.  During these years Curt mainly helped them while they were racing. 

In 1990, Sean let Curt run his Micro Sprint at Lindas Speedway. The following year Curt and his parents moved to Ocean View,DE.  Curt and his Dad (Al) started their own Micro Sprint team.  They raced Micros from 1991- 1994, winning many races and the 1993 Lindas Speedway Point Championship. 

Curt and his Dad sold all of the Micro parts and bought a 358 Sprint Car, running Seacoast (Georgetown)  Speedway in 1995.  The team won four out of six races. 

The decision was made during the year to build a URC 360 motor and run URC in 1996.  They won one URC race that year and met Mike Bostic, who had Curt and Al join his team for the 1997 URC tour.  Together they won three races and finished third in the final point standings.  Curt and Mike wanted to win the URC Championship and in 1998 they  did just that.  Curt’s Dad,Al, won the Mechanic of the Year Award also that year.  

1999 saw Mike buy a 410 engine.  Curt raced Lincoln Speedway and some other 410 and URC shows.  In Curt’s sixth 410 start, he was lucky enough to get a 410 win at Lincoln Speedway. 

During the 1999 year, Curt and the Bostics split, with Curt moving to the Bill and Kay Tanger owned #07  410 Sprint Car.  Curt and the Tanger’s were together for about a year, running Williams Grove and Lincoln Speedways.  Their best finish together was a second place finish at Selingsgrove Speedway. 

In mid 2000, Curt and the Tanger’s split. Curt began running selected 410 shows in the Walt Dyer owned #461(The Brickmobile) and the Pat and Kathy Palladino owned #99 360 URC Sprint Car.   Success came quickly in both cars, with Curt winning four URC races and winning his first 410 race at Williams Grove in the #461.  In 2001, Curt drove the 461 Friday nights, winning one race and running fourth with the World of Outlaws at Williams Grove.  They also achieved many fast time awards. 

On Saturday nights, Curt drove multiple URC cars one of which was the Palladino #99.  This combination won the URC/ESS Shootout on the Moody Mile of Syracuse,NY durinug Super Dirt Week.  In 2002, Curt and the Palladinos were chasing the URC Championship when disaster struck at Delaware International Speedway.  

It was May when Curt jumped the wheel of a lapped car and crashed, resulting in a broken back.  He was out of competition for  nine weeks and during this same time, Pat Palladino had a heart attack.  While Curt was hurt, he married his long time girlfriend, Jennifer Weaver, who won the 2002 Ms. Motorsports pageant.  When both Curt and Pat healed they went racing again and won in only their second race back in URC action in Canada. They won a total of four races that year.  To Curt’s delight, two of those were at Delaware International, the site of his injury.  At the end of the season, Curt was let go from the #99. 

With Curt's talent and impressive resume, he didn’t have to look far for a new ride.  Curt had a friendship with Frank Davis, who sponsored the #99, and for the 2003 season, Frank started his own URC 360 Sprint Car team.  They won four races and finished third in the final URC points in their first year together.   Wanting to win the 2004 URC Championship, Frank and Curt asked Curt’s longtime friend Steve Suchy (AKA. Beazer) to join the team.  Beazer helped Curt in the past during the 1999 season and brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team.   Things clicked quickly with Curt and team winning six races and finishing the year with a URC Championship.  The Championship was Curt’s second and Davis' first.  Beazer also won Mechanic of the Year . 

In 2005, Curt and Beazer rejoined the Pat and Kathy Palladino Motorsports team.  Together they won the URC opener and a total of four races enroute to their 2005 URC Championship.  Pat and Beazer worked well together, and Beazer collected his second Mechanic of the Year Award.  In 2006, Beazer took some time off from racing, but Curt and the Palladinos wanted to win another championship.  Pat and Curt worked well together in the past, and this year was business as usual.  They won six races, including a sweep of the URC/UCSC North-South Shootout, and a win in the Bully Hill Nationals at Black Rock Speedway.  2006 produced the team's 4th championship, with Curt getting his 3rd in a row.

In 2007, the team will be back together again and vying for their fifth Championship.   Curt knows that without the support of all the great people and family, he would not be able to achieve his goals.  Racing is a very expensive sport and Curt thanks everyone who has helped him in the past and may contirbute in the future. 

Curt is an artist and screenprinter who likes to play basketball and spend time with friends and family.  He looks forward to meeting many of you at the races.