|
 |
|
 |
| Features |
| The EKN Interview Series: No Ordinary Joe |
| Article by: - by Jeffrey Franz |
 | | Joe Janowski (Photo: Jeff Deskins, Shifter Kart Illustrated) |
Mention the name of Joe Janowski within the shifter kart community, and invariably what comes to mind is the pivotal role he played in the creation of Superkarts! USA. For some folks, it seems difficult to separate that surname from the SKUSA organization.
Forget about all that for a minute.
These days, it's more important to know that Janowski is focused upon building his new project, Fury Imports, into a business that aims to help move the karting industry away from a reputation of poor customer support and ailing principles. Humility, dignity and honesty are the values that Janowski seeks to return to the industry, values that are rooted in his traditional, Midwestern upbringing.
The signs of his Indiana heritage would be rather difficult to miss. Janowski grew up in Columbus, and has been around racing for his entire life. He earned a degree in political science from Purdue University, and for the past five years he has made his home in Indianapolis. Most appropriately, his new Team Fury shop has an address on Gasoline Alley.
To speak with Janowski is to gain insight into an articulate twenty-eight year old, who possesses the quiet determination of a man out to forge his own path in this world. And as he travels that road, he plans to secure a future not only for his young family, but also for the sport he loves.
Ekartingnews: Not to make an understatement, but there is quite a bit of karting history in your family.
Joe Janowski: Yes, we've been in and around karting since before I was born. Even now, I still work in the family business, which handles liability programs for karting tracks. My dad has raced since the mid-sixties, and he drove sports cars, midgets, stock cars, and I was about four when he bought his first kart. Then, I got my own kart when I was eight, which was purchased from the father of one of my best friends- Tony Stewart. I grew up racing against Tony and a number of other extremely talented drivers from this area.
EKN: Living in Indianapolis, it seems likely that you'd have an opinion on the current state of the Indy 500.
JJ: For certain, the whole CART/IRL thing really detracts from the race, but with the infusion of CART teams coming in for a one shot deal, that should help bring the race back to its former glory. Believe it or not, I am not a very good spectator. Quite simply, I'm a doer, not a watcher. I've been to the 500 maybe twice, but for the most part I'm out racing on that day.
EKN: In 1999, you focused on your USAC midget program. How was that experience?
JJ: I was able to accrue a certain amount of sponsorship money from personal supporters, people who really felt I could do the trick. That season, we had a bit of the New Guy Problem, in that we weren't sure what to buy, so we purchased a lot of the wrong stuff, or more than what we needed. I ended up doing eight or nine solid races; the first four we just sucked, again, because we didn't know what we were doing.
But the second half we did much better, and put ourselves in the position to win races. It was really promising, people were excited, and moving into 2000 we had a commitment for a significant amount of money. Unfortunately, we lost that sponsorship package at the last minute. Still, we showed we could run those types of events, and as a driver I showed myself that I could handle high horsepower and high intensity situations.
EKN: So, last year you returned to the ProMoto Tour.
JJ: Yes, we put together a pretty bare bones operation, but we still had some good success. Two guys, Todd Bellew and me, with very little money to do the program, and we had one kart, one engine, some spares, nothing grandiose, and went out and secured the number six plate. At one point during the World Finals, we actually had the number one plate, but I lost a few spots when we had some trouble with the kart, and as history shows, Bobby Wilson went on to win the championship.
EKN: You and Bobby certainly seem to share the same Midwestern values.
JJ: I look at Bobby as one of my protegees; I spotted him racing shifters on the endurance circuit. I hammered Bobby's dad to get him out of that stuff; nothing at all against endurance racing, but it seems that SKUSA and the short tracks are better for cultivating drivers. I had Bobby covered throughout '98, then I did the midgets in '99, and when I came back in 2000, Bobby was smokin' me out there.
EKN: What was the motivation to start Fury Imports?
JJ: I wanted to control my own destiny, in that I didn't want my future and my fate to be hinged to the ability to find a sponsor. Also, I wanted to help lead the industry back to where I'd like to see it. Serving the customer is where I think the industry is really lacking. Its values and principles have declined, and it often goes for the short dollar as opposed to the long dollar. Furthermore, it hasn't built itself a positive dealer network or kept an eye on long term stability. I'm not saying that Fury is going to change how business is done, but I am going to do things differently. I think the industry needs to take a long hard look at itself and how it treats people. So I'm trying to put myself back in that mode, thinking how the customer thinks, finding out what he or she wants.
EKN: Why did Team Fury choose the GP chassis?
JJ: Quality. The chassis is actually constructed by CRG for GP. After spending a week with the GP people, I could tell they were a lot like me. They showed their potential in Vegas at the SuperNats, and I like the fact that they're a small company, not a huge one. They really want to come out with quality products, such as a chassis that will work not just for the ProMoto Tour, but for everybody. I think too many companies are designing karts specifically for the PMT, thus the regional, club, and local guys are having a hard time setting it up. The chassis aren't transferring very well to your average Joe Racer.
EKN: Describe your relationship with Todd Bellew.
JJ: Personally, he is one of my best friends, and even stood up with me at my wedding. But my business deal with Todd is strictly an engine building situation, and it is important to note that our businesses, me with Fury and him with ShiftwerX, are two entirely separate deals.
EKN: Of course, the temptation to ask some SKUSA questions is too great to resist. Therefore, on a scale of 1-10, rate that organization's success since its inception.
JJ: From a vision and concept standpoint, I'd say about an eleven. It really has reshaped the way people think about karting. However, on other things, I'd say about a six. Handling its own growth has been a problem, as it's faced the toils that any rapid growth company would encounter. In that way, it outpaced the human ability to keep up with its progress. So, overall, I'd say about an eight.
EKN: Do you personally disagree with any of the decisions SKUSA has made?
JJ: I think the base has been neglected a little bit, but that's mainly due to a shortage of resources. In a utopia, I wish Jim had paid more attention to the regional people, but the reality is that the manpower simply wasn't there. The huge desire for SKUSA to create a national tour is what received most of the focus. Yet now, the bringing in of Brad Kenyon will be a huge step forward for the future of regional development.
As much as people might think I am directly involved in the running of SKUSA, I am no more than an informal consultant. Nowadays, Jim Murley will call me and say, "here's what I'm thinking; as a racer, do you think it will work?" Sometimes I shoot down his ideas, and other times I applaud them. But I'll always put myself in the shoes of the customer, and give my opinions based upon what I, as a racer, would want to see. |
|
|
Go Top
|
|
|
|
|
