RPW Exclusive: After 35 Years, Jeff Trombley’s Still Having Fun, Just Now It’s In A Sprint Car

Column By: LAURIE FALLIS / RPW – ALTAMONT, NY – With the CRSA Sprint cars making their tour through the Mohawk Valley this past weekend, stopping at Fonda Speedway and Glen Ridge Motorsports Park, I was able to catch up with a driver who’s turned many laps at both facilities…veteran Jeff Trombley.

Roosevelt Towing was a sponsor of the night’s action at Fonda on Saturday, and they are also a sponsor of the sprint car that Trombley drives for, so the team graciously had the car on display at the Speedway’s Museum.

That’s where I was able to chat with the former Modified track champion turned multi-time CRSA Sprint Car titlist and asked what still drives him to climb in a racecar after 35 years of racing.

“It’s still fun to me,” the 61-year-old said. “Running sprint cars now, I don’t do it for a living anymore. I wish I had gone into these kind of cars years ago.”

After giving up the Modified deal, Jeff’s found a new love for racing, running 305 and 360 sprint cars. The 410 sprints, like World of Outlaws or All Star Sprints, are just not affordable for him.

Now, the backstory. Jeff Trombley made his mark in the Modified division, but started in the Mini Stock ranks before moving to the Modifieds in 1984. The first car was a homebuilt chassis, something he says was probably not the smartest thing to do. However, it was all they could afford at the time.

Jeff was involved with the guys from the famous Barrel Head Root Beer car with Bruce Shell.

“Over the years I was fortunate to get hooked up with a lot of great people,” he said. “They’ve all helped me to become successful in my Modified career and now with Sprint Cars.”

Trombley has had great success at Fonda over the years, the track he considers his home. He’s racked up 35 career wins and captured two track championships in 2000 and 2001. Jeff currently sits 12th on the all time win list at the speedway.

“I’ve gotta say Fonda is my favorite track because it’s one I have always raced at,” he said. “It has a lot of history and is fast.”

Jeff did spend a few years at the Lebanon Valley Speedway as a regular where he nailed down four career wins with his last coming in June of 2008. However, the sprint car produces a different challenge for the Altamont, NY driver.

“We get to go to several different tracks with the Sprints,” he said. “Most of them are at least within a four hour ride. I enjoy them all, even the ones I don’t excel at. That’s the fun and challenge that drives me. That’s the excitement of doing better and making the right adjustments and going back to try and be better the next time.”

Why did Jeff stop racing his Modified?

“I parked it because it got to a point where I wasn’t having fun,” he said. “It was too expensive, too much work, and I just wasn’t having fun at all, so I parked the car and I really thought I was done.”

Ironically, he was never tested to see if he could give up the driver’s seat. A phone call came just a few days later from old friend Warren Alexson. Alexson wanted Jeff to come drive his sprint car.

Ironically, many years before, Trombley had filled in for Alexson when he was hurt in a few races. The fill-in driver had success, pulling off a victory at Accord and some other top finishes.

I then wanted to know the difference between a Modified and a sprint car, from the driver’s point of view.

“Everything,” he said. “It’s totally the opposite on everything. Setup, the way you drive, and mentally you have to re-train yourself on the whole aspect. These cars are a lot faster. Being that it was a whole new learning process, it’s what keeps the excitement going. It’s like a rebirth of racing to me…a new Challenge.”

Does he like following the CRSA?

“The Series is fun,” he said. “The drivers all respect each other and help each other. It’s a family atmosphere. I don’t think it’s like that so much in Modified racing right now…not like back in the days when I ran.”

What was it like back then?

“You’d have 15 drivers that raced a long time together,” he said. “Now-a-days, it’s alot of young talented kids coming up.”

Being 61, at his age and time in his career, does Trombley still have goals?

“No, not really,” he said. “I just want to have fun and keep learning these cars to get better. If anything, I have won the series points the last two years and nobody has won three-in-a-row, so that be nice. I’d really like to drive the 360 more next year. That’s what I’m really hoping for.”

Jeff is looking good right now at becoming a three-time CRSA Champ. Going into this past weekend, he had a 59-point lead, and with two more top 10’s this past weekend (fifth at Fonda and sixth at Glen Ridge), he’s padded his lead to 78.

Jeff really wanted to state that if not for Warren Alexson, he wouldn’t be racing. Another person who he wanted to mention that has been behind the scenes being a huge help to his career, even back to his Modified days, is Vince Valeriano from VRP Shock. However, he also has someone who’s been with him for nearly two decades as well.

Dan Hanson has been with me over twenty years,” he said. “He’s been preparing my tires for a long time and I can’t thank him enough, as well as all my sponsors who have been great. I can say, in my career, I’ve been very lucky.”

How long does Jeff see himself racing?

“Well, it all depends on who you ask,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m still having fun and if it’s still fun, you want to keep doing it. If we want to go to a race, we do. Being that it’s no longer for a living, we get to pick and choose or not go at all. It’s all about the fun.”I