Pace: Blaine Sneva back on track
When race fans reflect on the most famous of local drivers to strike gold nationally, the conversation often turns to 1983 Indianapolis 500 champion and Spokane native Tom Sneva.
Sneva, a renowned broadcaster in addition to his racing successes, will be part of this weekend’s festivities in advance of the 98th running of the famed Indianapolis race. His family will join the 65-year-old as they take part in several functions honoring all of Indy’s past champions.
As part of the prerace activities, one of Sneva’s restored Indy cars from the early 1970s will be part of a vintage program later this week.
Family patriarch Edsol Sneva raised five sons who went onto racing greatness, including Jerry, who was named 1977 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, but only one continues to thrill fans with his exploits on the track.
Blaine Sneva is still racing after nearly 40 years behind the wheel and is one of the few links to the old Spokane Fairgrounds track who still competes on a regular basis. After taking some time off as the Northwest Modified Series began its gradual decline into extinction, Sneva is back racing, although taking a break this weekend to attend the Indianapolis 500 with his family.
With June just around the corner, Sneva is preparing for a busy summer stretch of racing on the West Coast Vintage Racing Series. The open-wheel series draws modified and super modified-type racecars that must have been originally built prior to the mid-1970s.
Sneva made two series starts earlier this month as he worked the kinks out of his super-modified machine. He looks forward to more opportunities to race with the vintage racers as the season progresses.
“The group has been fun to race with so far,” he said. “Some of the guys I’m racing with were competitors of mine back in the Fairgrounds days when I was just 18 years old.”
Part of the fun has been restoring the race car Sneva uses on the series.
“Dad and I built this car back in 1975 and started racing it right away,” he said. “It was a six-cylinder when it debuted then once we started traveling around it became an eight-cylinder. We sold it to a guy in Montana and then got into other cars like the modifieds and late models.
“The person who owned it passed away and the family called me and let me know they had it. I hadn’t raced in nearly three years. The (Northwest) Modified Series fell apart and there hasn’t really be a place for me to race as an open-wheel guy. I thought it would be fun to rebuild (the 1975 super modified) and go racing again. I got it back in November and immediately started to restore it. I was bored (for the last three years) and had raced cars all my life so when the chance to get this car came up my wife and I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ ”
One question came up prior to the heavy work, Sneva added.
“I asked before we stated getting into the rebuilding of this car if we’re going to be playing or really racing once we get onto the track,” he said. “They’ve finally got enough cars in the series to hold races more so then exhibitions (as had been done in recent years) so it’s been competitive. I’ve spent a little money to get it going and I’m glad to be out there racing again.”
That competitive spirit drives Sneva whether he’s on the racetrack, working on his yard or running a business in Coeur d’Alene.
“I wake up every day thinking how can I win in business or racing,” he said. “I love the competition and I love winning races. All that (desire and determination) came from my dad. It’s not easy, but we somehow get it done. It’s a good thing for me the business (an auto sales company) kept me making a living and has allowed me to race all these years.”