By ohnson 
For Duane Howard, the driver hailing from Oley, Pa., the year 2016 didn’t unfold as he had envisioned. While some drivers would consider eight total wins for the year a remarkable feat, for an elite driver like Howard, it simply wasn’t up to par. Perhaps the most exasperating aspect of last year was the way things transpired during the mid-season.
At the outset of the season, driving the Mike Petruska and Sons / Atlas Paving #66, Howard began with victories at Grandview and Bridgeport, giving the impression that it was shaping up to be a prosperous year. Nevertheless, during the summer months, it seemed as if everything went awry and the team found itself mired in a slump. They attempted to shift their Saturday track from Grandview to Bridgeport, but engine troubles emerged, and the once-powerful tandem appeared to lose faith in one another. The Atlas team concluded that a change was necessary, and Duane was relieved of his position as their driver. For Howard, this marked the first time in his driving career that he had to search for a ride during the season.
Howard had been piloting the #357 for owner Norm Hansell on Friday nights at Big Diamond. When Howard was released from the Petruska ride, Hansell stepped forward to offer Howard his car for Saturday races at Grandview as well.
The team had some commendable runs at Grandview and managed to secure a win within just a couple of weeks. However, Howard was still grappling with adjusting to the Bicknell Chassis that Hansell provided. Howard had been operating Teo Chassis cars for the majority of the past two and a half years, and this was a significant alteration and challenge for him.
Like the majority of drivers, Howard has always performed better when he has self-confidence and faith in the car beneath him. Last year, following the team’s strong start, the driver’s confidence level plummeted as the team began to struggle.
“We endured a challenging middle of the year,” Howard stated. “Then, three quarters of the year, everything became chaotic, and I simply couldn’t regain a good sense mentally, nor could everyone involved, including the race team. It all descended into disarray, so it took some time until we refocused and realized that we had a capable race team and that I could still handle these race cars. Because for me as a driver, when I lack confidence, I don’t perform well, and as a driver, I lost some of that confidence. Toward the end of the year, I began to regain some of my confidence and I’m truly, truly eager to kick off this season. They always say that when things are at their worst, good things emerge, and I believe that’s what will happen. I have a lot to prove that I’m not down and out and not ready to abandon this pursuit. So, I’m eager to return and demonstrate that I’m still an excellent race driver. When you’re down on yourself, you don’t race proficiently, you make mistakes, and that’s where I think I was last year until the end of the year when I started to regain some of that confidence.”
The new team began to find its rhythm late in the season with a small-block victory at Georgetown Speedway and concluded their season with a hard-fought big-block win at Bridgeport Speedway. With these two late-season victories, the team is anticipating the start of their season on March 11th at Georgetown Speedway in the opening race of the STSS South Region.
“We are primed to go; we will have two cars at Motorsports this weekend. We are in excellent shape for the season and I sincerely wish we could commence the season tomorrow. We had a favorable ending to the season with wins at Georgetown and at Bridgeport. I finally began to discover a feel in these Bicknell cars that I appreciated. We just acquired another new Bicknell that we are going to attempt and focus on Grandview with. We would love to head to Florida, but obviously, with my job working for the township, that’s not feasible at this time of the year, and truthfully, considering what they offer, it’s not truly worth it. But it’s still pleasant to go away like that in the winter and engage in some racing.”
Alongside a new Bicknell car they recently obtained for action at Grandview Speedway, the team also possesses their Bicknell chassis they utilized at Big Diamond Speedway. For big-block specials and the STSS, the team has a two-race-old Bicknell all set for the track. Supplying the power beneath the hood of the team’s array of Bicknell’s is Morrison Performance Engines. The team will have a couple of 358 PA Spec motors along with an open small-block and a big block at their disposal.
The Hansell / Howard team encountered difficulties at Big Diamond last year and completed the year without a victory. Howard is hopeful that they can devise a combination this season that will return the “Diamond Cutter” to the winner’s circle.
“This team struggled significantly for most of the year at Big Diamond; it’s incredibly challenging with these spec motors to gain any sort of advantage on the field. Hopefully, Morrison can come up with something a little more exceptional and distinct for us this year to showcase the kind of team we are. You need to have a solid package to compete there along with a robust power plant that can provide you with that slight edge at Big Diamond, or you’ll end up where we did throughout the year in that fourth to seventh place range, which simply isn’t satisfactory for me.”
Howard and the team have an ambitious schedule mapped out for themselves. Alongside weekly competitions at Big Diamond and Grandview, the Hansell / Howard team will also participate in the Brett Deyo STSS South region races as well as other special shows in the NJ/PA/DE area.
“We are going to concentrate our efforts on Big Diamond and Grandview, and in addition to that, we believe we have a favorable package to be able to contend for the STSS title. As I mentioned earlier, it took me some time, but I finally started to get a firm grasp on these Bicknell cars and what I need for a setup to achieve high speeds at the end of last season. Norm has a very competent open small-block motor for the series, and we will have the big block motor refreshed and ready to go. We should hopefully be able to achieve a strong start, and if you can do that, it helps you persevere throughout the year.”
And if the schedule the team has planned for the year isn’t sufficient, Howard has already initiated work on a strategy for some of the more significant end-of-season races.
“We are in the process of assembling a rather intriguing package perhaps for the end of the year. We would like to participate in Charlotte and probably Fulton, as well as some of the other major races. We’re already working on that. Norm has an interest in attending them, and some other possibilities might materialize where we can have a favorable situation for the end of the year, so I’m already working on that package. Norm has truly excellent equipment, and it merely depends on how we utilize his resources. If we upgrade the motor department slightly in terms of equipment, we’ll be fine. It’s just a matter of the team adapting to my driving style, and if we make a few additions at the end of the year to visit some of those places, it’s something I’m genuinely looking forward to. Regardless of what occurs, I’m certain Norm will be involved.”
After a trying 2016 season, Duane Howard is earnestly anticipating 2017 and seems to be entering the forthcoming season with a rejuvenated confidence, determined to prove to his critics and himself that he remains an elite driver on the local NJ/PA circuit. If the #357 team can achieve a powerful start, it will go a long way in helping Howard attain that goal.
As always, I can be reached by email at dirtracefan25@hotmail.com or on Twitter @dirtracefan25 for any questions or comments.