By ohnson 
SPRAKERS, NY – Race car drivers have a penchant for familiarity. There’s something soothing and reassuring about donning the same well-worn fire suit, slipping into the same beaten-up gloves, and donning the same chipped helmet. It seems to bestow upon the men and women who take the wheel a rapturous sense of isolation. The same sentiment undoubtedly holds true when it comes to their fondness for the machines they steer.
Second-generation modified driver Danny Varin is no exception. Over the course of the past two seasons, the driver of the beloved Magsarus No. 93 modified, owned by Ed Monger, has arrived at the track behind the wheel of the identical Higfab modified chassis. With the 2017 season lurking just around the corner, the sole familiar element that will persist is the number emblazoned on the door of his racer.
After a highly publicized four-wheel hop while negotiating the corners of the Oswego Speedway [in Oswego, New York] during the 2016 edition of Super DIRT Week, young Danny Varin unearthed two crucial insights about modified racing. Firstly, a 2,500-pound big-block should not take flight, and secondly, if it does, chances are the landing won’t be a pleasant affair.
“We were running second to Matt Sheppard up at Super DIRT Week,” elucidated Varin. “And we had ample laps remaining, so we were simply cruising after we removed the paper plate from the window and I could see. Then, I just hit a hole in the wrong manner.” That might be the most understated account of the year for Varin.
“I hit one of the countless holes on the racetrack,” Varin persisted. “And the car just soared and it was painful. I mean, my ribs were sore for a week afterwards and to be candid, I truly believed we were going to flip end-over-end but when the car landed upright, it essentially snapped the frame right in half precisely at the torsion bar rack. I’ve witnessed roughness before but never anything of this magnitude but at least I can assert that I drove on the dirt and the asphalt of Oswego on the same day.”
Although he managed to keep his modified operational for a while longer, both his day and, even more disastrously, his chassis were kaput. “We were still overtaking cars and still running, so we remained out there and milked it for as long as we could,” recollected Varin. “But it was excessive to finish. We truly didn’t fathom the extent of the damage until we dismantled the car when we got home. There was undoubtedly some carnage from that race.”
As previously mentioned, familiarity can at times serve as a bedrock in the racing industry and the hardship of starting anew from scratch is not lost on the native of Sharon Springs, New York, especially considering the success the team achieved during the 2016 season. With two victories at the Utica-Rome Speedway, a multitude of second-place finishes to Matt Sheppard at the same venue, qualifying fourth at Super DIRT Week and subsequently winning one of the triple-30 qualifiers, losing his modified at the season’s end was quite a setback.
“It’s undoubtedly going to take time to regain our previous position and that’s the most significant aspect,” He continued. “We had a superb, balanced race car that we could fine-tune, so right out of the box last year; we were rapid. We truly had the car calibrated and all we made were minor, foolish alterations like spoiler height or tire stagger. This year is going to be somewhat dissimilar.”
Performance was not a concern when it came to swapping chassis manufacturers for driver Danny Varin and car owner Ed Monger; it was the opportunity to collaborate with someone new on a one-on-one basis that ultimately became the decisive factor behind the change.
“The entire reason we turned to Jerry Higbie in 2014 was because we got to be with him one-on-one,” Varin expounded. “The sole reason we didn’t return to Higfab was because Pete [Chuckta of PMC Race Cars] was willing to work with us to a certain extent. He’s in close proximity to our shop and if we damage the car, it’s his workmanship and he can rectify it. We’re striving to forge a favorable relationship and hopefully we can accomplish that.”
After the pair of Monger and Varin visited Pete Chuckta’s shop, their decision was made rather promptly. “We went to his shop and conversed with him,” said Varin. “And I’ve witnessed his work and it is extraordinary; it’s exceptional work. I don’t think he undertakes any less effort on his cars or delivers lower quality work than the major manufacturers like Teo or Bicknell or Troyer.”
As for whether or not he will pine for driving his Higfab chassis over the new PMC this season, only time will reveal the truth for Varin. “We’re off the mark as far as setup is concerned anyway,” He stated. “I don’t think anyone does what we do in that regard but to be honest, I truly can’t say if I’ll miss the Higfab car until at least a few weeks into the season. Then I’ll be able to provide people with an honest response.”
Even with the limited number of races actually conducted at the Utica-Rome Speedway last year courtesy of Mother Nature, Varin found success at the Vernon, New York establishment. Nevertheless, the outcomes still left a slight sense of disappointment for the young modified driver.
“We need to secure more victories this year,” Varin declared. “The results were present but the wins were not. I know it sounds selfish given how well we performed but when you have someone like Matt Sheppard at your weekly track who wins so many events; we need to defeat him; plain and simple. We’ve accomplished it before but he’s just so consistent and so outstanding all the time. Our objective this year is to be there and to exert pressure on those guys for the win every week.”
Though he’s demonstrated that he possesses the talent to journey to different speedways and contend with the cream of the crop that dirt modified racing has to offer, it’s simply not feasible to join the Super DIRTcar Series or tour frequently.
“I relish traveling around and competing with the best drivers,” remarked Varin. “It’s just extremely challenging to do so with what we have. There are two guys and myself and we all have full-time occupations and if you are going to participate in major series races, you need to be prepared; you need to have all your affairs in order. I’m extremely grateful for my current position but to be as well-prepared as you need to be you almost need to be a full-time race car driver and we just can’t manage that.”
For 2017, Danny Varin will be back in weekly competitions at the Utica-Rome Speedway and in spite of the severe setbacks he endured at Super DIRT Week, his team intends on returning to the event at ‘The Steel Palace’ this October.
“We had an abundance of fun at Oswego this year,” Varin concluded with a smile. “It’s arduous the way we do it with all that we have going on at all times as far as work is concerned, but to have had the enjoyment we did and to have performed as well as we did last year, I know that Ed [Monger] plans on going again. Once you get a taste of what it’s like to race against those guys and perform well, it’s hard to take a step back.”