By By SCOTT NOVAK / Vigilant/Argus
DOWAGIAC - Dowagiac's Doug True knows two things for sure about his racing career.
At 29-years-old his window of opportunity to drive in the upper levels of NASCAR is growing smaller, and, he needs sponsors to continue moving up the ladder.
True has spent a major part of his life racing. He started out racing go-karts and has steadily moved up to the ASA Late Model Series.
Driver of the No. 93 True's Motorsports Chevrolet, True has his eyes set on winning an ASA championship.
He also has his eye on moving to the highest levels of racing - NEXTEL Cup.
True is a graduate of Kalamazoo College where he earned a degree in mathmatics.
He played four years of Division III college football as a wide receiver.
He began his racing career in 1983 when he followed in his father's footsteps.
In 1990 True won his first track championship. In 1997 he started racing late model stock cars part-time.
He was Rookie of the Year at South Bend Motor Speedway in 1998 and Rookie of the Year in the Outlaw Late Model division at M-40 Motor Sports Arena (now Thunder Valley) in Jones.
He finished seventh in points at the Plymouth Speedway (Ind.) and was runner up in the Rookie of the Year chase at Kalamazoo Speedway in 2002.
He began racing ASA last season where he finished seventh in the point standings.
True is currently ninth after three events and trails the leader by 133 points.
He is quick to point out, however, that last year the margin of difference was bigger.
In today's NASCAR, drivers need to come with a sponsor already attached if they want to move up the Busch Series or the Cup Series.
While he doesn't expect a call from one of the upper-level teams like Roush Racing or Richard Childress Racing, he is hopeful to draw the eye of one of the mid-level teams.
Racing is not for the meek when it comes to spending money.
To run a two-car team like True's Motorsports, it costs upwards of $100,000. To build and run an ARCA car next season True is looking at a budget of $750,000.
Among True's sponsors this year are Gallagher's Carpet of Niles, Division Tire in Dowagiac, Saylor's in Dowagiac, True's Racing Products, Lane Automotive, All-Star Performance, Tyler's Automotive in Niles, Define and Option.
True is confident that they will have a better season in 2005 just because he knows so much more about the ASA series.
He has been through the traveling and to the tracks, so he will use that experience to get a better set up under his car.
The old saying is that racing is a family sport. No place is that more evident than at True's Motorsports. His entire crew is made up of relatives.
True has a goal of winning a race this season. He would especially have liked to win at Kalamazoo Speedway on July 1.
True considers Kalamazoo like a home track because he has turned so many laps there.
Anyone who is interested in sponsoring True may do so by calling him at 269-783-0723 or emailing him at ctrue@qtm.net.