Rookie of the Year
During the week, Chad Hartzell strategizes recruitment plans and talent development for Beacon Health System, but on weekends, the Director of Talent Strategy strategizes how he’s going to pass another racecar.
This past summer marked Chad’s 11th year of professional racing and his first with 600cc non-wing sprint cars. He concluded the season at Plymouth Speedway by achieving a season best second-place finish, finishing third in total points and being named Co-Rookie of the Year.
Every Saturday from May to August, Chad raced his sprint car against at least 20 other drivers around a dirt oval track at speeds that reached 70 mph.
“I was very impressed by Chad this year,” says his crew chief Seth Cassel. “For someone who hasn’t raced on dirt or in this kind of car, he went beyond my expectations.”
He more than lived up to expectations after kart racing (go karts) in the Rotax Masters Max racing series for eight years. Nationally, he finished in the top 10 three times, including a second-place finish in 2013, winning two track championships and two regional championships.
A Michiana native, Chad has long had a love for racing, beginning with BMX bike races as a 5-year-old. And as many racing enthusiasts will explain, the passion for racing doesn’t fade with time. The husband and father of two boys loves racing because he loves to challenge himself every week to get better.
“I prefer the challenge of getting better, learning from mistakes and measuring your results by the success of others,” Chad shared in a Facebook post. “I enjoy the challenge of the unknown every time I strap in and tighten the buckle on my helmet. It is, at least in my opinion, the ultimate integration of mental, physical and mechanical.”
As competitive as Chad is with racing, he has a different persona off the racetrack.
“Chad will help someone in any way he can,” declares Seth. If that means giving a fellow driver a spare part, he’ll do so. “That’s just the kind of person he is.” Great job Chad on your racing accomplishments! We wish him even more success in 2015.
