TEEN KEEPS ON TRUCKING FOR ALL HIS 'FANS'

Saturday, July 15, 2000 

BYLINE: By AL PEARCE Daily Press 

One of the biggest things on D.J. Valente's mind right now isn't tonight's Mini Truck 25 at Langley Speedway. As a grizzled, old two-season veteran, what's one more Saturday night at the track?

But going from Crittenden Middle School to Warwick High School in September. Hey, that's pretty exciting.

"The best part is more girls, a lot more girls,'' the 15-year-old racer said Friday. "A lot of my friends are already there, so I'm looking forward to it. I guess high school will be all right, but it's still school.''

Valente is 12 points ahead of Charlie Barclay and 26 ahead of Randy Ross after six of Langley's 13 M-T races. He has three victories (April 1, May 20 and June 3) and three thirds, good for 288 points. Ross has two victories and Tracy Ashworth the other one.

It wasn't until late last season that Valente got his breakthrough victory. "Things are going like I thought they might,'' he said. "We started this year like we finished last year. It's the same truck and the same engine (with continued help from Donnie and Terry Harris) we raced last year. I just took me a while last year to get experience and learn the drivers.''

Valente wasn't pushed into racing as much as he was gently nudged by Debbie and Jack Valente. Go- karts led to Mini Trucks, which will lead to Grand Stock in 2001. As a 14-year-old last year, he had two victories and 10 top-10s, tied for third in points and was Rookie of the Year.

The lure of racing remains strong, but here's something new in he air. "Girls are starting to come around,'' Debbie said, "and he's starting to notice. You know how it is.''

Well, duh: "They've been hanging around all along,'' D.J. said. "It's just that she's finally figured it out.''