Day Motor Sports Driver Profile: Dwarf Car ace Chance Hull gears up for busy year
KENNEDALE, Texas — While most of us are consumed and entertained by all of the “big car” classes we see each week, like Late Models, Modifieds and Stock Cars, there’s plenty of action to see in the other various “small car” divisions, as well.
For 29-year-old racer Chance Hull, it’s the Dwarf car world that has allowed him to showcase his skills. Hull is already picking up right where he left off in 2023, with a pair of wins in two starts at Grayson during the recent Clash at the County. Last year, the ace earned 11 wins and 15 top-fives in 19 starts.
“It’s definitely not as easy as it looks,” Hull said. “These cars are very twitchy, and they have a lot more horsepower than most people understand. A lot of my success comes from hard work in the shop. I’m out here right now, in fact, doing some weekly maintenance. There are so many moving parts.
“We implemented pull bars this year; we are using a three-link setup, we run all coil-over shocks, quick change rear-ends, that kind of thing. Today’s Dwarf cars are not the cars we ran five years ago. They’ve evolved, to say the least. Texas is all caught up now. You really need to pay attention to win races.”
Now in his 14th year of racing, Hull has paid his dues and driven several different types of race cars.
“I raced Karts at my local track here in Kennedale,” he explained. “I ran them for about six years, and we had a lot of success in them. I’ve had some breaks in my career; there were times when I didn’t race for two or three years. We moved to Micro Sprints after Karts, and did that for a few years.
“After I took another period away from the sport, I raced a Factory Stock a few times, and raced an IMCA Stock Car a few times. I’ve driven quite a few different cars, in fact I just recently had the chance to drive a Midget at the Chili Bowl up in Tulsa. That was awesome, there was almost 400 cars.”
Just as it is in those big-car classes, the level of competition in Dwarf cars is pretty stiff, as well.
“This division can be just as competitive as any of the big-car classes,” Hull said. “We have guys like Jeff Patterson, he’s always fast and right there with me on times. And Ryan Stoy every now and then will poke his nose in there and be up for the fight. We’ve got quite a few guys that are now contenders.”
If you’re like me and really don’t know much about these little “angry bee” cars, Hull can fill us all in. They weigh 1,200 pounds and are powered by motorcycle engines with nearly 200 horsepower.
“We have a few companies here in Texas that produce these chassis,” Hull explained. “You’ve got Peter D, for example, and you have the new Viper chassis that just came out. And I believe JDR is a Texas company, so there are several choices out there as to what kind of car to buy.
“Mine is a kind of a unique car; it started its life as a Peter D chassis but has been reworked a ton. I do all of my own suspension stuff, motor mounts, and all kinds of other sections of the car. The thing is that small adjustments on these cars make such a major huge on handling. You don’t take big swings.”
If you’re already thinking this is a hands-on, always thinking ahead kind of racer, you are spot-on.
“We’re getting into the front-end geometry stuff, and that’s what I’ve been really focused on the past two and a half, maybe three years now. It’s mainly all about that geometry, getting it just right, having the spacing and the ride heights correct. There’s a lot more to it than meets the eye, for sure.”
Along with his immense natural talent behind the wheel, Hull also has several key folks in his corner.
“I really need to thank all of my sponsors, including Wayne Hull Construction, T&J Maintenance. CRS Suspension, Pitt Stop Cafe, BH Fabrication, Dick Brooker, Texas Born Performance, Tommy Gatlin, Peeper Motorsports, Yuri Tulchin, Precision Detail, Texas Corn Roasters, and Revolution Graphics.
“I also want to thank Grape Motorsports, Peter D Motorsports, Scott Prejean, McCoys Service and Repair, Undercover Shocks, and C&P Pump Services. I couldn’t do this without their valued support.”
With the 2024 seas now in full swing, Hull has plans to keep him busy right through the Fall.
“We plan to get the Midget out a few times this year, so I’m pretty excited to do that,” he concluded. “I may also have an opportunity to drive a Sprint car this year, it isn’t a done deal yet but I’m hoping to get that finalized here soon. That’s going to be exciting, for sure. That just kind together tonight, in fact.
“So we’re looking at a pretty busy season between the carious cars, but that’s what I like. I enjoy time in the shop, and working to fine tune the cars when we’re at the speedway. I’m just hoping to stay dialed in like last year and carry that momentum all season. We’re having a blast with it, and hope it continues.”
By Phil Whipple, RaceON.com Staff writer
Photo by Chaz Brzeski
