Life In The Fast Lane
Just a short drive away from KAMAX Lapeer, you will find a family race team who perfectly embodies the phrase “Weekend Warriors”. Meet Steve and Sarah Trollman, the founders of Team Trollman Racing. Steve has worked in cold heading since 2015, and his wife Sarah has worked in the logistics department since 2017. After work, you can find them maintaining and operating three separate stock cars with their children. For the last eight years, the Trollman’s #92 cars have pushed the pedal to the metal.
From left to right: Steve, Chevy, Sarah, Jenna
There are multiple classes of race cars with multiple different styles of tracks. Steve prefers the dirt track of the Silver Bullet Speedway, “To me, anybody can drive on pavement, but dirt has a lot of finesse to it”. Steve’s love for racing began nearly two decades ago, he always enjoyed maintaining cars, so it did not take much to create a lifelong love of racing.
A winning driver cannot be successful without a great team. Luckily Steve feels like he has that support: “My family is my pit crew. A lot of people think racing is just the driver, but maintaining three different vehicles in a short time takes a whole family.” Their children, Jenna (13) and Chevy (8) are second-generation of Trollman racers. Whichever Trollman is racing that night (often all three!), the other members are supporting their family however they can.
The family celebrating Chevy’s podium finish
#92, the signature of the Trollman fleet
The “Pit Chief” Sarah makes sure everything runs smoothly on race day, “She’s the biggest part of it” Steve says. It is not always easy for Sarah to watch her family go through high-stakes events every single weekend during race season. “It takes a lot of talent, watching these guys put their car completely sideways, and still go 60, 70 miles an hour (97-112 kph) and be 2 inches (50 mm) away from each other. I think I might have a panic attack if I was out there!”, Sarah expressed with a mother’s concern.
Such a high level of commitment to racing sometimes can have its challenges. “We have had some family issues over the years, and KAMAX has been there to back us up,” Steve says. “The support Monday morning, coming into work hearing ‘How did it go?!’ Everybody is asking; it is so cool” Sarah goes on. “I really thank KAMAX, for their support, they make it work for us, so we can enjoy something that hopefully hand down to our kids.”
Steve is proud of his family and was reflecting on this year’s racing season:
“Keep rolling with the punches until you get it. This was our first run for points out of 20 years and we got the championship! To show my kids at that young age, that ‘it’s possible’, this is how hard you have to work. Then they have something to look up to and keep going.”
Steve and Sarah both acknowledge the dangers of racing, at the same time they feel that the life lessons their kids can get from competition and hard work are priceless. The 2022 season was Team Trollman’s most successful season to date. Steve and Chevy won the points championship this season and Jenna had a respectable 12th place finish for the season.
KXpress
