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Hernando Today

Born to Race

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: May 22, 2008

Daniel Webster looked appreciatively at his No. 3 Late Model car. Rusty Wallace once owned it in the 80s he said, as he talked about it as someone would an old friend.

"It must have been ahead of its time because it's still a cool car," Webster said. "It feels like a brother. It's been in my family as long as me."

So has auto racing. On Webster's first birthday, his father Glenn participated in his first official race. His dad builds racecars for a living, exposing his son to that world at an early age.

The 21-year-old Brooksville resident, a 2004 graduate of Central High, began his own racing career shortly before his 15th birthday at Citrus County Speedway. He hasn't stopped racing, or winning since.

"It'd be weird being away from it," Webster said. "If its Saturday night and I don't have a race, I still come to the track and hang out

"I never didn't want to (race). I've been around it my whole life. I always wanted to do it. I've been fortunate to be pretty good at it."

Quick success

Webster spent his first year and a half of racing in Hobby Stocks, where he won Rookie of the Year and a couple of races, finishing fourth in points.

He went to Street Stocks the next year and was voted the fan favorite, before graduating to the Sportsman class and eventually Late Models.

On October 9, 2004 he debuted in Late Models - he remembers the exact date as it's his mother's birthday - qualified second and won a 50-lap race. He again took Rookie of the Year honors.

He won the points title last year at the Ocala Speedway, though he no longer races there as it switched to a dirt track. He's also won four 100-lap races at Auburndale Speedway.

Aside from CCS, Webster runs the Sunbelt Series that travels throughout the state.

As of May 3 at CCS, he sat 13th in this season's point standings with 360. He has two heat victories, though he has not won a feature race.

"I've won two races here, but it's been a long time," Webster said. "I'm always one of the top cars. The car is always fast enough to win. I just haven't had great luck here.

"...I've got decent equipment. We're behind money-wise. We don't have nearly enough sponsors to help. My dad helps out. He knows what to do to make the cars fast. I'm a pretty clean driver. I don't make many enemies. It's worked out well."

After graduating from Central, Webster spent two years obtaining his associate's degree at Pasco-Hernando Community College.

He currently makes his living working with the vinyl graphics that adorn many of the cars on the track. The name of his company, Pro-Line Graphics, appears on his car.

"I like being around racecars and it's something different than working with dad, but it has to do with racing," Webster said.

Ultimately, though, he'd like a job that more than just has to do with racing,

"I'd love to do (racing) for a living," Webster said. "If I could get picked up by a big sponsor, I know I'm good enough. There are so many tracks around here. It's hard to get noticed.

"Meanwhile we'll try to have fun with it, do the best we can and hope for the best in the future."

BY NUMBERS: DANIEL WEBSTER AT CCS
Class Points Ranking Heat wins Feature wins
Late models 360 13th 2 0

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at (352) 544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com

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