Hunter Rogers is shown in his No. 17 car along with a few of his trophies that he has received down in Livingston at the East Tex FAST TRAX and up in Tyler on the I-20 Speedway. Hunter is following his Grandpa's old path into racing. The paint job is from Flower's Paint and Body and Ron's Pool's have helped to provide parts for the racer.
Sports Editor
It is a special relationship that a boy can have when he gets to grow-up around his grandfather. It is such a unique experience that one could argue that no words will ever quite do it any justice.
However, when one actually gets to partake in that experience, well the feeling and everlasting impact will carry on with him as long as he lives. Such a case could be that of 12 year old, Hunter Rogers.
Rogers is the grandson of local Diboll residence Jimmy and Brenda Williams, he is the son of their daughter Trayce and her husband William Rogers.
You see Jimmy and Hunter are experiencing a special kind of bond, as Hunter is carrying on with his grandfathers old craft and learning the learning the knowledge and experience Jimmy has already gained in the world of racing.
Now Hunter is still world's apart from the old stock car tracks of his grandfather, but as Jimmy will tell you, "he's right where he needs to be," on the learning curve at his young age. The young racer has become a regular on the go-cart circuit, as a regular in the Junior One Class down at East Tex FAST TRAX in Livingston, TX, and up in Tyler, TX on the I-20 Speedway.
Jimmy has many stories to tell about Hunter's career and he recalls a funny one that happened recently. Hunter was out on the track and his steering column came loose and basically he had no control of the direction of his racer. Well, Hunter managed to get it in the pits to show Jimmy what had happened, and with very little to work with Jimmy went to work.
Looking around he managed to locate a rake handle and was able to slide it up into the tubing of the shaft to fit it back together. With a little duct tape, some cable ties and Grandpa's magic they were able to get Hunter back in the race.
Now as important as the continuation of the families racing tradition is to Jimmy, it all is only in the form of a reward for hard work in Hunter's schooling. Jimmy will tell you, he has no problem parking that racer in the shop if Hunter is not meeting the grade.
Fortunately for Hunter that has not been much of a problem thus far as his grades have been up to snuff. "He's doing good in school," Jimmy proudly will tell you.
For Jimmy it is extremely important that his grandson becomes an educated young man, both in life and on the track. "You need to be smart, and you need Geometry to do this," Jimmy espouses. He goes on to reinforce his point and explains why a racer is better if he can think, and not just try and be a bruiser out on the track.
For Hunter following in Jimmy's footsteps is only one family link to the racing world, as two of his biggest opponents are a distant cousin and his aunt. Of course according to Jimmy his biggest competition may be nipping on his heel's as his little brother is getting his racer ready to roll.
"Hopefully some day he can pick up where I left off in my career, and go for the top ranks of racing," Jimmy concludes.
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