Given the spring in Zernie Vess’ legs as a former triple jumper, long jumper and high jumper at Nixa, he could put on quite a show in victory lane once he earns his first checkered flag.
“I can do a backflip, so maybe I’ll give it a try,” Vess said.
Vess, who ranks in the top 10 all-time in Nixa’s track annals for marks of 43-1 in the triple jump and 21-5 1/2 in the long jump, is keeping his competitive juices flowing by racing in the legends division at area dirt tracks.
He finished second in his heat and fourth in the feature this past weekend at Springfield Raceway.
“Almost getting podium, you itch for it,” Vess said of his first win. “It takes time. It’s going to come sooner than later.”
A 2024 Nixa grad, Vess has time on his side as one of SWMO’s youngest drivers and he has every intention of being in racing for the long haul.
Vess’ love for racing goes beyond being in the driver’s seat. He’s just as comfortable under the hood. He is in his second year taking automotive technology classes at Ozark Technical Community College, and he works full-time as a car mechanic.
He’s thrilled to be studying and making a living doing something he is so passionate about.
"I'll get to work at 7 in the morning and in the blink of an eye it's lunch time,” Vess said. “I love being around people who love what they're doing. We all share the same hobby. It's always fun talking about and working on cars all day.”
Even at the end of a work day, he’s not lacking for motivation to work on his race car.
“I'm going to do the best work I can to keep me safe and make sure I'm capable of keeping up with the rest of them,” Vess said. “I want my car to be ready. Every night the track is different, even when they're running the same cars. All the small things go into the setup of the car. It's all small pieces to put together the big puzzle.
“Any free time is filled with race car time,” he added. “You’re spending time with the car, figuring out what you're going to do for next week or replacing parts.”
It didn’t take long for Vess to face a hurdle all drivers deal with at some point in their careers. In only his second race, he was involved in a two-car wreck that sent both cars over a berm between the third and fourth corners at Springfield Raceway.
Vess emerged unscathed, but the same couldn’t be said for his car.
“That was a pretty scary start,” Vess said. “You’ve got to get over it. Time heals. I had time to recuperate and not think about the accident much. The biggest part of racing is having faith in your car. If you don't trust your car, you can't make opportunities. Whenever you lose that faith, you make misjudgments, which could cause even a bigger wreck.
“I was yanking at the chain to get back out on the track,” he added. “A lot of drivers have a spare car, so they can get right back out there. I don't have that, yet. We worked hard to get the car back on the track. It took a minute. But we got it back on the track three weeks later.”
Vess ranks racing at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland as his top highlight thus far.
“That's my dream track,” he said. “Growing up, I watched some of the big names there. When I got to race there myself, that was my ultimate dream. It felt surreal. I finished 11th and didn't even care. I had the time of my life. I remember hollering and screaming in my car because I was so happy just to be there. I can't wait until I can go back.”
Long-term, Vess has his sights set on racing in the late model division.
“My ultimate goal is to get into late models,” he said. “I love the legends. Part of racing is making the move up and get into the bigger and faster cars. That's the jump I want to make.”
