BRENT RHEBERGEN AND BRUCE STEADMAN END THEIR SUCCESSFUL E MOD PARTNERSHIP
by Brian Spaid

April 22, 2005 

   It’s over. Quietly, during the offseason, Brent Rhebergen and Bruce Steadman’s reign over the E Mod division at Tri-City Speedway came to an end.

   Since 2000, the Rhebergen-Steadman combination earned a record 41 feature wins and two track titles (2002 and 2003) at Tri-City. Along the way, they set a track record for most consecutive feature wins in all classes combined with 10 in a row in 2001. They also made Midwestern car builder Bob Pierce a household name in racing circles.

   When the gates to the half-mile Venango County oval open this Sunday night, however, the familiar black Sharp Tool & Die Pierce No. 69 will not be in the pit area.

   Finances and the current direction of the E Mod division gave Steadman a lot to consider following the 2004 season. After much soul searching, the Centerville car owner and businessman made the decision. He first called Rhebergen with the news, and then sold his entire race team.

   “It was just time to get out,” said Steadman. “I’ve done it for a long time and I’ve spent a lot of money. Racing is an expensive sport. Our team would have to upgrade some of our equipment this year, so it was time to move on.”

   Steadman, 50, was also concerned about rule changes that went into effect at some local tracks. Under pressure from a few teams, promoters at Sharon Speedway and Raceway 7 decided to allow costly quick change rear ends into the class. Unlike the stock rear end previously used, those tracks now give teams the option to purchase a rear end specifically designed the racing. It allows “quick changes” to gear ratios, which affect engine and tire performance and car setups. Tri-City did not adopt the rule and, instead, focused on cost savings for the race teams.

   “I’m really disappointed that some of the promoters went with it,” noted Steadman. “Mike Graham at Tri-City has the right idea for this class. These guys just can’t put that much into these cars for little return. I hope Mike sticks to his guns and doesn’t cave into the change.”

   Despite the decision by Steadman, whose wife Kathy and brother Rick were heavily involved in the team, he and Rhebergen remain close friends.

   “Brent is a great driver. If we had some major sponsors come aboard to help our team, Brent would still be our driver. We had a great time together, and I’m going to miss racing with him and winning.”

   Rhebergen will miss the camaraderie of the Steadmans as well.

   “Bruce called me about it late last year,” said Rhebergen. “He told me a few times before that he was selling out, but he didn’t. This time it was for real, and I was a little surprised. To tell the truth, I was really bummed.”

   Despite his disappointment, Rhebergen, 36, who operates All-Ways Racing in Clymer, NY, understands Steadman’s decision.

   “Racing was a hobby for Bruce. This sport is expensive and he was trying to run a machine shop as well. The nice thing is that Bruce always ran the show and asked me to race whenever. I respect him for his decision to quit. This division started with the concept that you could put a whole race car together for less than $10,000. Nowadays, most teams have over $20,000 invested.”

    But, if Steadman came back, would Rhebergen race for him?

   “If he can get himself into position to do it again, then we’ll be together. This was not a bad breakup at all. Bruce, Kathy and Rick were always good to me. I’m going to miss racing with them.”

   Where does that leave Rhebergen? The popular driver will focus more attention on racing his Late Model.

  “Our team thought about running a Late Model and an E Mod, but we don’t have enough time or manpower. It was not the right move to run an E Mod team half good. Bob Pierce is building Late Models now, and I’d like to help him with that effort.”

   In addition, Rhebergen has a lot of E Mod teams that are his customers racing the Pierce E Mod chassis made famous by the Rhebergen-Steadman team.

   “We’ve got a lot of guys and girls on the track in these cars that are running real well. I intend to make it to Tri-City to help them all out. This is going to be a real strong year for this class at the track.”

   Then, Rhebergen laughs in reference to his on-track success.

   “I wonder without Bruce and me racing if they’ll be happier because we won’t be winning as much.”

   Truthfully, however, no racing on Sundays is a hard pill for Rhebergen to swallow.

   “It’s going to be real hard the first night there. The fans were always great to us, and so were the other drivers and teams. I tried to put a ride together with a car owner, but it didn’t pan out. Maybe something will come together.”

   Steadman will still be in the pit area too, but in a different capacity. This time, he’ll be helping a new driver, David Atkinson of Titusville.

   “We sold our car to David and we agreed to help him get started with the car,” said Steadman.

   It will seem odd to go an entire season of E Mod racing without Rhebergen and Steadman in victory lane. As they say, however, all good things must come to an end. The memories are always there. And those who watched races at Tri-City over the last five seasons saw a legendary team make its mark on track history.