Austin DeBlauw was given an opportunity to help grow a US eyeware manufacturer. It would mean creating more jobs and putting more US-made products on the market… but it would do no favors for his budding sprint car career. The growth opportunity, which would include a move from California to Illinois, came just as Austin was in position to wrap up a sprint car championship. Racing was a passion of both Austin and his father and it was time to make a tough choice between his racing and his manufacturing career.
Sprint car racing has different classes with vastly different car requirements based on the class the sanctioning body promotes. Austin’s California equipment and experience would not translate easily to the Chicago track’s racing, but Austin headed to Illinois with a great manufacturing opportunity set, and his racing pursuits turned upside down.
This story is about a manufacturing company reinventing itself and a young man doing the same to adapt to changes. It’s also a tale about a father and son, and a bond they shared with an exciting, high horsepower sport.