Win by Gross, 17, makes a great gift

Don Gross says every Father’s Day has been special to him, but Sunday had to rank among his happiest.

Gross’ 17-year-old son, Josh, won his first NASCAR Super Late Models title Saturday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s Bullring.

Gross and veteran Scott Gafforini won 35-lap features in the Chris Trickle Father’s Day Doubleheader in the NASCAR All-American Series.

“I wished him a happy Father’s Day over (the public-address system) and dedicated the win to him,” said Josh, a senior at Las Vegas High. “And I’m going to give him my trophy.”

On the subject of Father’s Day gift ideas, he said, “(The trophy) got me out of a bind.”

The Gross family will revel in the victory and reflect on previous challenges. Josh was hospitalized after suffering head and back injuries in racing crashes each of the past two seasons while driving his Legends Car at the Bullring.

“A kid could be riding a bicycle at home and run into a light pole,” Don said. “These race cars have so much safety equipment that I never second-guess supporting Josh’s desire to race.”

Josh added, “My dad has sacrificed tons of money for my racing. He means so much to me. I thank him every day.”

Gross started on the pole in Saturday’s second feature and led every lap while holding off Matt Jaskol and Gafforini.

He will attend summer school to graduate early and begin a plumbing apprenticeship program.

“I want to have a good career if this racing thing doesn’t go anywhere,” he said.

Gross began racing go-karts before his seventh birthday and moved to Bandoleros a few years later and graduated to Legends Cars.

Bandoleros are fiberglass-bodied replicas of mini-stock cars. Legends are five-eighth replicas of American coupes and sedans from the 1940s with motorcycle engines.

“I think I was 6 when my dad asked if I wanted a go-kart,” Josh said. “I was 6, I wasn’t going to say no.”

His mentor in Legends Cars was noted Bullring crew chief Brian Kizer, and Justin Johnson is his crew chief at Al Budd Racing.

“Brian is one of my heroes,” Gross said. “He’s helped me so much in racing. Because of him I’ve become close to the Trickle family, so that makes tonight that much more special.”

The event honors the late Chris Trickle, the area’s top young driver when he was shot 11 years ago near Las Vegas by an unknown assailant. He died a year later at 25.

Trickle’s father, ex-Bullring champ Chuck Trickle, came out of retirement to race Saturday. He placed 13th and 10th with Kizer as his crew chief.

Other winners were: Chris Birdsong and Chris Bray (Late Models), Doug Hamm (Modifieds), Phil Goodwin (Chargers), Jeremiah Wagner (Legends), Larry Dittman (Bombers), Jacob Tilton (Bandolero Bandits) and Patrick O’Hanley (Bandolero Young Guns).

• DRAGS — Joe Niswonger, who suffered a heart attack May 1, returned to racing a month ago and won Saturday’s Super Pro title in the Jerry’s Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series at LVMS.

Other winners were: Dan Reaume (Pro), Mike Niswonger (Sportsman) and Rick Newport (Motorcycle). In NHRA Jr. Dragsters, Cody Webber (Thunder), Tristan Craig (Lightning) and Cody Parsons (Novice) won titles.

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0247.