During the 2021 season Ryan Simmons exceeded all his expectations with what turned out to be his career best season. For the second year in a row there is no season end burnout at Simmons Motorsports; just preparations for the 2022 season which can’t get here soon enough after a strong & consistent final month of the 2021 season.
2022 season plans continue to include New Egypt as Ryan’s home track for weekly points racing and his 2nd year of following the entire Short Track Super Series South Region tour. Some double duty driving dates with his crate and a 305-sprint car is also expected during the 2022 season.
Ryan noted “I’ve been around racing practically since the day I was born. My grandfather Jack Simmons was the promoter at East Windsor where I started going to the races when I was 2 months old. My early track brat days were spent playing with my hot wheels and matchbox cars in the dirt in front of the turn 1 grandstand. After East Windsor closed in 2002; we migrated a bit south to New Egypt and I continue to spectate and never miss a race. For a while I actually sold programs at New Egypt with Mikey Butler and little Frank Cozze.”
Ryan continued “I had an option to run ¼ midgets and micros; but my dad & I just wanted to wait and start racing with a 602-crate car which meant I had to wait until I was 16 to start racing big cars due to New Jersey state regulations. In the meantime, I continued to spectate at New Egypt and became good friends with John Romano who became my racing mentor. John helped me during my rookie year before he passed away. I started racing at 16 years old and my first race was in a 602 crate car. I may have taken a different path then most drivers and started racing at a later age; but I wouldn’t change a thing. The experience I had driving my first race car at 16 with John Romano as my mentor was priceless.”
2021 was by far Ryan’s best season of his career with the following results:
40 top ten finishes out of 46 races.
3rd place in the New Egypt 602 crate 2021 points standings.
3rd place in the New Egypt sportsman 2021 points standings.
6th in the Short Track Super Series 602 crate 2021 points standings.
Two 602 Crate wins at New Egypt Speedway.
Ryan ran the full Short Track Super Series for the first time and despite two DNF finishes he was still able to finish 6th in the South region points standings.
Ryan reflected “We didn’t plan to run both the 602 crate and sportsman division at New Egypt but when the option came up to run both classes at the same event it seemed like we could benefit from double track time with our crate cars. We decided to bring both cars on the double header nights. We raced the black car in the crate class which raced before the modified feature and then the white car in the sportsman division which raced after the modified feature. We learned an awful lot about reading track changes as well as adjusting the car to changing track conditions which provided benefits for us at the Short Track Super Series events and other races we went to this year. It was really a cool experience racing against the likes of Pat Wall, Justin Grosso, Paul Mancini, Anthony Tramontana, Tom Princiotta and Johnny Bangs and many others twice in one night. During one of the features Mancini, Grosso and I were battling for the lead when the red flag came out and when we stopped side by side and within earshot of one another. We talked and joked around while we were still buckled in our cars. When the racing resumed; we went back at it and raced each other hard like we always do.”
Not only did Ryan record his best season ever on the track he also had his best season ever off the track in the shop. The great results on track came with minimal equipment breakage during the 46 race season.
Ryan stated “I had my career best season with amazing top ten consistency and our only significant breakage of the season was two broken rears. We had absolutely no motor, frame or transmission breakage this year whatsoever. We also had a great season partnering with other teams. DJ Hunt broke his motor right before the end of the season. We put our modified motor in his car so he could finish up his season with another 5 races and he was able to get some good finishes with our modified motor.”
Ryan was able to participate in the Martin Truex Jr foundation’s “pie a racer in the face” fundraiser at Port Royal Speedway during the STSS Speed Showcase 200 weekend and helped Brett Deyo and the Short Track Super Series raise $5,550 for cancer research.
The best part of the 2021 season may had been the end of the season. Ryan finished the season strong in October and November. It started with his first two wins of the season at New Egypt in October and continued with a Georgetown 9th place finish from a 28th starting position. He finished his season with a 5th and 3rd place finish at Bridgeport from an 18th and 12th starting position on the starting grid.
Ryan commented “At the end of the season we tried some different things that worked well for us and we finished the season really strong. We found some things and were able to get better drive out of the corners. We have never been able to get enough track time at Bridgeport to really figure that track out and get decent finishes. On our final races of the season at Bridgeport; we had 3 days of racing were a threat to win both nights and finished 5th and 3rd in a very strong field of crates. I didn’t want the season to end and tried to race one final weekend at the Bridgeport’s Topless Crate race but we got weathered out. I’m really looking forward to next season as we have this thing dialed in right now with what we learned this season.”
The 2022 plan is very similar to last year’s plans with a few additions. New Egypt will once again be Ryan’s weekly home track for Saturday night racing and he will continue running the entire Short Track Super Series South region schedule. A new addition to the 2022 plans is driving the Liberman Motorsports 305 sprint car at five or six selected events and doing double duty also driving his 602 crate at the same events.
Ryan stated “We hope to add some Friday night races down at Georgetown, DE and DIS and in addition we plan to race Bridgeport on any New Egypt off days and hit Bridgeport’s 3 midweek specials that have the crate class this year. My goals this year is to win the New Egypt points championship and pick up a win and a top 3 points finish on the Short Track Super Series tour. We have been very close to winning the New Egypt points championship on several occasions so we are hoping this will finally be the year. My goal with the #23 Liberman Motorsports sprint car is to get a top 5 finish this season which would be cool since I have never driven a sprint car of any kind before.”
“For the second season in a row I was not burned out at the end of the season like I use to be at the end of most seasons. Hands down this was our best season ever and we could not have done it without the loyal support of our sponsors and crew. Our amazing 2021 season was made possible thanks to Ryan Stillwell and Elegant Exteriors LLC, Spence’s Hot Rod and Jimmy and Bridget Spence, Keith Nonnemacher and K2 Motorsports, Bitner Automotive, Tri County Party Rentals, Mancini Custom Homes, Precision Hydraulic and Oil, Fastline Performance, Snow’s Sealcoating and my family and especially my dad and everyone else who has helped in any way.”
Ryan has some ambitious goals for the 2022 season; but with a solid and consistent 2021 season to build on next season; Simmons Motorsports # 20 is well positioned to accomplish their goals and have a successful 2022 campaign.
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