Tom Koontz has been a consistent front runner this season in the competitive Junior-A class. With 4 wins on the season, Tom sits 2^nd in points. Even more impressive, he has raced the past several seasons while attending college and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering in May 2011. We caught up with Tom to find out more.

GNCCRacing.com: How's everything going today?
Tom Koontz: It is going pretty good.  This is the first holiday I’ve had off this year because I have to work holidays so I can be off on Fridays to head to the races. So I’m pretty pumped about having a three-day weekend to hang out and work on my new house. 

Are you ready to get back to racing at Unadilla?
Yeah, I am ready to get back at it. I hate the summer break because it is hard to keep up with the training and not have any nationals to build up to. However, I’ve been staying in shape and after the local race last week I’m feeling pretty confident that I am ready to go.

How has Unadilla treated you in the past?
Unadilla has been a pretty good track to me. I really like that track because, for some reason, I can get in a good groove and the type of track that Unadilla is really suits my riding style.

Alright, for those who don't know you, tell us a little about yourself.
I’m the typical ATV racer. I started riding when I was five on a Suzuki 50. Then when I was ten I started competitively racing on a Honda 90.  From there I went to a 250r, then I moved to a 450r and have been racing on that ever since. The last few years have been very busy for me. While racing I’ve also been working on completing a bachelors degree, which I completed last May. A few months after I graduated I bought a house, which I’ve been working on completely remodeling. I’ve been pretty busy but I always make sure that I make time to ride and work on the bike, so come race day I’m ready to go.

Now, I understand that you've graduated college with an Engineering Degree?
Yeah, I graduated in May of 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from California University of Pennsylvania.

How tough was it to juggle racing with college?
It was pretty tough to juggle both.  Even though school was only three hours away I couldn’t come home during the week so I had to depend on my dad to prep the bike and most of the time I had to either find a ride to the track and my dad would bring the bike or I would have to drive to meet him.  I definitely couldn’t have even attempted it if my dad wasn’t fully on board.  It was also pretty tough to work my classes so that I could be off Fridays and still keep up with the work.  Having graduated and finding a good job working for JLG Industries as a Maintenance Engineer, I definitely recommend the college route. It’s tough but it will definitely pay off afterwards.

What is it like to know that not only have you accomplished great things on the track, but also earned that degree?
It’s very rewarding. I’m not sure what changed, but my speed has definitely come back to where it was before school, I’m much more relaxed and have way more fun at the races.

So how has your 2012 season been going so far?
My season has been going pretty well so far. I’ve had some mechanical malfunctions, but I’ve been pretty consistent and have managed to post four wins on the season. The points don’t look that great for me right now but I have four bad races to throw away and if I can replace those with strong finishes it will help a lot in my pursuit of the Junior-A class championship.

What is it going to take to get more wins this season?
It’s going to take confidence and endurance.  The competition in the Junior-A class is very intense and to get more wins this season, I’ll have to be on my game and ride smooth, mistake free races.

What are your goals for the rest of the season?
My goals for the rest of the season are to wins more races and win the Junior-A championship. I haven’t won a championship yet, and this year I’ve put myself in a prime position to make that happen. I would also like to run a top 25 overall number next year, that would finish off a very good season.

How do the final rounds suit you?
I think the final rounds suit me pretty well.  I really like Unadilla and Ironman, which I’ve won before. The Ohio race is kind of one of those in between tracks for me, I’ve had good races and bad races there so that track is a toss up, and Tennessee gets to be a pretty rough endurance track so I will have to make sure that I am well prepared for that race.

Do you have any plans for 2013 yet?
I’m working on some deals with sponsors for next year.  I’ve approached two potential sponsors that are outside the sport trying to find some fresh help. I’m hoping that they will come on board for 2013 and help make my program even stronger.  I also plan to continue to be part of Big Nutz Racing, because without a team like that at the track and at home for support it would be tough to have as much fun at the track as I do racing the race itself.  Finally, I plan on keeping my work and mechanical routine basically the same.

What do you hope to accomplish down the road in your racing career?
I would like to be able to finish in the top five of the Pro-Am and have a top 15 national number, that would make a great season.

Alright, before we wrap this up, who would you like to thank?
First, I want to thank my dad because without his support driving to the races and wrenching on the bikes and continuously pushing me to get better I wouldn’t be in this sport. Second I would like to thank my friend and mechanic Denny because he has done all the wrenching on my motors and helped me prep the bike for nationals and we have had a pretty solid year as far as finishes go.  I would also like to thank my girlfriend and the Big Nutz Race team because with the support and pep talks they give it makes it much easier to continue to get better.  Mark from Kelsey Springs, Brain, Clarence, and Josh at Fastenal, and Mark from Moto Pro Training also deserve a big thanks.  Finally, I would to thank GBC tires, GT Thunder, Fastenal, Brechbill Automotive, Kelsy Springs, Chester Vet Clinic, BNR Motorsports, T&M Masonry, X Country Photos and all my friends and family that call after every race to see how I did and tell me good job.