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It's all part of a big-picture plan orchestrated by his father, Dave, to get the 17-year-old from Westby, Wis., the "seat time" necessary to keep climbing the ultra-competitive racing ladder. There are big plans in store for this young man, plans that could take him well beyond the grassroots level of racing, but he's put the brakes on them now and then to do something else
Play high school sports.
As much as Bean loves to drive a race car, he's not ready to put that ahead of playing football or baseball at Westby High School — at least at this point in his life. That's why he plans to do an unusual double-dip on Friday, which happens to be the opening Friday night of the Wisconsin prep football season.
Bean plans to be in West Allis, Wis., Friday afternoon practicing for an upcoming MARS race at the Milwaukee Mile, then jump into a private plane and fly back to the area, hopefully even to Viroqua, which is six miles down the road from Westby. That would allow him just enough time to shed his race suit and put on his Norsemen football uniform. Westby opens its season at home against Prairie du Chien, and Bean, a wide receiver and defensive back, doesn't want to miss it.
Forgive him if he runs left, and left, and left.
"Viroqua's got an airport, so that would make it easier if we could fly in there," Bean said. "I would have to hustle back to get from practice at Milwaukee to be back in time for the game. I don't want to miss it. Then I have to be back in Milwaukee at 8 a.m. Sunday for the race."
Why go to all of the hassle? Because Bean needs experience at a bigger track, and the Milwaukee Mile will be the biggest track he has ever raced at.
"Practice is from 3-5 (p.m.) at Milwaukee, and even if I get an hour, that would really help," Bean said. "La Crosse is the biggest track I have raced at, so I need the time at Milwaukee."
Bean, who plans to race at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway both tonight and next Saturday, has grown used to rushing from one venue to another. He spent 10 days in Daytona Beach, Fla., in February, racing at Speedweeks, which are held in conjunction with the Daytona 500.
"I raced for eight straight nights at a track at New Smyrna Beach, but missed the ninth. Luckily it rained, because I wrecked the car on eighth night," Bean said. "It was a lot of fun. It's fun to go to race tracks where you have never been before."
Bean also raced in Las Vegas in March, and has hit nearly every asphalt track in Wisconsin at some point this summer. He's spent a number of nights competing in the Super Late Model class at the Dells Motor Speedway, and won his first feature race at that track this summer. It's all part of the plan to get Bean the necessary experience so he can run an ARCA car at Speedweeks this winter in Florida. He needs to be 18 years-old to run an ARCA car, and that will happen on Jan.5, 2005.
"He's run two nights a week all summer," Dave Bean said. "We've got five cars — two Super Late Models, a Limited Late Model we run at the Dells, our regular Late Model we run here (Fairgrounds Speedway) and a AutoZone (touring series) car. He's run them all."
All because dad happened to hit the jackpot, so to speak, on a trip to Las Vegas. Or at least that is when Dave decided to jump into racing himself, then bring his son with him.
"I won $12,000 playing blackjack (in Las Vegas). I came back and bought a (Late Model) car and a hauler. That's how we got started," Dave Bean said, noting that is where the name of the race team, Blackjack Racing, originated from. "Now we run it as a business."
Dave Bean has a number of big businesses, including an excavating company that does business for national companies. He's squeezed in time for racing, just as Dexter's made time for sports. When Dexter completes his senior year at Westby, however, it's likely racing will be a full-time endeavor.
"We plan to run the touring series (NASCAR AutoZone Elite Series, Midwest Division) next year," Dave said. "We've got the sponsors and the team ready to go."
So does Westby, and it's time to play some football first, Dexter.
Jeff Brown can be reached at (608) 782-9710, ext. 403, or e-mail at jbrown@lacrossetribune.com
