Family battles for division crown

There is a family feud atop the factory stocks division at State Fair Speedway.

Brothers Justin and Jeremy Allen — both under age 23 — are tied for first place. Their cousin, Larry, is close behind in third.

"I didn't expect it to come out this way,” 22-year-old Justin Allen said. "I knew it would be close, but not with my brother at the top.”

Competing with family is nothing new for the Allens. Jeremy and Justin Allen said they are the only brothers to ever finish first and second in a factory stocks A feature — and they have done it four times.

The competition makes for fun conversations at family gatherings.

"We talk about it all the time,” said Jeremy Allen, 19. "Larry and Justin and I are always talking about new ways to improve the cars and talking about how they change.”

It can also make for heated moments, often caused by excessive trash talking.

"I usually tell him I'm going to outrun him (Justin), and that gets him going,” Jeremy Allen said. "He always gets mad and races better. It makes him a better driver.”

Said Justin Allen: "Sometimes he goes a little bit too far, and I just tell him we will see about it on the track.”

Tim Allen, the father of Justin and Jeremy, can put both in their place. Tim recently retired as a driver after winning his share of factory stocks point championships.

Drivers at State Fair Speedway might soon wonder what goes on inside the Allens' garage, where both Jeremy and Justin work on their race cars.

"We usually take turns,” Jeremy Allen said. "We will work on my car one night and Justin's car the next night.”

Jeremy and Justin each say there are no family secrets responsible for their success. While the Allens are young, both suggest they are beyond their years when it comes to racing.

"The family has been doing this for years,” Justin Allen said. "We know what we're doing, and we have cars that drive really well.”

Justin and Jeremy said Larry is a good resource.

"He (Larry) builds our motors,” Jeremy Allen said. "He always asks if we need help with things. It is nice because he has been racing a lot longer than we have. It is kind of a team effort.”

Larry, who has won three points championships at State Fair Speedway (1982, '84 and '89), said his relationship with Justin and Jeremy reaches farther than the Friday night races.

"We do some cooking out and some fishing and different things,” Larry Allen said. "When they were in high school I would watch them play baseball. We just have a good relationship.”

Justin Allen has finished second in the factory stocks point standings the past two years and said he is off to his best start yet. He and Jeremy have 540 points each. Larry Allen has 490.

"I would love to finish on top, but I know we all can't win,” Justin said. "If it ended right now, I would be alright with that.”