From The Race Tracks — Newtown Drivers Speeding Onward

By Andy Hutchison

Following in the footprints (or should we say tire tread marks?) of 22-year-old Mike Gervais, 14-year-old Stephen Kopcik is working his way up in the ranks of car racing. Both Newtown-based drivers are experiencing success on Connecticut tracks as they aim to move up to more challenging levels of racing — going faster … and faster as they advance.

The Gervais Brothers Roofing Racing Team includes driver Mike Jr and his dad and uncles Gary and Bruce, all of whom work on their SK Modified race car to prepare it for competition on the Stafford Motor Speedway race track. The Gervais Brothers Roofing shop doubles as an race car repair/storage facility here in town. Gervais has won championships at each level in which he has raced: go-karts, legends, SK Lights, and SK Modified. He earned his first SK Modified victory this past spring.

Kopcik is in his first year of Legends racing after being a karting champion himself. He races at Waterford Speedbowl, and helps out Gervais as a member of the racing team’s pit crew, getting a taste of where he plans to be in the coming years, depending on how quickly he emerges.

It is quite the family activity for both Gervais and Kopcik. The younger driver is sponsored by NJK Automotive, which is run by his dad, Nick Kopcik. NJK also sponsors the Gervais team, and Gervais Roofing reciprocates by backing the efforts of Kopcik. Both racing teams have several other sponsors to help offset the costs to maintain and improve their vehicles — and keep them running for weekly races throughout the summer and early fall months.

After topping out at roughly 40 miles per hour in go-karts on straight-aways, Kopcik hits 80-plus in the Legends car. “You don’t even think about it. You focus on driving,” he said of adjusting to the faster pace. Not only do the cars go faster, but the surface is an adjustment to get accustomed too, as well. Karts are driven on dirt and Legends are raced on asphalt. “It’s definitely a lot to learn. There’s a lot I still have to learn,” he added.

Kopcik regularly dominated a small field of a half-dozen or so drivers in the karting races and finds himself in the middle of the pack among about two dozen legends racers each week. He is off to a good start at the new level, and is in second place in rookie of the year points.

“It’s a totally different animal,” Nick Kopcik said of Legends cars in comparison to karts. “A lot more horsepower, they’re loose,” he said, adding that the Legends cars rely more on the skill of drivers.

The difference in horsepower from karts to legends is 11 to 132, and the difference in weight of the cars jumps from about 275 to 1,100 pounds, Nick Kopcik added.

Gervais, meanwhile, has been through that upgrade and since made the jump to 430-horsepower cars. “It’s a little more weight, more power. It’s a whole different field,” Gervais said.

Stephen Kopcik points out that there is a lot more to racing than the person behind the wheel. There is a lot of work that goes into prepping the car for race day, and in-race adjustments made in pit stops — everything from adjusting tire pressures to changing springs. “Driving’s only half of it,” Stephen Kopcik said.

The 14-year-old said the most challenging aspect of racing is learning what the car needs to get it going better and working with the pit crew to make those adjustments happen. Stephen Kopcik says he is getting better at grasping what the car needs after each time out on the track.

The teenager changes tires, springs, and does whatever is needed when helping out in the pit for Gervais. He is hands-on with his own car in helping get it ready for race day, too, his dad notes.

“It’s great to see him have such an interest in everything,” Nick Kopcik said.

Nick Kopcik says he enjoys working with his son on and off the track. “It’s definitely creating memories for down the road,” he said.

Mike Gervais points out that maintaining the cars is a lot of work — especially after crashes. “If you keep the car in one piece, you can improve on it,” said Gervais, adding that broken parts set the team back and the focus is just on getting the car back on the track for the following week.

Mike Gervais notes that working with his dad and uncles is enjoyable. “It’s definitely really cool to be with my dad every weekend. It’s something we both love,” he said. “It’s cool to race with your family. We all have fun at the track.”

Gervais said the team spends hours in the nights leading up the race preparing the car and arrives at the track in the early afternoon for night races. “We put so much time into it, it’s almost like a part-time job. But it’s something we all like to do. Being out there is a lot of fun” said Gervais, who is studying mechanical engineering and has an internship at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation.

Sponsors for Gervais are Gervais Brothers Roofing, Mark Edwards Roofing, David Smith Racing, NJK Automotive, Arbitell Convenience Stores, and a new sponsor that came on board, Holcon Gas.

Kopcik is sponsored by Tommy Adams, Newtown Pools, NJK, Premier Glass, Gervais Brothers, and David Smith Racing.

Stafford has races every Friday night through September 30. Waterford runs every Wednesday and Saturday through the first weekend of October.

 Tickets for weekend races at both tracks are available on a first come, first served basis, at NJK Automotive, 75 South Main Street. Visit www.speedbowl.com for information about the Waterford track, and www.staffordmotorspeedway.com for information on Stafford.