HOLMEN, Wis. -- The 4-Cylinder Hornets Division is quickly becoming a popular high-light at Fox Ridge Speedway. While the raw, and almost savage, power of the higher Divisions still commands attention, these little Hornets are steadily gathering the interest of fans and competitors alike.

For several reasons the attention of the fans seems to be increasingly drawn to the Hornets. First of all, they’re darned fun to watch. Fox Ridge Speedway is already well know for the amount of racing room the wide track surface provides for the much larger Modifieds, Super Stocks and Street Stocks. Toss onto that wide racing surface a car that is almost half the physical size of the cars in the other divisions, and the racing room is dramatically increased. It’s become almost a regular occurrence to see the Hornets zipping four and five-wide into the turns!

Also, due to the purposely-designed inexpensive nature of the division, the car count has literally sky-rocketed. Add to all of this the fact that the fans can very easily identify with these little machines – the cars are just like the ones they might be driving to work or to the park or to school to pick up the kids – and you’ve got the basis for a Division which is quickly becoming a high-light during the evening’s action.

And very similar to the fan’s interest in the division, drivers are beginning to take a liking to the Hornets as well. The division is populated pretty evenly with drivers from all age groups - from teenagers trying to live out the extremely popular “sport-compact” life-style, to drivers on the ‘other end of the spectrum’ just out and about having some fun.

But don’t for a minute think that all Hornet drivers are beginners; one such competitor is Holmen, WI’s Scott Kronn. With almost 30 years of experience, Kronn has been driving race cars ever since college. His resume could turn the heads of almost all the drivers in the other Divisions.

After moto-cross and snowmobile racing in the ‘60s, Kronn moved onto Auto Cross competition in the ‘70s. In ’79 he attended a couple “Skip Barber” racing schools and quickly joined in with the ‘road racing’ circuits. The 80’s saw Kronn competing in the SCCA Pro Renault series and qualifying for the prestigious SCCA Nationals on a number of occasions.

In ’92 Kronn began living out the fantasy of almost any racer, landing a full-time position in the seat of a factory backed IMSA Firehawk Series ride. Driving professionally for HONDA allowed Kronn the opportunity to delve deeper into the sport than many local racers could ever dream – rubbing shoulders with corporate VIPs or other ‘high-profile’ drivers, and competing on major circuits like Watkins Glenn, Charlotte Motor Speedway, or Road America.

And now back in the local business world as owner of Noffke Sign Company, Kronn uses the 4-Cylinder Hornet division as an avenue for some weekend fun. “All of my racing experience is with cars very similar to these Hornets”, explained Kronn who still maintains one of his own Austin-Healy Sprites along with several other 4-cylinder cars for use at tracks other than Fox Ridge Speedway, “The budgets may have varied drastically in other formats and other Divisions, but whether ice racing or SCCA or these Hornets, it’s all a bit similar.”

Budgetary matters aside, the main difference, according to Kronn, is the racing surface, “What I love about dirt racing is that it’s actually a lot like ice racing; the track is ALWAYS different. From race to race, from lap to lap, even from corner to corner the driver always needs to focus and know how to adapt to any changes.”

While Kronn is having fun on Friday nights with the Fox Ridge Speedway Hornets Division he’s also still a racer, “I try to have fun when I’m racing. But anybody who straps on a helmet wants to run as good as possible.” More often than not, Kronn can be found at the front of the pack.

As a matter of fact, his #13q Honda is currently sitting atop the point standings in the Hornets division. But is it the car or the driver that has made that so? “Well,” points out Kronn, “that is a completely stock engine, with over a hundred thousand miles of regular street driving on it. I haven’t done a thing to it. The engine actually uses almost a quart of oil a night!” he laughs. This writer will heap the praise upon the driver then.

And what about the age difference amongst the drivers in the division? “We all mesh pretty well. When I first started driving at FOX RIDGE a lot of the younger drivers started calling me ‘Gramps’,” offers the 46 year old with a chuckle, “But, I don’t see myself as ‘old’. Of course, there are a couple kids in the division who I was coaching in little league baseball not too long ago!”

But never fear, the youngsters are giving Mr. Kronn a workout, “I’ve got my hands full keeping up now, that’s for sure”, commented Kronn while discussing the competitiveness of the Division, “They are all improving with time. Young or old, new drivers and returning drivers, the division is fun and competitive.”

To see the 4-Cylinder Hornets in action visit Fox Ridge Speedway this Friday night; hot-laps begin at 7 pm with the first green flag scheduled for 7:30!