Racing a family affair for Obertellos

For most of his racing career, Andy Obertello was always the bridesmaid, never the bride.
“We finished second eight or nine times before that happy moment,” said Obertello, a 29-year-old Hollister resident.
That happy moment came on Father’s Day of 2011, when Obertello finally earned his first race victory at Bakersfield Speedway. Afterwards, Obertello’s dad, Ron, ran onto the track to embrace his son in a long hug, tears flowing down both of their faces.
It was the stuff dreams were made of — father and son, connecting through a mutual love for racing.
“My dad told me how proud he was of me and that he loved me, and I told him how much I loved him,” Obertello said. “Everyone there knew how much that win meant. Everyone says that first win is the hardest, and it’s true. But it was all worth it.”
Racing is truly a family affair for the Obertellos, who formed their own racing team, Obertello Racing, several years ago. Everyone in the Obertello family is involved in the race team in some way.
Obertello’s dad serves as the crew chief, and Obertello’s uncle, Robbie Hoff, is in charge of the car’s maintenance and setup. Obertello’s girlfriend of four years, Carly Nicole Crook, also plays a vital role in the car’s setup and maintenance.
Obertello was recently crowned the 2013 International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) track champion, the biggest accomplishment in his race career.
“It was as monumental as it gets for us,” said Obertello, who is a heavy equipment mechanic for Waste Management in San Jose. “We picked up sponsors along the way, and more importantly, it feels great as a team that we put it all together.”
The IMCA is a sanctioning body for several different car classes, including a modified division that features cars with open wheels in the front and closed wheels in the back.
Obertello, a 2002 San Benito High graduate, drives modified and late model cars, which pack a bigger sized motor and upgraded tires. On Sept. 23, Obertello finished seventh in the prestigious Pat Pettit Shootout at Ocean Speedway’s quarter-mile clay oval in Watsonville.
The winner’s payout was $15,000, or $13,500 more than what Obertello and his fellow racers are usually competing for on a weekly basis.
Indeed, Obertello is truly racing for the love of the sport.
“Even though we’ve had some success and we spend a lot of time on our car and equipment, right now racing is a hobby for us,” Obertello said. “Some years we make money, some years we lose. The main thing is we’re having fun as a family doing it. If we can make it to the next level, it would be great. But we’re perfectly content with what we’re doing now.”
Obertello was born in Watsonville but moved to Hollister when he was 7, the same time he started racing go-karts. Countless times, Obertello drove while his dad was in the passenger side seat, offering advice and a steady hand.
“My dad was a racer and just handed over the reins to me,” Obertello said. “He’s been the biggest influence in my racing career. He’s been helping me since day one.”
Obertello feels he developed his racing instincts from his dad. It’s those instincts that allow a racer to adjust to the ever-changing track conditions during a race.
In the IMCA races, the driver plays a bigger role as to which team wins and loses than, say, NASCAR, Formula 1 or IndyCar. That’s because there are no pit stops — thus no pit crew — and it’s up to the driver to navigate the 25 to 50-lap races from start to finish.
“So however your car is set up, you’re not going to be able to work on it during a race,” Obertello said. “It’s on the driver to make it work, and I feel I can adapt to the changing race-track conditions better than most of the guys I race with on a weekly basis.”
Typically, Obertello completes a race in 20 minutes, and for those 20 minutes Obertello is in a state of nirvana.
“I soak up every minute when I’m on the track,” he said. “We have no test or practice runs. “There might be a time at the beginning of the season (in February or early March) where we might get a practice run or a day to tune our cars, but that’s about it. It’s pretty much throw yourself to the wolves and there you go — that’s our practice.”
Obertello races 20 to 30 times a year, at tracks as far south as Yuma, AR., and far north as Oregon. Typically, though, Obertello does most of his racing at Ocean Speedway and other dirt tracks in the Bay Area.
“My ultimate goal is for a company to sponsor me at a high level, like a televised racing series,” Obertello said. “What are the chances of that happening? Well, it’s more real than winning the Lotto. In the end, it’s all about improving myself as a driver, and sharing some great memories with my family. I’m just doing my best to make them proud.”