Source: Danny Serrano AARN

Two veterans have hooked up together for a Big Diamond Raceway assault for the 2010 campaign. Quakertown, Pa’s Rick Laubach will be the new hired gun for car owner Johnny Rea who hails out of Reading, Pa. Laubach, who was in search of a Friday night ride for Big Diamond, can finally end all 2010 speculations.
 
“Rick is going to be my new driver next year,” confirmed Rea by phone on Sunday afternoon. A former driver of his own equipment back in the 90‘s, Rea has had some of the best chauffeurs around steer the wheel of his No. 1 machines. Rea has experienced championship success with Keith Hoffman, a brief stint with Jeff Strunk, and most recently two up and down seasons with Ryan Godown.
 
“I was definitely shocked when Ryan called me a few weeks back and told me that he wouldn’t be my driver for next year. All of a sudden I was back in the market looking for a driver,” explained Rea. “When the news hit the street, Rick called me and asked me what I was going to do and I basically told him that I didn’t know. After a few weeks went by I decided to drive out to Rick’s shop and have a meeting. Everything went well. I liked what he had to say and he liked what I had to say in return. I’ll think we’ll be just fine on Friday nights, as I know Rick knows his way around Big Diamond pretty good.”
 
Rea wanted to go on the record about he and Godown’s split. “I have no problem with Ryan. He and I are still friends. It was more surprising than bitter. He had his reasons and he had to do what‘s best for him. I just wish it had ended differently or didn’t even end at all. We won the Forrest Rogers and the Coalcracker together. You can’t ask for much more than that from a second year team. We also had a lot of bad luck and too many wrecks which put a black cloud over our season. I’ve heard a lot of rumors about where he will or won’t be racing next year and who knows what’s really true. But I won’t lie to you, I’d like to see Ryan land a ride not only for himself but, also because my competitive nature now wants to race against him as often as I can.”
 
Leading up to the recent agreement with Rea, Laubach was pretty much in tough predicament. “I didn’t know what Norm (Hansell) was doing next year. And at this time I don’t know if Norm knows just what he’s doing yet either. I know both Norm and Johnny would liked to have run Big Diamond and Grandview as a package deal but, we’ll be heading back to New Egypt to defend our title, so I really had only Friday nights free on my schedule,” eluded Laubach. “Johnny was cool with me running for him only on Fridays so how could I say no? We will also run the car at any 358 Thunder on the Hill shows as well. We have a new 2010 Teo with two Fords and a Chevy engine ready for action. I’ll maintain the car here at my shop and I’ll tow it to Diamond each and every Friday night and hopefully win us both a championship.”
 
Laubach will continue to drive the AMK No. 20 machine at New Egypt on Saturday nights, while driving for the aforementioned Rea on Fridays at Big Diamond. He also has teamed up again with long-time NJ car owner Dieter Schmidt. Laubach’s fourth ride will be the Gary and Lori Herman owned machine that debuted at this year‘s Super Dirt Week. Between Schmidt and Herman’s two teams, Laubach will be able to chase part of the Super Dirt Series along with the better paying small block and big block shows throughout the season. “I’m extremely excited about next year. I’m lucky to have four really good car owners when I know that just one is hard enough to come by these days. We’re going to celebrate our championship at the New Egypt banquet, next we’ll have a car at Motorsports, after that we’re going to be racing in Florida in February, and then we’ll be ready to tackle all the races throughout the northeast all of next season,” revealed an anxious Laubach. The 2009 season may have just ended but, 2010 can’t come soon enough for the man known as “The Quaker Shaker”.