FORESTVILLE — Even though Marc Berzowski has been racing for more than a decade, he had put his passion for the sport aside after one of the best seasons of his career.
He was an angry man as he left Big Diamond Speedway for the final time in 2013, a season in which he won the track’s roadrunner points championship. Track management had put a restrictor plate on his car — essentially denying him the opportunity to reach the track season record of 10 wins — in an attempt to improve competitive balance in the division.
Berzowski’s father, Ed, knew his son wasn’t ready to throw away a 15-year racing career, just as the elder Berzowski wasn’t ready to dismiss life itself when cancer forced doctors to remove a portion of his lung.
“I was sitting at home and I was like, ‘I can still move. I can still walk,’ ” Ed Berzowski said of his recovery. “So I went out and found this, and we’re racing again.”
“This” is a sportsman that the Berzowskis debuted last Friday at Big Diamond, the same venue that caused so much heartache months earlier.
“You can’t be bitter,” Marc Berzowski said. “Things happen. It’s no big deal. That was last year.”
However, the past was the very reason Ed Berzowski decided his son should continue racing, even if it was in a new divi-
sion. Ed had taken so much enjoyment from watching Marc race a street stock at several speedways.
“His first year, he said to me, ‘I want to race,’ ” Ed said. “Well, we built him a car and I never said a word to him. He said, ‘Well, what do I do?’ I said, ‘Point it to where you want to go, and it’ll go.’ ” He’s done it ever since.”
Now, after a bitter end to Marc’s 2013 season and Ed’s own health scare, Ed wasn’t ready to let his son walk away.
What he might not have known is Marc also wasn’t ready to retire.
“I had no intentions of stopping,” said Marc, who is self-employed as a coal delivery driver. “I was going to take a full season off because I just had a baby and stuff.”
He added: “I really didn’t mind sitting in the stands watching some racing for a change. It’s been a long time since I got to be a fan. I did enjoy that, but after the second race, I was ready to drive again.”
Thanks to Ed, Marc’s return happened last Friday after an intense three weeks of preparation.
“My dad made up my mind,” Marc said. “He told me a few weeks before we got this that he wanted me to go look into late models. I like late models. He likes sportsman or modified racing. He paid, so he won.”
While Marc was checking out late models, Ed Berzowski had learned roadrunner competitor Jared Seigfried was looking to sell a 2004 Teo Pro modified chassis.
“My dad said, ‘If you want to go look at it, fine. If not, I’m bringing it home,’ ” Marc said. “So I went and looked at it. Either way, I figured I’m going to have to drive it.”
However, led by Ed, a crew that has supported Marc since the start of his racing career really had to go to work.
“The car came complete,” Marc said. “We stripped it down, sanded it down, painted it, went over every part and put it all back together. We knew nothing. We knew absolutely nothing about these cars, so to take it apart and put it back together, you learn a lot.”
When word got out about what was happening, Marc also got advice from many of the drivers — such as current points leader Wayne Witmer and former sportsman champions Kevin Beach Jr., Rick Hendricks and Craig Whitmoyer — who are now his rivals.
“Guys don’t want to tear their stuff up, so they figure, if they help you, it will end up paying off in the end,” Marc said.
Ed Berzowski needed no help in one key area. He built the engine that powers his son’s No. 25M.
“We had three motors done outside my garage and all three of them blew up,” Ed said. “If anything is going to happen to that motor, it’s my fault.”
In fact, Ed, who was at Big Diamond on the day it first opened, wants the responsibility now more than ever.
“I was supposed to be laid up a lot longer when they took one half of my one lung out, and I wasn’t,” he said. “I’ll never give up. This is my life right here, watching him here drive this thing.”
In turn, a father’s love for his son was rewarded when Marc’s turn came to put the numbers and lettering on the blue and silver No. 25M.
On the fuel cell is a mantra which reads, “No regrets. No reverse.”
On the hood over the engine which Ed built are these words: “The measure of a man is not of his worth, but what he means to those he loves.”
Asked about it, Ed Berzowski’s voice faltered.
“It brought tears to my eyes,” he said.
Today’s races
Where: Big Diamond Speedway, Forestville
When: 8:15 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m. Warm-up laps at 7:45 p.m.
Program: Mid-Atlantic DIRTcar 358 modifieds, USS Achey sportsmen, Savage 61 roadrunners, American Racing Drivers Club midgets, fireworks
Admission: $20 general admission, free for active military with valid identification and for children ages 12 and under