Earl Pearson Jr discusses the dive into the 141 Speedway pond

Watch the video as Earl Pearson Jr jumps into the pond after the Lucas Oil Late Model win

Earl Pearson Jr charged through the field in the closing laps at 141 Speedway over the weekend. He spent 5 laps all over the back bumper of Bobby Pierce until he finally found a hole to get to the lead as they raced through lapped traffic.

This was the very first race for a new look on the Stuckey Enterprises #1 machine. The blue was swapped out for red and the Black Diamond Chassis went to victory lane. Pearson led the last 6 laps of the event.

However, once in victory lane Pearson was notified of the tradition at the Wisconsin dirt track. That tradition is to jump in the manmade pond that rests just behind victory lane.

At first, Pearson walked over to the water with a look of concern. “How deep is is Wallie?,” Pearson asked series director Rick Schwallie.

At that point he was mostly stalling, fans began to yell things out. Call it bold encouragement or even peer pressure. From there, he took the dive into the lake and went completely under the water. It didn’t look that deep. But, it was deep enough to absorb the race winner.

When you crossed the start/finish line did you realize that the tradition was to go for a swim?

“No, I didn’t know anything about that until I was up there in victory lane and they told me I needed to do that,” Earl Pearson Jr told RacingNews.co with a laugh.

A few officials and the promoter Tony Izzo gave Earl Pearson Jr the word.

“No. I didn’t know anything about that. And I wasn’t gonna do it. Cause it was so cold.”

“The fans started getting upset.”

The fans talked you into it?

“Well, they was starting to say some stuff. Anyway, I went ahead and did it.”

“I guess, for the first time winning there. That’s a tradition at that place. It is what it is.”

“But, it didn’t take me long to get back out the water. As cold as it was.”

It was pretty chilly that night. And it’s not like the lake is heated or anything like that.

Did you have a backup suit?

“We do. But, the shoes and the suits already dry. If I needed to wear them again today, I could. But, I’ll wash it before I wear it again.”

How many times have you been there before?

“That’s the first time I’ve ever been there.”

So, you won in your first try. How does that happen?

“We try so many different places and so many different race tracks — It don’t take long to adapt to what you got there. We go to so many different places, none of them’s all the same.”

“It’s just a different race track. Most of the people I talked to, ain’t never been there either. It’s just kinda new for everybody.”

That night, Earl Pearson Jr unloaded at anther new race track, Deer Creek Speedway. With the backup suit, he drove away from Scott Bloomquist to win his heat race.

Earl Pearson Jr
141 Speedway pond

More

Related: 141 Speedway: Results

Related: Ronnie Stuckey discusses the operations of his dirt late model team

Related: Earl Pearson Jr details the last lap pass for the win at Boyd’s Speedway

Related: Earl Pearson Jr signed with Stuckey Enterprises

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Black Diamond Race Team | Stuckey Enterprises | 141 Speedway | LOLMDS | Shane Walters

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