SEIPEL IS QUICK TO GIVE CREDIT TO HIS SUPPORT
SYSTEM, FROM THE NUMEROUS FLING TEAM MEMBERS
TO BUSINESS PARTNERS AND FRIENDS PETER AND
EMILY BIONDO, AS WELL AS RACING PARTNER AND
LONGTIME FRIEND JUSTIN LAMB AND HIS FAMILY.
I think that definitely gave me a better chance
of surviving. I was 100 percent focused on this
disease and didn’t have to worry about my dai-
ly commitments. It was definitely hard, but on
the same token it allowed me to focus on the
task at hand.
Peter and Emily were kind enough to take over
the reins. I wasn’t able to go to the PRI Show and
do my normal tasks for about two or three months.
The bottom line was it put a lot of pressure on
them. Obviously, I’d do the same for him and he
would do it all over again, but the bottom line
was for a short time there it put a lot of pressure
on their marriage and business and that sort of
thing, but we got through it.
How has this experience changed your perspective?
It basically makes you focus on the bigger things in
life and you don’t stress about the smaller things.
The things I would stress about prior to this ordeal
I definitely don’t stress about now. It’s a whole
different perspective. I don’t take for granted the
time I have with my family. I don’t take for granted
the time I’m able to race, or for that matter the
fun times we have putting on these races. I don’t
really know how to explain it, but it gives you a
whole different perspective to where you don’t take
anything for granted, that’s for sure.
Continuing on the perspective topic, how did it help your
spirits to be able to start the year racing again?
It was great. I’ll be the first to admit, even now,
my brain is pretty much on the starting line and
my car is at the finish line. I’m still pretty much
behind the car, but with that being said, I’m out
there racing. I’m doing OK. I’m very competitive
June 2019
“AT TIMES I DIDN’T THINK
I’D EVER RACE AGAIN, LET
ALONE RACING SO SOON
AFTER GOING THROUGH
THIS. YOU GO THROUGH
TIMES WHEN YOU’RE GOING
THROUGH THE CHEMO AND
THE RADIATION AND THE
PEOPLE TO THE LEFT AND
RIGHT OF YOU THROUGH
THAT PROCESS THAT YOU
GET TO KNOW, THEY’RE NO
LONGER HERE.”
and I want to be doing better, but on the same
token, shit, six months ago you tell me I’ll be out
here racing, I’d be kissing the ground.
To be racing again is emotional. At times I
didn’t think I’d ever race again, let alone rac-
ing so soon after going through this. You go
through times when you’re going through the
chemo and the radiation and the people to the
left and right of you through that process that
you get to know, they’re no longer here. Here I
am racing. A lot of people I got to meet along
this road aren’t even around, so that definitely
puts it into perspective.
You’re one of the universally beloved characters in Sports-
man racing. From the “Team KS” T-shirts and decals
popping up at races all over the country to hearing from
well-wishers near and far, what was it like to know you
had that support system?
It was cool. It basically reassured me that I wasn’t
in this alone. I had a whole team of friends and
people who I didn’t even realize knew who I was,
quite honestly. But I knew I had a whole team
behind me. I never once thought I was going
into this by myself. Through the hard times, it
made a huge difference to know not only that I
had a team behind me, but I didn’t want to let
them down too, so to speak. That made a huge
difference, absolutely.
Justin Lamb and I were chasing the champion-
ships last year. He was chasing it in both classes
again and I wasn’t able to go the second half of
the year, but every single race I was helping him
dial and watching the numbers and that sort of
thing. At the Vegas divisional they had probably
100 people wearing my shirt and they won Best
Appearing Crew with all my shirts on, so that
was pretty cool. I was able to watch that live via
Division 3 TV. That was another thing that put
things in perspective, for sure.
You took over the track manager position at Sonoma
Raceway last year. It was a role previously held by your
mother, Georgia, for 29 years. How special was it to take
over that position?
It was very sentimental. My mom had a great
foundation there and I wanted to bring some
freshness to it and incorporate some things we
learned with the Spring Fling. I wanted to incor-
porate those things at the local level, like posting
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