RPW Exclusive: Life Changes & Resilience Has Veteran Rick Laubach Set To Tackle An Exciting ’25

Column By: TOM WENNER / RPW – QUAKERTOWN, PA – The 2024 racing season brought unexpected challenges for Rick Laubach.
However, his resilience has shown through.
Despite the season ending in October after Eastern States Weekend, Laubach found himself in the emergency room suffering a mini-stroke and facing a health crisis. Rick’s blood pressure was so high that it caused him to suffer a stroke only a day after getting home from Orange County Speedway’s Eastern States Weekend.
Although the year had its challenges, after being released from the ER, Laubach committed to getting himself right by losing weight, changing his diet, and following doctor’s orders. Rick has received a clean bill of health and is back in his best physical shape in months, as the season starts to ramp up.
Rick and Tara Laubach departed the Quakertown Race Shop on Friday night for Lake City, Florida, towing their 1-race old Shaker Motorsports #20 ’24x Bicknell Dirt Modified for Short Track Super Series Sunshine Swing race duty.
The Bicknell #20 last saw action at Oswego, NY last October and has basically sat since. The car was prepped for Florida race action over the winter, and the Laubach team is excited and ready for a fresh start. Join us in cheering for Rick as he returns to the track, healthier and more determined than ever.
Rick heads to Florida with some new sponsorship support this season, Joining the fleet of Laubach race cars this year will be AMP’D Equipment. AMP’D Equipment is the industry leader in mobile roof spraying carts.
You will also find AMPED Equipment on the side of Matthew Laubach’s #17 All-Star Slingshot this season.
Laubach is heading to All-Tech Raceway in the Shaker Motorsports #20 Bicknell with the Gary Herrmann SY-Murray Performance Big Block Engine in the frame rails. After the week of competition at All Tech Raceway, Laubach has plans to head over Volusia Speedway for the Super DIRTcar Gator Nationals.
When the team returns back north to Quakertown, PA Laubach assembled an arsenal of equipment to make some noise this season. On Friday Nights, Rick will once again call the Big Diamond Speedway his home in the Shaker Motorsports Bicknell #20.
The Shaker Motorsports #20 is well supported with a great group of marketing partners like Armada Buildings LLC, Pro-Tek Roofing, AMWELL Auto Body, Beacon Building Products, MR Race Oil, Auger Manufacturing, Bulldog Rear Ends, Four*Star, Wenner Media Group, Dimension Overhead Door, and returning for 2025 is H. Blinderman & Son Inc. – John Schneider has been a personal friend of Rick’s for 12 years, this season H. Blinderman and Son Recycling return to the door panels of the Laubach racing fleet.
The Gary Herrmann Fleet of Race Cars remains in the Quakertown race shop. Herrmann has assembled (6) SY-Murray Performance Race Engines for use this season. (3) Big Block Race Engines, and (3) Spec 358 Modified Race Engines are ready for race duty. The Blue Bicknell #7 of Gary Herrmann will see action every Saturday night at NJ’s Bridgeport Speedway.
Laubach will be chasing the Track Championship this season behind the fleet of #7 Herrmann race equipment. Gary Herrmann has been a supporter of Rick’s racing career for many years, his Custom Elevator business is the leading manufacturer of elevators in the world.
Not to be forgotten in the Quakertown Race Shop is owner Ryan Kerr, Kerr now resides in Florida – But his Kerr Cattle Company #1K Bicknell sits idle in the Laubach waiting for the next opportunity to light the fire. If you remember, Ryan Kerr was one of the most active owners in the early years of the Super Track Super Series. He owned the 1st all-Aluminum Race Engine before it was outlawed, Then the outlawed 360 power plant, and now the coveted Kerr Cattle Company #1K Bicknell is waiting for the next rules package that allows him to jump back into racing action.
Rick has plans to travel this season as time permits, Orange County’s Sunday Series is penciled on the calendar along with the local Super DIRTcar Series race events. Rick will open the northeast season at Port Royal Speedway and then pick and choose mid-week events throughout the season.
The team has welcomed a new motor tuner this season, Travis Lilly has joined the race team. Travis is the father of TJ Lilly, and he will be helping the Laubach team in 2025. All of Rick’s regular crew will return for another tour of duty, Tara Laubach, Matthew Laubach, Rick Wean, Lou Cozze, Eugene Hapes, Steve Cadigan, Frank Doklan, Jeff Bubori, and Darryl and DJ Haycock.
Matthew Laubach, known as the “Salt-Shaker” coming off his 2nd Action Track USA Junior Slingshot Championship has moved up to the All-Star Slingshot division this season.
Matthew is now the all-time leading feature winner at Action Track USA in the Junior Slingshot division. Laubach moved up to the All-Stars and spent 2 months getting his feet wet at Action Track USA, Spirit Speedway, and BAPS this past fall. Laubach scored a career best 4th place finish in early All-Star Action, and I expect to see him in victory lane very soon.
Matthew’s Slinger has been completely refreshed for ’25 and has a large following of marketing partners that support him. Leading the group is AMPED Equipment, AMWELL Auto Body, Izzy Trucking & Rigging, Pro-Tek Roofing, Four Star Transmission, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, and H. Blinderman & Son Recycling.
You can expect to see the “Salt-Shaker” at Action Track USA every week chasing the All-Star Slingshot Championship. The team will travel to Spirit when time and the schedule permits, They will also be looking to following the All-Star Slingshot Series as time and schedule allows it.
Matthew’s father mentioned that a 602 Sportsman Car offer is on the table by some series owners, The future is bright for the young Laubach who we will see following his famous father and grandfathers footsteps soon.