MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Forty-three-year-old Justin Henderson is on the verge of his best season to date.
He’s earned 12 victories this season and has already locked up the 410 sprint car track title at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D.
Now Bernie Stuebgen, the owner of the Indy Race Parts No. 71, wants to help Henderson make his season that much better.
This weekend during the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series National Open at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Henderson will take control of Stuebgen’s No. 71 machine.
One more win would tie Henderson’s career high. He collected 13 wins in 2015, his most successful year under Brian Sundby.
A victory this weekend, particularly during Saturday’s $75,000-to-win Crown Jewel event, would propel Henderson from the threshold and into something more of a throne room.
“That would be my highest high,” Henderson said in a phone interview earlier this week. “[The National Open] is probably the second-most coveted, in my mind, behind the Knoxville Nationals.”
The South Dakotan, who will also compete in next weekend’s World of Outlaws events at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway for Stuebgen, has only raced three times at the half-mile clay oval since 2015.
Two of those were failed efforts to make both main events during the 2018 National Open. The other was a weekly contest last March, where he placed 14th.
Henderson shouldn’t have to overcompensate for the lack of repetitions. Stuebgen’s package and track record at Williams Grove is perhaps on a tier above the rest.
Stuebgen guided then-16-year-old Gio Scelzi to a stunning National Open preliminary win in 2018. Last year, he put Shane Stewart back in victory lane and broke an 18-year-old track record along the way.
“I have no doubt in my mind we can get on the same page right away,” Henderson said. “I’m feeling pretty confident, really. I don’t see any reason we can’t go fast right away.”
Henderson has an affinity for Pennsylvania, more than just racing.
“Pennsylvania has some things that South Dakota just doesn’t: Yuengling, birch beer, really good rolls, great pizza joints,” Henderson said. “We always frequent those places and things in PA.”
In return, the better part of Posse fans receive the Midwestern well, fondly remembering Henderson racing Kreitz’s No. 69K in the 2015 National Open when the National Sprint Car Hall of Famer faced health issues.
Henderson finished fourth that year, his most recent National Open main event.
“We want to kick ass every night, but it’s even more important for when we come to Pennsylvania,” Henderson said.
That weekend nearly led Henderson to a 30-race deal in the No. 69K in 2016. But because Henderson was running two businesses – Parking Lot Solutions, which paints and stripes parking lots, and Dakota Vendpros – he was unable to commit.
Racing endeavors lightened in 2016, ‘17, ‘18 and ‘19 as Henderson worked on life beyond racing. He won five times in that span and never eclipsed 40 races.
Last year, he recaptured some of his vigor, gathering six wins and confidence in the Sandvig Motorsports No. 7. That sparked this year of prominence and a leaner, ever ambitious outlook.
“I believe I haven’t hit my peak yet,” Henderson said. “And really, my body is in pretty good shape. I feel like my mind is in pretty damn good shape. There’s no reason to believe I’ve hit my peak. There’s no reason to believe I can’t keep going up, up, up.”
He did make one disclaimer.
“That doesn’t mean I’m going to be running 60 races,” Henderson said through a laugh. “Forty is enough for God’s sake.
“But I’m going to be honest, I don’t plan on racing past 50 years old anyway,” Henderson added. “I plan on gracefully bowing out at 50 pretty much no matter what. But if I happen to win the Knoxville Nationals first, I’ll just quit then.”
A National Open, maybe in the coming days, wouldn’t hurt either.