From the Pettys to the Earnhardts, racing is a family tradition. Here in Allen County, if you head down to Humboldt Speedway on a Friday night during racing season, you are more than likely to hear the last name Folk.
Jesse Folk Jr. grew up at the track, learning from the ins and outs of racing from his father, Jesse Sr. By the time Folk Jr. could walk, he was in the driver’s seat. Folk Jr. began racing motorcycles at 3 years old before climbing in the car at age 9.
“I felt like it like it was the only thing I was good at,” Folk Jr. said. “I played soccer of course, but other than that I didn’t really play any sports than a little bit of football in high school.”
From 1998 to 2010, Folk Jr. and his brother Justin were dominant. Either finished first in the modified standings, with the other brother coming in second. Only on one occasion, when fellow teammate Rodney Sigg claimed the top spot, did the pair fail to finish first and second.
In 2006, Folk Jr. began building his own cars after the owner of Dirt Works Race Cars, the car provider of Folk Jr., passed away from a heart attack. In the eight years up until 2014, Folk Jr. constructed over 40 race cars while working with his father and brother.
When Folk Jr. and Justin went their separate ways in their business partnership in 2016, Jesse had less time to race cars, realizing his new business and family were his priority. Folk Jr. then stepped away from racing full time after the 2016 season, capping off his career with a win, and keeping him well above 300 feature wins for his career.
“Leaving my brother and starting my own business, along with my five kids, I just didn’t really have the time anymore,” Folk Jr. said.
When one door closes, another door opens. Folk Jr.’s eldest son, Brady, was always ready to carry on his family’s tradition.
“I grew up around the time when my dad and uncle really dominated. I’d get out of school, and I’d tag along and just watch them in the shop, and help them with the race cars. It was always something that I wanted to do for as long as I can remember.”
Not once during Brady’s childhood did Jesse crown him the heir to the racing throne. He didn’t have to. Brady was naturally enticed to racing, and even rode his way to a go-kart state championship when he was 8 years old.
“I don’t push it on any of my kids. This one here (Baron) is 11, and he will be racing next year. I have another son who we don’t push it on, and he wants to do acting. That is OK, you just have to let them do what they want to do.”
Brady saved money from his grandparents over the course of the years, and with some extra cash he earned working in dad’s shop — he had enough to buy a race car of his own in the spring of 2019.
“I actually told him, ‘don’t buy a car,’” Folk said. “He owns everything on his car, bought with money he earned. He called me and said ‘Dad, I want to buy a car.’ I said ‘No, you don’t want to do that,’ and then he replied ‘Well, I already got it, so you can’t tell me no.”
Last year was Brady’s first time racing under the Friday night lights in Humboldt. In the Love’s Travel Stop Midwest Mods, Brady took to the track in seven races, earning two top fives. Even though it was a solid start, Brady was hoping for more.
“Practicing was kind of like, all right, I got this. But then when I got out there and started racing and the green flag dropped, I was like ‘whoa,’” Brady exclaimed. “My biggest thing last season was that I was worried I was going to get into somebody, and towards the end of the season I got more control of what I was doing.”
