Racer Profile: Andy Warren

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For many people involved with motorsports, racing is a family tradition that’s passed down from generation to generation. That’s certainly true for thirty-one year-old Andy Warren, who got a foothold in racing from his father John.

As Warren puts it, “When my dad came back from military service, my brother John and I went drag racing with him. From the time we were kids, my brother Jon and I learned everything we could about racing from him. Don’t tell anybody, but at the age of age of fourteen, I did my first pass at the strip in a Ford Tempo. My mom drove me to the track – I obviously wasn’t old enough to have a driver’s license. I did the pass. Racing REALLY had me after that.”

Andy Warren

The very next year, at the age of fifteen, Warren bought a car. It was a 1971 Chevrolet Caprice, and it became his daily driving and race car. That was until 2004 when the car developed engine trouble and had to be sidelined for a while, although not for too long. With a fresh engine and race car modifications made to the Caprice, Warren decided that he wanted to seriously compete. So he looked at his options and made the decision to compete in the NMCA series.

Warren had been a long-time fan of NMCA racing, and because they offered the Nostalgia Muscle Car category, he found the perfect fit for himself and his Caprice. His first race was in Bowling Green, Kentucky, not far from his home in Rineyville. Unfortunately, he went out in the first round, but that didn’t deter his passion to race.

In October of that same year, Warren decided to take the car to Memphis to compete in the NMCA World Finals. He was determined to do better, but the weekend got off to a bad start and was rain delayed for two days. When the rain finally cleared, the competition got started, and Warren, who had to take a couple of days off work to stay over, began his competition in earnest.

Andy Warren’s 1971 Chevrolet Caprice

When the final run concluded, Warren had met his goal of real competition, but the best news was that he had won the competition. It was this win that led to him competing in the entire NMCA circuit in 2006. Although he fell short of champion status, he garnered a very respectable runner up place, only missing the championship by two rounds.

The following year was not as successful for Warren. However, in 2008 he returned to his earlier form when he once more raced to a runner up position, again only missing the championship by two rounds.

Then in the 2009 NMCA season, Warren found his stride, winning the national Nostalgia Muscle Car NMCA Championship title. Not only did he win the championship, but he was also awarded the Ambassador of the Year trophy, which is given to an outstanding individual who promotes the series and is selfless in his help to other competitors.

When talking about his Championship and Ambassador awards, Warren is passionate yet humble. He said, “Winning the Championship was the result of a lot of hard work and great support. And the Ambassador award was very special because it’s given for helping other racers. There have been so many that helped me, it just made sense that when you get help, you give help.

The Warren Team (L to R) Father John, Brother John and Andy

“A clear part of the 2009 success was the great engine we had. It was built by Tim Knieriem of Knieriem Racing Engines in Louisville, Kentucky. The Knieriem family have been long time family friends, and Tim Knieriem built the engine. It was a rocket, and I was amazed at what he’s done to help make this 3900 lb Caprice run in the 10.70s on a quarter mile. Most of the engine components were off the shelf. The cam was a custom ground 630 lift solid roller from COMP Cams® that helped us pick up over two-tenths.

“For me, I really appreciate manufacturers like COMP®, who not only provide the best products and services, they’re also a huge help for us through their sponsorship and contingency support with NMCA. They are a real grass roots company. It doesn’t matter if you have a fifteen-second street car or a six-second pro mod, everybody gets the same great support and products. And, the contingency awards really help us all with the cost of racing; they help to keep us going to the races.”

In 2010 Warren intends to go for gold again in the NMCA series. So if you’re in the area of an NMCA event, go by and say hello. You’ll be welcomed, and you can see firsthand that Warren is a champion on and off the track.

And in the future, don’t be too surprised if the next generation Warren is at the track with him, learning how to race. The torch will be passed again.