FULL NAME: Stephen Andrew Fields
BIRTHDATE: September 10, 1983
HOMETOWN: Cookeville, Tennessee
MARITAL STATUS: Wife (Melissa)
EDUCATION: High School Graduate majoring in Automotive Tech and Machine Shop / Welding. Finished 2nd in the state of Tennessee, against 16 of the state's top students, in a Skills U.S.A. VICA Automotive competition. Winner of $9,000 in automotive scholarships to Nashville Auto Diesel College (NADC) and Universal Technical Institute (UTI).
OCCUPATION: Automotive Technician
RACING CAREER STATS: 96 Starts, 22 Feature Wins, 27 Heat Race Wins, 43 Top 5's, 59 Top 10's.
RACING HIGHLIGHTS:
1st Race July 28, 1998 at the age of 14.
1st Heat Race Win April 1999 at the age of 15.
1st Feature Race win April 13, 2002.
2002 AutoZone Chevette Points Champion.
Winner of the Innagural 2003 4th of July Event at GMRP
2 Wins in one night, October 4, 2003 (GMRP & TMS)
Stephen Fields began his racing career in 1998 at the age of 14. After only 8 races, the very motivated youngster would build his first racing engine with the help of his father (Ronnie Fields). First night out with the new engine, Stephen would jump out front in the heat race and never look back, to win his first ever heat race. This would only add fire to his passion of being a successful race car driver. With a very limited budget, the father and son team would do the best with what they had. The second season of his career (1999) would leadway to 2 heat wins and only 1 top 10 finish.
After only 9 races, distaster struck, with the discovery of water in the oil pan, due to a cracked head. With little money and no spare parts, the Fields Racing team would sit out the remainder of the 1999 season.
The 2000 season brought a new car and a new engine. Stephen and his father Ronnie would build both from the ground up, with the help of a new sponsor "Spas and More" of Cookeville, TN.
The season got way to a great start, with 4 top 5 finishes in the first four races. Week #5 the bad luck bug hit once again, as severe engine failure struck the team hard. A weak valve keeper broke, dropping a valve, and destroying the bottom end of the engine, and cylinder head.
The remainder of the 2000 season would be run with a pure stock engine, donated by a helpful neighbor, who had planned on turning his Chevette into a race car. This engine gave him alot of seat time, otherwise he could not have had. He would go on to have 1 top 5 finish, with multiple top 10 finishes. Unfortunately, this engine had enough and let go in mid August. Not to even miss a week, a fellow Chevette racer, Johnny Rose, would loan him an engine to finish out the season. With a dark cloud over his car, the borrowed engine would let go only 2 weeks later. That's when the Fields Racing team thought it was over. To their surprise Warren Mull, engine builder and owner of his sons car (Matt Mull) would give an offer they could not pass up. He loaned a full race engine to the team, and even put it in the car for them. A very excited 16 year old Stephen Fields, jumped in the car the following week, expecting a turn around in luck. On lap 2 of the heat race, the engine would develope a servere miss. After further inspection during the week, the cause was found to be a small piece of fuel line blocking the secondary jet. Week #2 with the Mull engine, was a better one, as he finished a strong second in the heat race. In the feature, Stephen would hold his 4th place position, to only have bad luck hit once again. On lap 8 of the 12 lap feature, the caution would fly as the #92 machine sat in turn 3 up against the wall. Stephen climbed out of the car in pain, and sat down in front of it, to wait for the wrecker. Later on he stated "It felt like something broke in the suspension." "It knocked the breath out of me when i hit the wall head on" Nothing was ever found broken in the suspension. Speculation is that the right front tire hit the fender well, locking the wheel up, and sending him hard into the wall. With a badly damaged race car, the team would go home in disbelief of the season they have had. They ended up finishing 9th overall in the points standings.
In 2001, they tried their luck at having someone else build them an engine. They met up with Tim Hartley, a sucessful late model engine builder, to have him prepare them an engine for the 2001 season. This was Tim's first Chevette engine, and the first attempt was not very successful. Stephen could not break the top 10, and was very discusted after all the time and money spent on a new engine. The Fields racing team and Tim Hartley seperated after only a few months into the 2001 season. A very discusted father and son team, would sit out for almost a month after the seperation. After gathering his patients and saving a few dollars, an extremely motivated Stephen Fields would decide he was going to build a competitive engine on his own, and that he did! After modifying his first cylinder head, and freshening the bottom end of the previously built Hartley bottom end, the now 17 year old, would bring a new attitude to the track. He hammered down the remainder of the 2001 season, finishing in the top 3 five out of the last 6 races that were remaining that season. With five top 5 finishes, in a sponsorless race car, he caught the eye of Mr. Robet Gilreath of G&L MFG. INC. The winter of 2001 would be a dream come true, as Stephen and Robert worked out of a 100,000 sq ft building, with a full machine shop and welding shop. As the Gilreath/Fields team worked side by side, they would create something unbeliveable for the 2002 season. A very intelligent man, Mr. Gilreath, would teach Stephen how to operate mills, lathes, surface grinders, and a variety of machine shop tools & equipment. On top of that, his knowledge of racing was remarkable. Stephen learned alot from Mr. Gilreath, and still to this day, says he wouldn't be where he's at if it wasn't for Robert Gilreath. The 2002 season started out better than any other. Stephen won his first ever career feature race on April 13, 2002 at Tennessee Motor Speedway. He would go on to dominate the rest of the season winning 9 more races and the 2002 AutoZone Chevette Points Championship. In 2003 the dominating team would once again, show their strength by winning 11 races, including a special 4th of July 25 lap event at GMRP. The 2003 season would end with an unbelievable 2 wins in one night. The night started out at Golden Mountain Raceway, Chevettes was first to feature, due to a special open wheel event. Stephen jumped out front with long time freind Ron Dodson running a close 2nd. He would go on to win his 9th feature win of the season at GMRP. The night ended so early, that Fields, Mull, and Dodson all decided to head to TMS to see if they could make the race. As they all pulled through the gates, heads turned, and racers moaned. They had made it in time to run the heats, but would have to start in the rear. Heat #2 had Stephen Fields and Ron Dodson on last row. As the race started, Fields powered his way to the front,putting the pressure on the #03 of Shawn Phillips. With one lap to go Stephen made his move on the inside, but came up a fender short at the line. In the feature, Fields, forced Phillips out front, using the front bumper of the 92 machine. Going down the back stretch on lap 1, Fields grabbed the lead and stayed there, to win his 11th feature race of the season, and the second one of the night!
Since that night in 2003, Stephen has driven part time for himself and other race teams. He started his own automotive shop in 2004, and continues to operate it to this day. Job and other life issues have steered Stephen away from his passion in recent years, but the fire still burns! He is planning a come back in 2008 / 2009 with a complete new organization. Keep checking back as Stephen digs for his "Ultimate Goal"!
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