Digging Deep With Denise: Visiting With Glen Reen

“Digging Deep With Denise” is a semi-regular question and answer feature with local racers and racing personalities produced by RaceDayCT’s Denise DuPont

Race And Have Fun: Glen Reen Open Modified Driver

Glen Reen began racing Quarter Midgets at the age of five and has raced anything with wheels on it since then. Previously he ran at Stafford Speedway full-time in the SK Modified division for car owner Dan Avery. Reen has spent the last two years away from Stafford. For 2023 Avery convinced Reen to return to racing and run Open Modified events for his Horsepower Hill racing team.

Why do you race?

“It is the most fun thing to do in the world.” 

What are your goals for 2023?

“Just to have fun.”

If you could change anything with Modified Racing, what would you change?

“That it is tough. I definitely would bring back Teddy [Christopher] and [Mike] Stefanik. They were a lot of fun to race with.”

If you were not a driver, what would you want to do?

“If I was not racing I would probably want to be a musician. Someone on stage with a guitar. Or a fighter pilot. One of the two.” 

If you had your choice to compete in any race division what would it be?

“A Modified, a Tour Modified.” 

What is your long term goal?

“It changes as you get older but obviously everybody’s goal is to make it to the top. My goal is to have fun. Once the fun stops you have to get out. … There is not much I would change. Racing right now is where you sit on the end of your seat every time you see or hear a Modified roll out.” 

What track(s) do you prefer to run?

“Out of all the tracks in the world that I would want to race at, it is Bristol [Motor Speedway]. It is ridiculously fun to race there. A close second would be Watkins Glen [International].”

What does media not cover in racing that you think that they should be covering?

“That is another tough question. It is tough to cover people while they are at their shop. But a lot of people do not see what is done behind the scene. The long hours working on the car. The long hours driving from here to there to get a part so that a car will be ready to race tomorrow.”