Crédit photo : Don Simpson
I recently traveled to meet up with Chris Raabe and his girlfriend, Emelie Sauve, to learn more about this 26-year-racer.
Chris who grew up in the small town of Napanee, Ontario, was born a natural racer and his statistics speak for themselves -- 231 Kart wins, 148 open wheel modified wins and countless championships. Yet this reserved driver and mechanical engineer has really just started his career if you look at the statistics.
The drive for winning began 18 years ago at the age of 8 when Mike Raabe, Chris’ dad, put aside his racing ambitions to help his son fulfill his dreams. Starting out with used equipment and consumer motors, Chris began racing karts at the local tracks of Can Am Motorsport Park and Brighton Speedway. Early on in the1999 race season, he picked his first win in Karting at Can Am Speedway, and the drive for winning began.
As the win’s continued to climb, Mike decided to move Chris up to the more competitive series in the world karting association. Armed with a new TEO pro chassis and new motors, Chris continued to rake up the wins. Shortly thereafter, Mike Raabe, a resourceful person, began to build their own race motors. As Chris explained, “it was more in the hopes of saving money, but in the end, we were really stronger, had more reliable motors compared to off the shelf ones.”
With this move up to the WKA series, Chris would have to travel quite a bit more to compete in the series. Chris recalls racing at the CA AM Speedway, once done, they would pack up and then travel all night to race the next day in the WKA Series races and then make their way home, just to do it all over again the following weekend. For the next six years, Chris maintained this heavy schedule all along, honing his skills. During the winter months, Chris competed in the indoor Kart race series through out New York and Pennsylvania, winning four U.S. national indoor titles along with three indoor track championships.
In total, Chris won twelve track championships, 4 U S National indoors Tiles and1 WKA Northeast Championship in karting, traveling countless miles. During these years, Chris and Mike became good friends with Garry McColman whose son competed on the kart circuit as well. This friendship would become an instrumental part to Chris’s progression into open wheel Modifieds.
Photo credit : Don Simpson
Late in 2005, Garry McColman suggested to Mike and Chris that it was time for Chris to move up into a full-size modified racecar. Garry explained to both that Chris had done everything he could do in kart racing and it was time for Chris to move up, and that he along with the Raabes could acquire a used Bicknell Sportsman car that Garry knew about. So the decision was made and the car was acquired. Weeks later, Chris, 14 at the time, won his first Sportsman Race at the Brockville Speedway, setting up the next phase in Chris’s race career.
Over the winter of 2006, Bobby Hearn of Teo Pro Chassis offered a deal to Mike and Chris on a new race chassis to campaign for the upcoming 2006 season. Mike along with Garry purchased the car. That year, Chris became the youngest track champion in DirtCar history at the age of 15 winning seven Sportsman races along with the track championship at the Brockville Speedway.
For the next four years, Chris campaigned the Sportsman modified, winning two Mr.Dirt Sportsman series championships, three Mr DirtCar Northern Sportsman Modified series championships. He also became the youngest DirtCar series champion in history at the age of 17. During those four years, Chris won seven track championships and a total of 92 Sportsman Modified wins. The teams proudest moment was winning the 2008 Mr.Dirtcar Series Championship. Quite an achievement for this small town race team.
Photo credit : Don Simpson
The progression into the 358 modifieds came at Super Dirt Week in 2010. Chris was set to race his 01 Sportsman car that week, when the opportunity to race in the 358-class came from car owner Perry Francis, Chris jumped at the offer, and won his first ever 358 race in the “Futures Race,” qualifying him in the 17th position for the “salute the troops 150.” Chris would also qualify his own Sportsman in the 9th starting position for the Sportsman Feature. Chris finished 29th in his first Super Dirt Week 358 race due to a blown motor. And would finish 27th in the Sunny Canton 30 for Sportsman’s as they just needed to collect the show up points. It wasn’t the results they were hoping for but the transitions to the 358 class was made setting the stage for 2011.
Photo credit : Don Simpson
The 2011 season saw a seamless transition to the 358 class. Chris would continue his winning ways, picking up six feature wins and the track championship at the Mohawk International Speedway. Chris also had the chance to compete in a limited number of races in the highly totted NASCA Canadian Tire series for Scott Streckly Racing.
For 2012, the team progressed up to the big block class while maintaining a presence in the 358s. With 11 big block modified wins which included a Super DirtCar series win, Chris was crowned track champion at Can-Am Speedway, but he also managed five 358 Modified wins between Cornwall and Mohawk Speedways that season.
For the next several years, the O1 Team continued to rack up the wins, capturing two more track championships, one at the RPM Speedway in 2013 and one at the Cornwall Speedway in 2016. The team was also crowned “Dorman Cup” Champion in 2014 and once again in 2016 at the Cornwall Speedway.
It was the capturing of the 2016 358 MR DirtCar series championship along with the Mr DirtCar central region 358 championship that Chris is very proud of, “for all those years of hard work, just me and my dad”and in the last few years Emelie, Chris’ girlfriend. “We have worked so hard which has paid off this year “with the Crowing of the Mr DirtCar championship, shared with his old friend and sponsor, Garry McColman.
Photo credit : Don Simpson
The 2017 season has started off well for Chris and the 01 team, is burning up the track at the Airborne Park Speedway with three wins in the last four races, pushing his total wins ever closer to the magic 150 mark. If achieved this year, the total wins would coincide with Canada’s 150th anniversary. That would be a memorable moment, and knowing Chris, he will give it his best shot to achieve it. The team plains to race weekly at Airborne Park Speedway along with races at Cornwall and Mohawk Speedway., with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Photo credit : Don Simpson
Late in 2005, Garry McColman suggested to Mike and Chris that it was time for Chris to move up into a full-size modified racecar. Garry explained to both that Chris had done everything he could do in kart racing and it was time for Chris to move up, and that he along with the Raabes could acquire a used Bicknell Sportsman car that Garry knew about. So the decision was made and the car was acquired. Weeks later, Chris, 14 at the time, won his first Sportsman Race at the Brockville Speedway, setting up the next phase in Chris’s race career.
Over the winter of 2006, Bobby Hearn of Teo Pro Chassis offered a deal to Mike and Chris on a new race chassis to campaign for the upcoming 2006 season. Mike along with Garry purchased the car. That year, Chris became the youngest track champion in DirtCar history at the age of 15 winning seven Sportsman races along with the track championship at the Brockville Speedway.
For the next four years, Chris campaigned the Sportsman modified, winning two Mr.Dirt Sportsman series championships, three Mr DirtCar Northern Sportsman Modified series championships. He also became the youngest DirtCar series champion in history at the age of 17. During those four years, Chris won seven track championships and a total of 92 Sportsman Modified wins. The teams proudest moment was winning the 2008 Mr.Dirtcar Series Championship. Quite an achievement for this small town race team.
Photo credit : Don Simpson
The progression into the 358 modifieds came at Super Dirt Week in 2010. Chris was set to race his 01 Sportsman car that week, when the opportunity to race in the 358-class came from car owner Perry Francis, Chris jumped at the offer, and won his first ever 358 race in the “Futures Race,” qualifying him in the 17th position for the “salute the troops 150.” Chris would also qualify his own Sportsman in the 9th starting position for the Sportsman Feature. Chris finished 29th in his first Super Dirt Week 358 race due to a blown motor. And would finish 27th in the Sunny Canton 30 for Sportsman’s as they just needed to collect the show up points. It wasn’t the results they were hoping for but the transitions to the 358 class was made setting the stage for 2011.
Photo credit : Don Simpson
The 2011 season saw a seamless transition to the 358 class. Chris would continue his winning ways, picking up six feature wins and the track championship at the Mohawk International Speedway. Chris also had the chance to compete in a limited number of races in the highly totted NASCA Canadian Tire series for Scott Streckly Racing.
For 2012, the team progressed up to the big block class while maintaining a presence in the 358s. With 11 big block modified wins which included a Super DirtCar series win, Chris was crowned track champion at Can-Am Speedway, but he also managed five 358 Modified wins between Cornwall and Mohawk Speedways that season.
For the next several years, the O1 Team continued to rack up the wins, capturing two more track championships, one at the RPM Speedway in 2013 and one at the Cornwall Speedway in 2016. The team was also crowned “Dorman Cup” Champion in 2014 and once again in 2016 at the Cornwall Speedway.
It was the capturing of the 2016 358 MR DirtCar series championship along with the Mr DirtCar central region 358 championship that Chris is very proud of, “for all those years of hard work, just me and my dad”and in the last few years Emelie, Chris’ girlfriend. “We have worked so hard which has paid off this year “with the Crowing of the Mr DirtCar championship, shared with his old friend and sponsor, Garry McColman.
Photo credit : Don Simpson
The 2017 season has started off well for Chris and the 01 team, is burning up the track at the Airborne Park Speedway with three wins in the last four races, pushing his total wins ever closer to the magic 150 mark. If achieved this year, the total wins would coincide with Canada’s 150th anniversary. That would be a memorable moment, and knowing Chris, he will give it his best shot to achieve it. The team plains to race weekly at Airborne Park Speedway along with races at Cornwall and Mohawk Speedway., with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.