They say that there are certain pipelines in the racing world that will lead an individual to the higher ranks. Dirt Midgets may get you a shot on asphalt, which starts the road to NASCAR, a handful of drivers have come from California to Ohio to get a shot at racing with a series like the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars or High Limit Racing. What if I told you there was a new pipeline that led two cousins to working on two of the most recognizable sprint cars today?

That’s the case for Camron Burley and Kinzer Dussel. 

Forty-plus years ago, George Dussel Racing was formed in northwest Ohio, George being Cameron and Kinzer’s Grandpa. Fast-forward a little bit, to the late 2010’s, and George’s son, Nate, was driving the family-owned #1 410 Sprint Car, with the rest of the Dussel family as the crew, Camron and Kinzer included. After a few years of hitting local shows at Fremont Speedway, Attica Raceway Park, and a year running the FAST Series, Camron and Kinzer now find themselves out on the road. Camron is entering his second year with Clauson-Marshall Racing, following the High Limit Racing Series with driver “Sunshine” Tyler Courtney, and Kinzer is in the beginning stages of his first full year out on the road with Stenhouse Jr.- Marshall Racing, following the World of Outlaws trail with driver, and fellow Ohioan Sheldon Haudenschild. Coincidentally, both cars' main sponsor is NOS Energy Drink. 

It’s a pipeline filled with love for the sport, and a desire to compete and win at the highest level. Now, for Burley and Dussel, they get to share these experiences, much like they have the last ten or so years. 

“It started going up into the grandstands to watch, and I fell in love with the sport,” Burley started. “I didn’t get involved with the car stuff until I was about 12 or 13 years old. From there, I did whatever Nate, Craig, or Mike wanted me to do. Cleaning, maybe changing a tire once in a while. It was five or six years of doing that. I wanted to stretch my legs a little and venture out a little bit. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

“It’s been a long journey, but I just got started, still,” stated Dussel. Kinzer didn't go full-time with sprint car racing after high school. Dussel went to college to be an electrician. Those plans didn’t pan out, and as luck would have it, the timing couldn’t have been any better. Right before Ohio Speedweek in 2023, Dussel started working for Skylar Gee.

“That was fun, it was a good time, and I got to get my name out there again. The year before [2022] I got to work with Swindell Speedlab during the bigger shows. Right before Knoxville [2023], Brett Lane hit me up, saying he needed a full-time crew guy if myself or anyone I knew would be interested. I figured if I wanted to get my name out there, I should probably be on a touring series,” added Dussel.

These steps led Burley and Dussel to their national teams they work for now. 

Burley talked to Jake Argo, crew chief of the Clauson-Marshall 7BC car one night in 2022 at Fremont Speedway, which led to an invite to the World Finals in Charlotte. After Charlotte, Burley was hired full-time for the upcoming 2023 season, and would tackle the All Star trail with Courtney and the 7BC team. 

“It was awesome, it was way different than the local level. Being around Nate in the garage, he set the tone and that helped me out so much making the transition. It’s been awesome so far,” Burley said about going from the local level to the national level. 

“I told Brett when I was hired that I want to get to the Outlaws as soon as possible,” said Dussel. “I knew Luke Vaughn, who is the car chief now. He and I got pretty close when we were with the All Stars. He recommended me, and it went from there,” Dussel said about getting hired at SJM Racing.

No matter the level of racing, there are always things to be learned. Passion and commitment are two things Burley touched on. Developing the passion for the sport while working at the local level, and turning that passion into commitment as the 80+ race season grinds away on the national level.

“It’s a grind out here. You race 85 times a year and you’re home maybe 30 days in a six month stretch. It’s definitely a grind, and you have to be committed. It’s not an ordinary day job, but I’d rather be doing this than sitting in some office,” said Burley. 

“Spend your money wisely,” joked Dussel about the thing he’s learned out on the road so far in 2024. “Being on the road, you have to be prepared for everything. I’ve been staying in contact with my family back home, too.”

If you were ever around the Dussel family at the track, you’d find out quickly how tight-knit they are, and how they can be positive even in the face of adversity.

Dussel recalls an unfortunate night during the 2022 Ohio Speedweek race at Wayne County Speedway, where a broken front axle destroyed the car during qualifying. For most local teams, that would have been enough to throw in the towel for the remainder of Speedweek, but the team hunkered down, worked into the wee hours of the morning, and got the car ready for the next night’s race.

“No matter how bad it gets, you still try and not give up. We thought we were done after that. But, we drove back home from Wayne County, ripped the car apart, got a new one ready, and kept on trucking.”

“It was always a good time. Even if we were running bad, there was never a bad time at the racetrack,” Burley added. “Everybody had good attitudes, and that taught me to stay positive, even when you aren't running good. It’ll definitely weigh on you through the season if you let one bad night turn into four bad nights. And always fight for what you want– keyword fight,” chuckled Burley.

Even though these two cousins are following two different series, it gives them some peace knowing that they are out on the road together, experiencing everything Sprint Car Racing has to offer, and they can relate to one another.

“Camron was the one who was trying to talk me into going [out on the road] because he wanted me out there; we were side-by-side for so many years. He ended up talking me into it, especially after the college thing. He was jacked when I told him I was going to do this full-time.”

Burley added: “Last year Kinzer didn’t have it as good as me. But seeing him move up to one of the best teams in the country, it's so cool to see him succeed. He works as hard as I do. Growing up in the little town of Bradner, it's pretty cool to see what this has grown into so far. It’s been fun seeing him at the racetrack. It’s nice to have a brother on the road, for sure.

As the 2024 season is in its beginning stages, both Burley and Dussel have found themselves in victory lane, scoring back-to-back wins with the World of Outlaws at Volusia in February. For competitors, winning with the World of Outlaws is like reaching the pinnacle of the sport, a pinnacle both Dussel and Burley have reached.

“If you would’ve told me seven years ago that I’d be working on one of the best cars in the country, I’d tell you that you were crazy. It is a dream come true, really. Playing with diecasts when I was little, and making it to this point now is wild to me. It’s really hard to put into a short amount of words,” Burley said.

“I didn’t even have an All Star win before this year,” said Dussel. I saw how jacked up Cam was that first night… and it just means so much. I’ve been doing this my whole life and the Outlaws have been top-tier for so long. No one knew that was my first Outlaw win until they asked me.”

“That was your first one?” asked Cody Jacobs, crew chief of the Big Game Motorsports #2 car. “You’re never going to forget it, ever.”

As mentioned before, just a couple of years ago, both Burley and Dussel were hitting the local tracks with the family team, but now find themselves traversing the country with the best of the best. They offered up some advice to anyone who may be in the same situation, wanted to hop on the road and make sprint car racing their career.

“Always have a good attitude. I feel like that takes you way farther than your knowledge of racing. Being open to learning, and keeping your mouth shut, honestly,” Burley said with a laugh. “Just listening is the biggest thing for me. I learned it at a young age and it’s tallied on here. If you want something, go get it. Having a good attitude and having a smile on your face takes you everywhere.

“I would just say go for it,” Dussel said about giving advice to guys or gals who have similar aspirations. “This is a world where if you know people, you can get places. If they know that you’re busting your ass every week at a local show, and you start talking to some of these teams and put your name out there, you can do it.

Both cousins expressed that they would like to become crew-chiefs some day, as they gain more experience out on the road. They both want to keep challenging themselves to be better than they were the day before.

“I want to be the guy who never quit, was hard-working, and busting his ass. That’s one thing that means a lot to me, I always take pride in my work,” concluded Dussel.

“Living in the moment,” is something Burley mentioned as a goal. You only get to do this once in your life, just enjoying the moments. I want to realize that I’ve enjoyed these moments. I want to treat every win as if it’s your last win. I want to make the most of the opportunity,” ended Burley.