Dale Shearer Bio
Dale J. Shearer (born August 26, 1959) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 98 Toyota Camry for his own team, Shearer Speed Racing. A late-blooming racer from the Midwest, Shearer built his career as an independent owner-driver, balancing a full-time career in technology with selective starts across ARCA’s national and East divisions.
Early Life and Background
Dale J. Shearer was born on August 26, 1959, in Chillicothe, Missouri. He grew up around short-track racing without initially taking the wheel himself. His introduction to the sport came through his father, who worked as a pit steward at Kline’s Speedway, a regional oval near the family home. Watching the weekly action at the track sparked a lasting interest in stock car competition.
Despite that early exposure, Shearer did not enter his first race until he was 21 years old. Like many grassroots racers of his era, he began by converting street cars into race cars and competing at various dirt tracks. Those humble beginnings on local ovals laid the foundation for a career he would later pursue in the ARCA ranks, decades after most drivers make their national-series debuts.
Path to NASCAR
Shearer’s route to national-level stock car racing did not pass through the traditional NASCAR ladder system. Instead, he moved into the ARCA Re/Max Series, the long-established developmental tour closely affiliated with NASCAR, and made his debut in 2008 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. He competed on a part-time, self-funded basis for several seasons, building track knowledge and mechanical experience without factory support.
Over time, Shearer shifted his focus toward the ARCA Menards Series East, a regional companion series that races on a mix of short tracks and intermediate speedways. He committed to running full East schedules and selected national-series events, eventually rebranding his operation as Shearer Speed Racing. While he has not pursued a full-time NASCAR national-series ride, his long tenure in ARCA keeps him connected to the broader NASCAR ecosystem.
Dale Shearer Career
Early Career (2008–2013)
Shearer made his ARCA Re/Max Series debut in 2008, driving his self-owned No. 73 Ford at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, where handling issues left him with a 28th-place finish. He added two more starts that season at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds and Salem Speedway, then returned the following year with a best result of 27th at Berlin Raceway. After sitting out 2010, he ran select events in 2011 and 2012, earning a career-best 17th-place finish at Winchester Speedway during the 2012 campaign.
Throughout these early seasons, Shearer worked largely as a one-man team, preparing his own cars and managing logistics around his day job. The learning curve was steep, but the experience gained on a wide range of track types, from dirt-style fairgrounds ovals to paved short tracks, prepared him for a more structured run in later years.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2014–2022)
In 2014, Shearer ran five ARCA races, with his season ending in a multi-car incident at Kansas Speedway that also involved Galen Hassler and Tom Berte. From 2015 through 2018, he continued running a majority of his events with his own team, gradually increasing his comfort level at intermediate speedways. In 2019, he collaborated with Kimmel Racing, driving the No. 69 Ford at Madison International Speedway, where clutch issues left him 18th, and added starts at Elko Speedway and Springfield.
Shearer then stepped away from ARCA competition from 2020 to 2022, focusing on his career as a computer programmer for Madison County, Illinois. The break allowed him to reorganize his team and return in 2023 with a refreshed program under the Shearer Speed Racing banner.
ARCA Menards Series East Breakthrough (2023–2024)
Shearer announced in 2023 that he would return to ARCA with his own team, now called Shearer Speed Racing, fielding the No. 98 Toyota in select national events while committing to the full ARCA Menards Series East schedule. Longtime sponsor Josh’s Eggs adorned the car for the entire East campaign. He opened the year with 14th-place finishes at Five Flags Speedway and Dover Motor Speedway before earning his first career top-ten result, a tenth at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
Mechanical trouble punctuated much of the rest of the 2023 season, including a transmission failure at Iowa Speedway and handling issues at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. He soldiered through late-race problems at the Milwaukee Mile and Bristol Motor Speedway to secure a sixth-place finish in the final East Series standings, his strongest result to that point. In 2024, he confirmed a return to the full East schedule plus the national-series races at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, with his best national finish recorded as 32nd in the points.
Shearer Speed Racing Era (2023–Present)
The rebranding to Shearer Speed Racing marked a new chapter, with Shearer taking on a stronger team-manager role in addition to his driving duties. Running the No. 98 Toyota Camry, he has prioritized the East Series, where the shorter schedules and varied track types suit his independent operation. His career totals in the ARCA Menards Series stand at zero wins, zero top tens, and zero poles, while in the ARCA Menards Series East he has recorded zero wins, one top ten, and zero poles.
Driving Style and Strengths
Shearer is best known for his consistency and his willingness to log laps at tracks few modern drivers visit, including the historic fairgrounds ovals of the Midwest. He is a hands-on owner-driver who understands the mechanical side of the car, which helps him communicate effectively with crew members on setup changes. His results have been strongest on short tracks and intermediate speedways, where race craft and patience pay off more than raw outright speed.
Notable Races and Milestones
His first career top-ten finish in any ARCA-sanctioned series came at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in 2023, a result he has cited as a turning point for the program. He has also made starts at marquee venues such as Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Kansas Speedway, and Bristol Motor Speedway, giving his small team big-track exposure. Reaching the ARCA Menards Series East championship top ten in 2023 stands as one of the defining achievements of his late-blooming career.
Dale Shearer Career Wins
Across his time in ARCA competition, Dale Shearer has not recorded a victory in the ARCA Menards Series or the ARCA Menards Series East. His focus has been on consistent finishes and completing race distances, particularly since relaunching his effort as Shearer Speed Racing. As an owner-driver, he prioritizes the long-term growth of his program over short-term results.
ARCA Menards Series East Highlights
Shearer’s most competitive stretch has come in the ARCA Menards Series East, where he finished sixth in the 2023 final points standings. His only verified top-ten finish in the East Series came at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in 2023. He has committed to running full East schedules, giving him one of the longest active tenures in the regional series.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the ARCA national and East divisions, Shearer’s documented results are limited to local dirt-track competition, where he raced converted street cars in his early years. No regional championships or touring-series titles are recorded in his verified history.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCA Menards Series | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Dale Shearer Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Shearer’s connection to racing traces back to his father, who served as a pit steward at Kline’s Speedway during Dale’s youth. That role gave the family a regular presence at the track and helped spark Dale’s interest in competition. The Shearer operation remains a family-run effort under the Shearer Speed Racing banner.
Personal Life
Dale Shearer resides in Alhambra, Illinois, where he works as a computer programmer for the Madison County, Illinois, government. He and his wife, Dianna, have two children and four grandchildren. He balances his professional career with selective ARCA racing schedules.
2025 Season Performance
Dale Shearer’s 2025 ARCA plans have not been publicly confirmed in available sources, leaving the specific race calendar for the season open. His most recent documented activity includes a 2024 campaign split between the ARCA Menards Series East, where he has built his strongest results, and selected national-series events at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. With Shearer Speed Racing now established as a self-funded Toyota program, the team is positioned to continue East Series competition as logistics allow.
Given his track record of completing races and improving his finishing positions year over year, the outlook for 2025 centers on adding to his top-ten tally in the East Series and gaining more experience on the national side. Mechanical reliability has been the main hurdle in past seasons, so improvements in that area could translate into stronger championship points. Whether he returns for a full schedule or a partial slate, Shearer’s presence in the ARCA garage underscores the depth of grassroots stock car racing in the Midwest.