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Tag: Super Late Model

  • Getting To Know Racer Sarah Cornett-Ching

    Getting To Know Racer Sarah Cornett-Ching

    Sarah Cornett-Ching is one of the most determined and focused racecar drivers from Canada. In fact, she has been racing from a young age and it’s all because of her father, who got her interested.

    “My dad had raced since I was one-year-old so it was something that was always in my life,” Cornett-Ching said. “I started helping at the shop around 10-years-old and finally convinced my mom at 12-years-old.”

    Some racecar drivers have people who they look up to or admire. However, that wasn’t the case for her, it was all about family.

    “I really can’t say I was ever inspired by anyone or anything,” Cornett-Ching explained. “I just really loved the time it allowed me to spend with my dad and I’ve always been very competitive so it was a great outlet for that.”

    When you’re a driver, you’re always on the go and busy most of the time. For Cornett-Ching, it’s quite hectic on race day.

    “My mind actually changes on race day,” she said. “Anyone will tell you I get totally zoned out and forget my phone, and everything. I probably need a babysitter on race day, but I am at the shop every day and it’s rare that I’m not thinking or preparing for something to do with an upcoming race.”

    During a racer’s career, there are some setbacks that a driver faces. In this case, it, unfortunately, happened to her last year during an ARCA race at Kentucky. On Lap 23, she made heavy contact with an inside SAFER barrier on the backstretch. Her car was completely destroyed. She was also facing other issues, such as a concussion. The wreck ended her 2016 season but not by choice and she faced a long road ahead to recovery.

    “Stepping out of a car at first really wasn’t a choice I got to make,” Cornett-Ching said.  “I was very out of it for a few weeks, so mostly I was just in bed. After I started to feel good enough to get back to the shop it was extremely difficult to be out of the car. I wanted so badly to drive but even just using an impact to take lug nuts off a car would make me feel extremely sick, and I would have to rest for hours afterwards.”

    When Cornett-Ching got back in the car after her recovery from a concussion, it was a weird feeling.

    “The first time I got back into the car was really strange,” she emphasized. “I struggled with my perception of where the wall was in relation to me in the car and it actually took me quite awhile to feel comfortable and get back to up speed in the car. Thankfully, I have very few lingering symptoms at this point and none that hinder my racing.”

    This doesn’t even give her any fears while racing. In fact, she says you have to be on point during a race.

    “I don’t have any fears when I get into a car,” Cornett-Ching said. “I think if you do have fears you shouldn’t be out there. You need your mind 100 percent focused on what you’re doing.”

    There is an exclusive group of racecar drivers from Canada. Patrick Carpentier, Stewart Friesen, Mario Gosselin, Alex Guenette, Cameron Hayley, D.J. Kennington, Gary Klutt, Alex Tagliani, Ron Fellows, Jacques Villeneuve and Paul Tracy, to name a few. In Sarah’s mind, she hasn’t looked more into that.

    “I have never really thought of it that way,” Cornett-Ching exclaimed. ” I just do what I can and race as hard as I can. It has never crossed my mind that people think of me when they think of famous Canadian drivers. That is very cool. I hope I can continue to be in that group for years to come.”

    As her career continues, she learns in every race and is passionate about her fans.

    “I feel like I’m learning and growing still with every race,” Cornett-Ching said. “It’s rare that I’ll run a race and not learn something. I have a great feel for consistency and I absorb information really well. I like all aspects of racing from building the cars to testing new ideas and meeting with fans.”

    “The actual race is definitely the rush but it’s actually the time I get to relax and forget everything else and just focus on my job,” she continued. “I love my fans, I love meeting them, talking to them, creating relationships with them and most of all seeing them enjoying themselves at the race track. The whole point is for them to enjoy a show. I want to be the person that they look forward to seeing and talking to.”

    With young drivers on the move to NASCAR recently, Cornett-Ching plans to keep it step-by-step.

    “Right now my focus is on Super Late Model racing,” she emphasized. “I am not in a hurry to move up or jump too fast back into NASCAR if it takes 10 years or 20. I want to be the most successful female race car driver in history. If I can accomplish that there is no telling what opportunities will arise from there.”

    You can follow Sarah Cornett-Ching on her Twitter page @scornettching.

     

  • Three Gillilands for the Price of One Ticket

    Three Gillilands for the Price of One Ticket

    Family has always been an integral part of the NASCAR tradition. Its history can be traced through generations of fathers and sons.

    Richard Petty competed against his father, Lee, in NASCAR’s premier series between 1958 and 1964 and out-raced him five times. He holds the distinction of being the first son to win at the Cup level in a race in which his father also ran. The race was Richard’s first win on February 28, 1960 at Southern States Fairgrounds in Charlotte, North Carolina. Richard’s son, Kyle, captured his first win at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway on February 23, 1986; his father finished 20th in the race.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway in April 2000 while his father finished seventh. Bobby and Davey Allison also raced against each other as did Buck and Buddy Baker.

    It is rare, however, to see three generations competing against each other at any level of stock car racing. For NASCAR Sprint Cup driver David Gilliland, an intriguing idea blossomed into a unique opportunity to race against both his father and son.

    The idea began taking shape when Gilliland learned that Irwindale Speedway, a half-mile oval in California, re-opened last year after being closed in 2012.

    “When Irwindale shut down, I was bummed that Todd would never be able to race there,” Gilliland said in a Front Row Motorsports press release. “I think Irwindale Speedway was a key part of my learning to race and, to me, it’s one of the nicest, if not the nicest, racetracks I’ve ever raced on.”

    When the track reopened, he was determined to find a way for his son to race there. The plan began to evolve when Gilliland decided he would take advantage of an off weekend in July on the Cup schedule and make it a father and son event.

    “So, I went to work and tried to drum up some cars for Todd and I to race against each other. “Then,” he continued, “I thought it’d be really cool to have three generations of Gillilands out there racing. So, we got a car for my dad to drive, too, and talked him into coming out and racing.”

    Racing has always been a family business. David grew up watching his father, Butch, race on dirt tracks in the Southern California area and was never far from his side. He worked on his father’s cars and was his crew chief when Butch won the 1997 K&N West Series championship.

    It was only natural that David would follow in his father’s footsteps and it’s not surprising that David’s son, 14-year-old Todd, has continued the family tradition. This year is Todd’s first full-time season of stock car racing and he has already captured his first late-model pole and win at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, North Carolina in May.

    The three generations will come together to race at Irwindale Speedway on July 19 in a 75-lap Super Late Model Series feature event that has been named Family Night at the Races, in honor of the Gillilands. For tickets and more information, please visit www.IrwindaleSpeedway.com.

    David can’t wait to get on the track and participate in what will certainly be a treasured family moment that will be passed down to future generations.

    “It’s going to be the first time that I’m racing against Todd and obviously the first time that he’ll be racing against his grandpa,” David explained. “We’re really excited about it. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime for us to have three generations racing against each other. It’s something that not a lot of people get to do and I’m pretty proud to be able to do it.”

    But don’t forget, this is a family of racers and the ultimate goal is to win.

    “When we get there, we’re all going to be on the same team,” David stated. “But, my son wants to beat us both pretty bad. Hopefully we can all finish the race and just have a lot of fun doing it. And hopefully one of us will end up in Victory Lane.”