With the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season less than a week away from concluding, Corey LaJoie is set to achieve a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship event at Phoenix Raceway, the driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will fulfill 200 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.
A native of Kannapolis, North Carolina, and the son of two-time Xfinity Series champion Randy LaJoie, Corey LaJoie made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September. By then, he had recorded five victories in the K&N Pro Series East and made two career starts in the Xfinity Series between Richard Petty Motorsports and Biagi-DenBeste Racing. Driving the No. 77 Ford Fusion for Randy Humphrey Racing, LaJoie started and finished 41st in his Cup debut. He then made his second Cup career start three weeks later at Charlotte Motor Speedway for RHR, where he finished 35th after starting 42nd.
Prior to the start of the 2017 Cup Series season, LaJoie joined forces with BK Racing on a part-time schedule. During the first of two Duel events at Daytona International Speedway in February, he rallied from being involved in a late multi-car wreck, where he wrecked Paul Menard and Reed Sorenson in the closing laps, to finish 16th and earn a transfer spot for the 59th running of the Daytona 500, where he finished 24th. He ended up competing in all but four of the 36-race schedule between the Nos. 23 and 83 Toyota Camry for BK Racing. His best on-track result throughout his schedule was an 11th-place run at Daytona in July.
For the 2018 Cup season, LaJoie piloted the No. 72 Chevrolet SS for TriStar Motorsports. Commencing the season with a 40th-place run during the 60th running of the Daytona 500 due to an engine failure and making a total of 23 starts, LaJoie’s season-best result was a 16th-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September.
In 2019, LaJoie joined Go Fas Racing to pilot the No. 32 Ford Mustang in the Cup Series on a full-time basis. After commencing the season with an 18th-place run during the 61st running of the Daytona 500 and recording three top-20 results through the first 17-scheduled events, LaJoie notched his first top-10 career result in the Cup circuit after finishing sixth at Daytona in July. He went on to post a seventh-place result at Talladega Superspeedway in October before settling in 29th place in the final standings and in his first full-time stint in NASCAR’s premier series.
Remaining at Go Fas Racing for the 2020 Cup season, LaJoie commenced the season on a harrowing note after being involved in a final lap accident during the 62nd running of the Daytona 500. Entering the tri-oval, LaJoie was battling for a spot in the top 10 when he rammed into the upside-down No. 6 Ford Mustang piloted by Ryan Newman driver’s side that sent Newman’s car airborne before landing back on his roof. Despite the impact that damaged the front nose and windshield of his No. 32 Ford, LaJoie, who managed to finish eighth, emerged uninjured. He went on to finish in the top 20 five times throughout the 36-race schedule before finishing in 30th place in the final standings. By then, LaJoie surpassed 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.
Following a two-year run with Go Fas Racing, LaJoie inked a multi-year deal to pilot the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Spire Motorsports, beginning in 2021. He finished ninth during the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 in his first event with Spire before posting five top-20 results during the next 23-scheduled events. At Michigan International Speedway in August, LaJoie missed the event following a positive COVID-19 test. From his return at Daytona in August through the season finale at Phoenix Raceway in November, he posted two additional results in the top 20 before finishing in 29th place in the final standings.
This season, LaJoie kicked off his second stint at Spire Motorsports with a 14th-place run during the 64th running of the Daytona 500. Two races later, he finished 15th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March before achieving his first top-five result in the Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway another two races later in the schedule. The top-five run for LaJoie occurred after he rallied from being involved in an early multi-car pileup, where he spun backwards through the frontstretch grass. He went on to record five additional top-20 results during the following 13 events.
Then when NASCAR returned to Atlanta in July, LaJoie led a career-high 19 of 260-scheduled laps as he was battling Chase Elliott for the win during a three-lap shootout to the finish. After losing the lead to Elliott with two laps remaining, LaJoie made a move to the outside of Elliott on the final lap when he was blocked and forced into the outside wall in Turn 1. The contact and scrape stalled LaJoie’s momentum as he then veered below the track before shooting back across the outside wall and wrecked along with Kurt Busch and Cole Custer. The incident knocked LaJoie to a 21st-place result in the final running order after being in position of winning his first NASCAR Cup event. Despite posting three additional top-20 results during the final seven regular-season events, LaJoie did not accumulate enough points to move out of the top-30 cutline in the standings nor qualify for the 2022 Cup Playoffs. Through nine of 10 Playoff events, he has achieved three top-15 results and is currently ranked in 31st place in the drivers’ standings.
Through 199 previous Cup starts, LaJoie, who will be returning to Spire Motorsports for the 2023 season, has achieved one top-five result, five top-10 results, 57 laps led and an average-finishing result of 26.9.
LaJoie is scheduled to make his 200th Cup Series career start in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship event at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, November 6, with the event’s coverage to start at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.
A significant milestone is in the making for Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 32 Go Fas Racing Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Cup Series Playoff race at Kansas Speedway, LaJoie will reach 150 starts across NASCAR’s top three major division series.
A native of Kannapolis, North Carolina, and the son of two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Randy LaJoie, Corey’s first appearance within NASCAR’s three major division series was the 2013 Xfinity Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. By then, he was a development competitor for Richard Petty Motorsports and he had won six career races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and three in the ARCA Racing Series. Driving the No. 9 Ford Mustang for RPM, LaJoie finished 34th in his debut after being involved in an early accident.
LaJoie’s racing schedule in 2014 expanded, as he made his first two starts in the NASCAR Truck Series with RBR Enterprises and five starts in the Xfinity Series with Biagi-DenBeste Racing. His best result in the Truck Series was 10th at Bristol Motor Speedway in August and his best result in the Xfinity Series was 16th at Kentucky Speedway in June. He also made his first two career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series with Randy Humphrey Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September and at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October.
Following a one-year absence from NASCAR, LaJoie returned in 2016 and competed in 10 Xfinity Series races with JGL Racing. His best results during his 10-race slate were a 10th-place result at Bristol in August and a sixth-place result at Dover International Speedway in October.
The following season, LaJoie joined forces with BK Racing as a part-time Cup Series competitor. During the first Can-Am Duel race at Daytona International Speedway in February, LaJoie rallied from being involved in a controversial wreck with Reed Sorenson, whom LaJoie wrecked in the closing laps, to finish 16th and earn a transfer spot in the Daytona 500 a few days later. LaJoie went on to finish 24th in his first Daytona 500 appearance.
Throughout the 2017 season, LaJoie competed in 32 of 36 Cup races while earning a best result of 11th place at Daytona in July and an average result of 30.2. He also competed in six Xfinity races with JGL Racing and earned a best result of 15th place (twice).
In 2018, LaJoie joined TriStar Motorsports as a part-time Cup competitor. He competed in 23 of 36 races with the team, earning a best result of 16th place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September and an average result of 31.5.
After TriStar Motorsports ceased operations following the 2018 season, LaJoie teamed up with Go Fas Racing to drive the No. 32 Ford Mustang for the 2019 Cup season. LaJoie started the season by finishing in 18th place in the Daytona 500. Through the first 10 races of the season, his highest result on the track was 11th place at Talladega Superspeedway in April. He went on to achieve his first pair of top-10 results in the Cup circuit at Daytona in July (sixth place) and at Talladega in October (seventh place). He concluded the season in 29th place in the final standings along with seven top-20 results and an average result of 25.9. Following the 2019 season, LaJoie surpassed 100 starts between NASCAR’s three major division series.
LaJoie remained with Go Fas Racing for the 2020 Cup season. He started this season on a harrowing note when he rammed into the upside down car of Ryan Newman on the driver’s side approaching the finish line. The impact demolished the front nose of LaJoie’s No. 32 RagingBull.com Ford Mustang, though he was able to finish in eighth place and emerge uninjured. He went on to finish in 16th place the following week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Through 32 of 36 races this season, LaJoie’s eighth-place result in the Daytona 500 marks his lone top-10 result, though he has achieved a total of six top-20 results. He is in 30th place in the standings and is coming off a 27th-place result in last weekend’s Cup race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.
LaJoie is set to become a free agent after announcing in August that he will not be remaining with Go Fas Racing for the 2021 season, though he has yet to announce next year’s racing plans.
Catch LaJoie’s milestone start at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, October 18, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
For Paulie Harraka, being back on track in the No. 44 ‘Buckle Up’ Toyota for TriStar Motorsports this past weekend was most exciting, especially after pulling off a 19th place finish in the Nationwide race at Dover International Speedway.
But that taste of success simply served to further whet the appetite of the Duke University and Drive for Diversity graduate, who is now working hard on his next opportunity to get back behind the wheel of a race car.
“It was a lot of fun,” Harraka said of his Nationwide TriStar Motorsports debut. “We had a really good car.”
“I was able to move up fairly quickly in the early going but I had an unfortunate incident on pit road with just a guy stalling out and making a mistake and miscommunicating with his spotter,” Harraka continued. “We became the victim. And that hurt us. It bent the splitter down a little bit and it obviously hurt the front fender so we lost front down force. We’d land so hard in the corner that it would bottom out the splitter. So, it made the car a little bit of a handful.”
“But I was able to move around and we made some adjustments and got the handling back,” Harraka said. “We were able to move back up and pass a lot of cars to get back in the top-20, which was our goal for the weekend.”
“All in all, a good day, especially for my first time in the 44 car and working with this race team. We really enjoyed working with each other and I think we built a good foundation to go and do more and run better next time around.”
Harraka was also very grateful to have the sponsorship from the Delaware Office of Highway Safety, focusing on seat belt education, a cause in which Harraka passionately believes.
“I’m really grateful to the Delaware Office of Highway Safety and their ‘Buckle Up’ program,” Harraka said. “We really did a unique marketing package with them. It’s a relationship that we had that we were able to put together.”
“It’s so important to make a habit of buckling up,” Harraka continued. “You should just do it every time you get in a car because you don’t get that second chance.”
Harraka was not the only one pleased with the sponsorship deal.
“The Office of Highway Safety is thrilled to have a new partner in traffic safety with Paulie Harraka and TriStar Motorsports,” Alison Kirk, community relations officer for OHS, said. “We had a great weekend with Paulie and the team to bring seat belt safety education and outreach to fans at the Monster Mile. We appreciated the support that they gave us to share the Buckle Up message in the racing community.”
In addition to his sponsor, Harraka was also pleased to join the TriStar Motorsports team, one that is deep in veteran talent with drivers Mike Bliss and Jeff Green.
“We felt like there was a great platform here for me as a driver having a race team that has a lot of their own equipment, a beautiful race shop, and teammates that I can really lean on like Mike Bliss and Jeff Green, champions with multiple wins,” Harraka said. “We were joking around and saying that Mike Bliss probably has more laps run at Dover than I have in my whole racing career. So, to have those guys to lean on, we have a great bunch with the 44 crew and it all came together well.”
In addition to his teammates, Harraka has yet another tool in his belt that he utilized this past weekend at the Monster Mile and at all the tracks where he races.
“Ted Musgrave (2005 Truck Series Champion) comes with me to all that races that we do,” Harraka said. “Ted is a coach and a mentor to me. He’s great because he’s seen almost every scenario there is to see. He’s been there, he’s driven it himself, and he has a tremendous amount of knowledge about the race car as well.”
“He’s really good at helping us when I need to be doing something differently or when we need to adjust the cars. He can watch what the other cars are doing in a way that is different because he has been in those situations so many times. He helps with information and helps us work through optimizing our race car.”
Harraka admitted that he learned quite a few lessons from his novice run with TriStar Motorsports and the No. 44 team at the Monster Mile, the track that he considers his ‘home track’ as a Wayne, New Jersey native.
“The first time you work with a new team and a new crew chief you have to figure how you fit into that and how I can best enhance the race team,” Harraka said. “So, when my crew chief Greg Connor and I sit down, we’ll run through everything that happened this weekend and what we can do better as a race team and how we can improve our communication.”
“They know a little bit better now what I look for in a race car. I know a little bit more about what to expect from them. Obviously, being in a Nationwide car, you learn who you can be around, who you can expect to give you room and who not. All in all, it was a good day.”
So, what are the plans for the future for Harraka and do those plans involved the No. 44 car and team?
“We are working on a few different things to have me in the 44 this year,” Harraka continued. “So, it’s a step by step process and certainly the run we had yesterday was helpful to that.”
“Without a doubt, I’m excited to be back in the car,” Harraka said. “Racing is a bug that bit me when I was seven years old.”
“You work your butt off to have opportunities to drive race cars and you are grateful when you have them. And then you work your butt of to have more,” Harraka continued. “I’m really excited about the prospect of working with this race team, being with them more, and being in this 44 car again.”
Harraka summed his feelings up about being back in the race car with great passion and enthusiasm.
“It’s great to be back in a race car,” Harraka said. “It’s great to be back working with a race team and spending time in the shop with the guys.”
“It’s fun to work again on the challenges of optimizing your race car,” Harraka said. “I’m in my element.”
Cole Whitt is getting the opportunity to jump into the No. 30 Toyota for Swan Racing, making his debut at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. And for this young, up and coming racer, he sees this as an opportunity that he is not just thankful for, but one that he has been waiting for all of his life.
“This is a big deal,” Whitt said after the announcement was made. “I’m grateful to Swan Racing to be able to go out there and show what I’m able to do in the next few races and maybe into 2014.”
Whitt will be replacing veteran David Stremme, who has driven every race for Swan Racing this season, with the exception of the Daytona 500.
“We welcome Cole Whitt to Swan Racing as the team builds for the future,” Brandon Davis, team owner, said. “Cole is a very talented driver with a bright future and we are eager to see him compete for Swan Racing.”
Whitt, who is just 22 years of age, credited his hard work in the Nationwide Series this year with having garnered this new opportunity to be in the Swan Racing ride. The driver, who competed for TriStar Motorsports, has two top-10 finishes to his credit, including an 8th place at Road American and an 8th place at Watkins Glenn.
Whitt admitted that this new opportunity came about very quickly, in fact just a few weeks ago when the series was in Atlanta.
“That was the first I heard about it and they wanted to move pretty quick,” Whitt said. “They wanted to make a change which I think says a lot about the team because they want to grow.”
“They want to become a top Cup team and be competitive,” Whitt continued. “And it says a lot about what they think of me if they want to grow their team with me.”
“It’s pretty cool to see a team step out and try to step up their program.”
Whitt has a five race deal with Swan Racing, including his debut at Chicagoland and also stints at Kansas, Charlotte, Talladega and Phoenix.
“I feel comfortable at Chicagoland and any of the big, fast tracks,” Whitt said. “I like the mile and a half tracks and the high banked tracks so that style fits what I enjoy racing on.”
“I’ve run there before in the Nationwide car and I don’t remember how we finished but I do remember being fast in practice,” Whitt continued. “So, I feel comfortable about where we’re going and I’m looking forward to it.”
Whitt acknowledged that he has his work cut out for him in more ways than one, from competing with the top dogs in the sport to getting adjusted to a whole new crew chief and team.
“It’s tough anytime to step into a ride like this where you’re going up against the best guys and the best teams in the sport,” Whitt said. “The hardest part is obviously going into a brand new team with guys I’ve never worked with and to try to establish that communication.”
“I’d say one of the toughest parts is that this team is still growing and I’m still growing as a driver,” Whitt continued. “But the fact that we can grow together and become really strong means everything to me.”
Whitt is definitely looking forward to working with his new crew chief Steven ‘Bones’ Lane. And he also takes comfort in the fact that Tony Eury Jr., with whom Whitt worked during his stint at JR Motorsports, is with Swan Racing as well.
‘Bones’ is there and I’ve heard a lot about him through Kevin Hamlin,” Whitt said. “He seems laid back, has a good attitude and really wants to go fast which is how I am.”
“I think we’ll get along good and hopefully we’ll be able to establish our lingo quick,” Whitt continued. “That’s the biggest thing is to talk about what you’re feeling about the car.”
“It’s easy to talk about loose or tight but the hardest part is to talk to the crew chief about how much of an adjustment needs to be made to get the car the way you want it,” Whitt said. “Hopefully, we can establish that pretty quick and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
“Tony Eury Jr. is there too and I’ve worked with him before so that will help.”
Whitt also understands that he is joining the team smack dab in the middle of the Chase for the Sprint cup championship run for these last remaining races of the season. And although not one of the Chase contenders, Whitt expressed his confidence and even a bit of swagger as he described how he would handle that pressure.
“If I got a car capable of running up there with those guys, then I feel we deserve a spot to be racing with them,” Whitt said. “I’m going to be running as hard as I can to try to go forward.”
“But if we’re not having a good day, then I don’t want to be in the way,” Whitt continued. “That’s part of anytime that you’re getting lapped because you always give the leaders the spot and try to help them out.”
“But if we’re up there legitimately racing for position, we’re going to take all we can get.”
Although still very young in his racing career, Whitt has a maturity beyond his years when he describes the lessons that he has already learned in the sport he loves.
“I think one of the biggest things I’ve learned in racing is not just the on-the-track stuff but I’ve grown up a lot in the past year and this season,” Whitt said. “And a big lesson learned is just to have fun and to remember why I got into racing in the first place.”
“All of us are very blessed to be involved in this sport,” Whitt continued. “Getting to do what we love to do for a living is a big blessing.”
“Obviously, I’m very competitive and I let that get ahold of me sometimes but at the same time I’ve learned to have fun and enjoy the moments that you get to have,” Whitt said. “Helping my new team step up is what excites me the most.”
“I just am thankful for the opportunity and hoping to make the most of it for these guys.”
On a rainy and humid Friday afternoon at Watkins Glen, I made my way from the Media Center and into the Nationwide garage to meet with NASCAR veteran Eric McClure. I’ve been told many positive stories about Eric from people who have met him and he immediately gave credence to the stories I had heard. He greeted me at the No. 14 hauler with big smile, offered me something to eat and invited me to come sit down with him.
Eric has a great personality and his love for God as well as his family quickly became apparent which are a couple attributes a lot of people sadly lack this day in age. He is extremely self-aware about the way he acts and tries to be very professional about the way he goes about things on and off the track which I thought was very commendable and something I’m sure sponsors love. We talked about the struggles of being an independent team in modern day NASCAR, the greatest moments of his career, that scary crash at Talladega, and why he folds his socks! He also reminisced about me some funny stories from the past and even talked about what he wants to be remembered for in the future. Enjoy!
Try to describe what it’s like to drive for one of the underdog teams and the challenges you guys face when competing against Roush, Penske and Gibbs on a weekly basis?
Well, it’s a challenge from a mental standpoint because as a driver, all of us are used to winning or being a top dog at a lower level. When you get to this level, you realize pretty quickly that you’re not going to beat them on an everyday basis no matter how good of a driver you are. I think that’s something as a professional, you have to understand and also, it can be a challenge because the average fan doesn’t understand that and some of the media doesn’t understand that. There are so many factors that go into winning and being a strong team and they’re quick to point the finger at a driver or whatever when in reality, (except for restrictor plate races) we’re competing for 20th so we measure our goals a little bit differently.
What would you consider to be TriStar’s strongest and weakest points?
Well, our strongest point is experience. I mean, I have teammates, Jeff Green (who) is a former champion and Mike Bliss. So from a driving standpoint, they’ve been able to help me and take me to a different level over the last couple of years to where I feel like I am a driver that can fit into our organization; that can maximize our equipment. I think we’ve proven that by Jeff being in my car a few times as well so I think the experience is something that works for us.
Our weakest point is a lack of resources. If you look at our team, we have four cars and one full time sponsor and they piece together some sponsors on one of the other cars. We show up to the race track and each car has the max it can afford to have but we miss the wind tunnel, we don’t have 7-post, (and) we have less personnel. We are down at a resource standpoint. If you look at our teams, we have two big name sponsors on our cars this week but that doesn’t mean that the resource level is the same. So that’s our weakest point…just a number of people and resources but our strongest point is that we do have good experience on the crew chief side and on the driver side.
You mentioned Mike Bliss there…how big of a benefit is it to have teammates while with most small teams; it’s just a one car operation? It must be a huge advantage to have somebody that you can bounce ideas and setups off of.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
It is, but only recently have we taken full advantage of that. We have our team meetings after practice. We have a four car team but it’s a challenge to get all four of us to work together sometimes. Having Bliss here is really good; he’s helped me a lot but I think Jeff Green, where he does the start and park, he’s also are R&D department. He tries some things.
He and I have a really close relationship off the track and that’s why I’ve leaned on him to drive my car when I’ve been out. Just leaning on those guys from a driving standpoint and from a setup standpoint has been huge. In the past, where maybe we’ve been lost one weekend, we put his setup under the car and started over and he did that a couple times for us at the end of last year where he used my setup. It’s really neat when you can have assets like that.
Do you believe that TriStar has the potential to one day be a top team, sort of like what we saw Michael Waltrip Racing do?
There’s always potential because NASCAR’s the most democratic sport in the world. Anybody that can meet that criteria has the opportunity to grow. You saw with Michael Waltrip, it wasn’t an overnight thing and TriStar has to operate in the mentality we do now for survival. It’s amazing we’re even able to run the three full time cars and the start and park. I certainly think we are overdoing it, we are overachieving right now.
If you were ever able to attract that full time sponsorship or drivers that have backing like I do, you can set your goals a little bit different. It’s not something that will happen overnight but I think TriStar needs to be commended for what they’ve done. You don’t see independent guys like Mark Smith survive in this sport anymore. I feel really blessed to be a part of this organization because of the commitment him and Kathy have and I think because of their dedication, they are a team that certainly can expand.
You had that vicious crash at Talladega last year but you persevered, you came back and that’s not something every driver can say. How did that scary crash affect you personally and professionally once you got back behind the wheel?
Photo Credit: Greg McWilliams/AP
Well personally, it was a challenge. It really had an effect on my wife and my little girls; the ones that were old enough to know what was happening. There was a soul searching period there when I had to decide….talking to her, talking to the team, talking to the sponsors and decide if I wanted to come back and do that. That was some adversity we never faced before. That was a tough time personally to get over what could have happened or to realize that people I cared about and cared about me were hurting. It wasn’t a big deal for me but to see the effect it had on them was a big challenge for me.
Professionally, once I came back to the car, you’re not afraid of anything. Other than having a limited number of cars, you know that’s about as hard as you can hit and you’re fine. It was several months before I woke up and knew I was fully healthy. Even coming back with a clean bill of health, I wasn’t 100% and that’s something I didn’t know until I woke up and was 100% one day. There was certainly some challenges but if you look at from the end of summer all the way through the end of that year, we were really fast. We were as fast as Bliss every week and had the opportunity to be top 10 or top 15 in speed and we had a couple of finishes there. The rest of the time, we were competing for top 20’s against really strong fields. That was an encouragement and that brought the fun back into the series and if you look at this year, we’ve been faster more times than not but we’ve had a lot more things go wrong. But certainly, from a professional standpoint and from a personal standpoint, I’ve been able to appreciate it a lot more and that’s made the experience a lot more enjoyable.
You’re 34 years old and have spent about a decade in NASCAR. Are you content with where you are right now or do you have aspirations to maybe one day, race in Cup full time?
Other than having to pay for five weddings…(laughs) You know, I love the Nationwide series. When I first came up, I got thrown to the wolves and I ran three Cup races, (and) a few Nationwide. When we were able to obtain our sponsorship with Hefty Brands and Reynolds Wrap; their competitors and their retail support was in the Nationwide series and that seemed like the logical step for them and for me. Over that time, you can see how much I struggled in a full time role. Where I’m at now, we’re very respectable on most weeks. I’ve sort of found a home here in the way Nationwide markets the series. It’s not much of a development series anymore as it is an independent series.
I’m able to make a living doing what I love and I’m home an extra day during the week. I’m able to be at church with my family on Sunday so to me, it’s the perfect scenario. As I’ve gotten older and had children and seen my priorities in life change a little bit; it’s not as prevalent in my life to go to the Cup series while some people might consider their career a failure if they don’t. I’ve achieved everything I’ve ever dreamed in life by doing this. I still have fun and I still compete and I’d love to win a race but it hasn’t happened yet. I don’t have a problem being here and I certainly anticipate retiring out of the Nationwide series.
What would you consider the highlight of your professional motorsports career so far…what has been your biggest moment?
Photo Credit: Associated Press
I’ve had two biggest moments. Before, it would always be my first cup race for Morgan McClure being at Talladega and with the success they had. Going down there, making the race and being in the lead pack all day was really special. Now that I’ve been in the series longer and I know how much effort, frustration, blood, sweat and tears have gone into my career and all the nights I sat up wondering if I made the right decisions. When we went to Daytona this year and we led the race, it was inside of 20 laps and we were fighting for a win. It didn’t work out, but for us to be in that position that I had never been in before and have some of the veterans of the sport; some Cup guys come up and shake my hand and tell me I did a really good job and want to work with me in that race…that was probably my proudest moment.
To me, you seem like a pretty calm guy, but when was the angriest you’ve ever gotten inside the race car?
I’ve had a couple episodes this year…I was really mad at Darlington when a rookie caused me to wreck because I was being too patient and trying to treat others the way people had treated me when I first started. I’ve probably been a little more vocal this year and bumped more people because I was mad but for me, I can’t help but think about who’s listening. My sponsor’s watching, God’s watching, my wife’s watching and I don’t want to disappoint anyone with my words or my actions. Sometimes, I’ve had to get over the perception that people can take advantage of me on the race track and off the race track because I’ve always tried to do the right thing.
This year, there’s been a little more attitude on my end and I’ve expressed frustration at a few more people this year than I would have in the past. Not necessarily going and looking for a fight but I’m not going to let people run over me. I’m going to stand my ground with other people and with my own race team if it comes time. With Stevie Reeves who is my spotter most of the time, he spots for Paul (Menard) in the Cup series and he beats into my head every week that I got to stand up for myself and take no crap from anybody. After three years, I’m finally learning how to do that.
What has been the strangest fan encounter you’ve ever had?
There’s this awesome bathroom in Texas. I always got to go out to the infield and use the bathroom there. In 2010, I go strolling through there and I got my Hefty polo shirt on and I see some people with some Hefty shirts that look like they were homemade. I know Hefty always sends guests to Texas because there’s a manufacturing plant nearby. I look at those people and I’m like, I like your shirt and they’re like hey, I like your shirt. I asked, you guys with the sponsor, you from the local plant? They said no, we’re just really big Eric McClure fans and I’m like, awesome! I didn’t know I had fans! That guy looks at me and he goes, are you Eric? I’m like, really! You’ve never seen me without my helmet on?!
So those are probably my biggest fans. I play games with people at my appearances. I might stand beside my cardboard cut-out and see if people notice me. I like to have fun with people and I’ve been asked to sign some weird things but that was just a bizarre moment because those people were my biggest fans and they had no idea what I looked like. We have them out to the race every year; we have a ball with them. They’re just good people. I always like to meet people that turn out to be fans because you know, you got to be a die-hard to be my fan because we only have three chances a year to win a race and it’s cool when we get people that are loyal like that.
What is something interesting about you that most fans don’t know?
I fold my socks. I have five children. I talk a lot. I’m like Kenny Wallace without the popularity or the grossness. (laughs) When people get to know me, I don’t shut up and I fold my socks over my feet.
Why do you do that? (laughs)
Well, it’s mental now. I’ve done it since I was nine. When I was little, the only way I could fit into a dress shoe was to make my socks bigger because my foot was narrow. Now I can’t function if it’s not folded properly; especially before a race so I’m a weird guy like that. God made me good looking, I can’t ask for anything else! (laughs) We love Disney. I got five little girls who are Disney fanatics but definitely, I talk a lot.
I can tell.
Thanks.
(laughs)
This is a pretty deep question actually. If you could choose what people would remember you for, whether it be what you did or words you spoke; what would it be?
I would want people to remember me as being someone their kids can look at and not be ashamed of. As a father of five kids, we’re really protective of what we have them around. There’s a lot of things that can affect someone’s life negatively. I just want people to know that they don’t have to think I was a great driver; they can think I was a good guy or whatever but I want them to be able to think that I did things the right way and that I always represented our people professionally. I could retire and hold my head up knowing that people weren’t ashamed to watch me and let their kids be influenced by what I did.
Photo Credit: Emily Brandt
After doing this interview, I gained some new-found respect for Eric McClure and I already respected him a great deal beforehand so that’s saying a lot. He answered all my questions thoughtfully and gave great insight. If you are new to NASCAR and looking for someone to call your favorite driver, it would be wise of you to consider this great guy. Eric’s persevered through some tough times but from every bad day he’s been forced to endure to every good one he’s been able to enjoy, one thing remains constant and that’s his desire to be the best man he can be on and off the race track.
He’s a family man with a passion for driving race cars and his only care is that people aren’t disappointed in the way he carries himself and that he can be somebody that kids can look up to. Eric McClure exemplifies the kind of person we should all aspire to be. I want to thank Emily Brandt for scheduling this interview and also thank Eric for taking time out of your day to talk with me. Keep doing what you’re doing and although I am a member of the media and I’m supposed to be unbiased, I can honestly say that you’ve gained a fan in me.
The future young guns of NASCAR, Kyle Larson, Chad Hackenbracht and Matt Tifft, all have one thing in common. The trio is getting their chance to achieve their NASCAR dreams.
Just a short time ago, about a year in fact, Kyle Larson stepped into a stock car to race for the first time. Now, the 20 year old up and comer has scored a full-time Nationwide Series ride through a partnership between Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and Turner Scott Motorsports.
Larson’s quick rise in the NASCAR ranks came after winning the K&N Pro Series East title. Then, in just four races in the Camping World Truck Series, the youngster finished top-ten three times and was runner up at the Phoenix race.
Larson will be paired with crew chief Trent Owens, who posted the following message on Facebook, “Very excited about the announcement that I’ll be the crew chief for Kyle Larson in Nationwide at Turner Scott Motorsports this year!! Also back to the number 32 that has a special place with me. Hoping this season will be a great one. So pumped!!”
Although quite not so effusive, Chip Ganassi, a champion owner in his own right, is looking forward to the continuing development of his newest young talent.
“We feel that he’s certainly capable of it,” Ganassi said. “I don’t think we’re rushing him along or anything like that.”
“Like I said, he’s shown great ability in anything he’s driven so far.”
Larson, on the other hand, knows that with the spotlight and the opportunity comes quite a bit of pressure.
“I know I have a lot of pressure on me,” Larson said. “I try not to pay attention to it at all.”
“Every week, I just try to go out and do the best I can,” Larson continued. “I try to finish in the top 10 in each race an log as many laps as I can.”
“Each lap is just going to help me develop as a driver,” Larson said. “I’m going to need that since I’m really young and hopefully will be in a sport a long time.”
“I will just try to develop as much as I can this year and do better in the future.”
Joining Kyle Larson in the Nationwide Series will be another young gun with a very interesting last name. TriStar Motorsports announced that Chad Hackenbracht will join the team for at least five Nationwide races.
Hackenbracht has raced most recently in the ARCA Series for his family’s team, scoring one trip to victory lane, two poles, five top-five finishes and 12 top-ten finishes. He completed the ARCA season top five in the championship point standings.
“I’m excited for the opportunity,” Hackenbracht said. “I have not run any NASCAR events and I’m excited to make my debut in the Nationwide Series with an established team.”
“My expectations are to finish every race I run this year, qualify in the top-20 and pull off top-15 finishes,” Hackenbracht continued. “The Nationwide Series is going to be very competitive this year but I’m ready for the challenge.”
Hackenbracht’s team owner is also excited with his new addition and with being a part of the youngster’s development in the sport.
“We are really looking forward to having Chad join our team,” Mark Smith said. “He has already shown that he has a lot of talent behind the wheel of a stock car.”
“We are excited to help him develop his skills and give him his first opportunity to race in NASCAR,” Smith continued. “He will have some veteran guidance, which should help him as he takes the next step in his racing career.”
The youngest up and comer of the bunch is Matt Tifft, who at just sixteen years of age will be moving up this season from the ARCA Midwest Tour to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Tifft will be racing full-time in that Series, which has catapulted other drivers such as Martin Truex Jr. to the highest level of the sport.
Tifft will partner with Shane Tesch, a NASCAR veteran, to compete for the Rookie of the Year honors behind the wheel of the No. 89 Chevrolet Impala.
“In the last couple months we have been working on this deal,” Tifft said. “The K&N Series is the next thing we wanted to do so when it came together with Win-Tron, it was a really good fit.”
Tifft started racing young as his father owned a dirt late model and raced in Michigan. In 2007, when he was eleven years old, Tifft jumped into a go kart and fell in love with racing in his own right.
“I always watched NASCAR, but I was hooked at that point,” Tifft said.
Since then, Tifft has run in several karting series, as well as late model racing, before racing on the ARCA Midwest Tour. The teen scored Rookie of the Year honors in that series in his first ever points series season and finished fifth in points.
“It’s the right time to move up to the K&N Series,” Tifft said. “It’s better to get more experience in the bigger, heavier cars in a NASCAR series.”
And just who might some of Tifft’s heroes be in the racing world? One of them is a driver that is joining him in the move up in his NASCAR career.
“I’ve watched drivers like Kyle Larson and watching him go through and get the experience in the K&N Series is what helped attract me,” Tifft said.
“It’s a really cool deal to build up that experience.”
Tifft, like Larson and Hackenbracht, is all about learning, growing and just fine-tuning skills behind the wheel. He summed it up best for himself and his fellow racing compatriots who will be racing at the next level this season.
“I know I have a lot of learning to do,” Tifft said simply. “But I’m up to the challenge.”
[media-credit name=”Photo Credit: halmartinracing.com” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Hal Martin has lived his entire racing life following the motto of his beloved hometown football team, the New Orleans Saints. So for this driver, known as the ‘Ragin Cajun’, there will only be one acceptable outcome to his Nationwide Series debut in Kansas this weekend, to ‘Finish Strong.’
Martin will be taking the wheel of a TriStar Motorsports Toyota Camry for the first time this weekend at Kansas Speedway and then will complete in three races for the remainder of this year. Martin intends to run a full season next year and to compete for the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Rookie of the Years honors.
“I’m very excited to be here in Kansas,” Martin said. “It’s been a lot of work getting here.”
“But finally, this is the weekend for my debut so all the hard work has paid off,” Martin continued. “This is what I’ve been working for all my life since I was a kid playing with cars in my back yard.”
“And now I’m competing against these drivers in the Nationwide Series, which is a huge step for me,” Martin said. “And I’m really looking forward to it.”
Martin has had an interesting racing journey, bringing him to his first Nationwide run. And, at the age of 26 years, it has been an unusual road to the say least.
“I don’t come from a racing family,” Martin said. “My dad was a fan of the sport but he never drove a race car.”
“I’ve always been a competitive person from the time when I was a kid growing up,” Martin continued. “I was the one who wanted to finish first, even it was just a race on the play ground. I’ve always been that competitive.”
“And I’ve always been a hard core race fan since I was five years old,” Martin said. “I used to be able to name every driver in the Cup Series, their car number and their sponsor right down the line.”
“It’s something I really followed as a kid as a fan and I grew that into a career,” Martin continued. “That’s something I tell everyone – that I know what it’s like to be a fan on the other side of the fence and I appreciate every single fan we have because I was once one of them.”
Even Martin’s first race experience, at age 15 years, was far different than the norm. While it was a competitive race, it was a charity event for which Martin had to meet with local businesses to raise money for the charity in order to even enter the competition.
“We finished fourth and I’ll never forget the first time I suited up and put that helmet on,” Martin said. “The feeling I had was indescribable.”
“That’s something I’ve carried on and that I still remember.”
From that memorable moment of his first time behind the wheel, Martin was hooked and went on to compete in multiple series after that. And he even took on racing and college at the same time to further his goals.
“I won a lot of races and the championship,” Martin said. “I progressed from there and moved on to asphalt late models and won a track championship in Mobile.”
“While I was doing that, I was also attending college full-time at the University of New Orleans and obtained a degree in mechanical engineering,” Martin continued. “It was a tough road to do both simultaneously but we were able to do it with great support from family and friends helping me out through the whole deal.”
“In 2009, I stepped up and raced multiple series across the country, including ASA, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Series,” Martin said. “I finished third in my second race in the ARCA Series in Chicagoland and that’s what propelled my career forward tenfold.”
“And now we’re doing the Nationwide deal, three races this year and looks like we will anticipate a full season next year, with the goal of winning the Rookie of the Year.”
While Martin is excited about the new opportunities, he has also set realistic goals for himself, his crew chief John Quinn, with whom he worked in the ARCA Series, and his TriStar Motorsports team.
“We’re building for next year is basically what we are doing,” Martin said. “We are building that relationship with our team and my crew chief John Quinn.”
“I worked with him last year in the ARCA Series for a few races and we had really good chemistry right off the bat,” Martin continued. “We have been reunited at TriStar Motorsports and we’ve been moving forward ever since.”
“Us racers want to win every race but the competition is fierce in this Series and this is a new team and my first time in the car,” Martin said. “I’ve always been known as a calculated driver, which I credit to my engineering degree.”
“So, I’m realistic with our goals and starting out this year, our goal is to finish every lap we can,” Martin continued. “That would be a win in our books.”
“We’re not going to overstep and I want to earn the respect of the drivers who race in the Nationwide Series.”
Martin also expressed gratitude for his sponsors, American Custom Yachts and US Forensics, both of whom are helping make his step up to the Nationwide Series possible.
“I hail from South Louisiana and am a Cajun born and bred,” Martin said. “And I’m proud of my heritage and where I come from and we have a lot of support from there.”
“This year, we have as a sponsor American Custom Yachts, which is a full construction and repair company with ties to Louisiana,” Martin continued. “They’re our primary sponsor for the three races this year and also into next year for select races.”
“We also have US Forensics, a forensic engineering company, which is the company that gave me my first job out of college,” Martin said. “They’ve come on board as my sponsor for this year and next.”
Martin also acknowledged that in his Nationwide debut that he will be following the lead of one of his racing idols, one with a very similar last name.
“I’ve always really looked up to Mark Martin,” Martin said. “We had common last names and he was to me a driver that was well-respected, competitive and family-oriented.”
“Mark Martin was the guy I pulled for growing up and the one I want to be most like.”
But most of all, Hal Martin will be following the credo that he has lived by for all of his life as he settles in behind the wheel for the first time in a Nationwide car in the Kansas Lottery 300.
“One of the things that I’ve always followed, which I stole from my New Orleans Saints foot ball team is their motto when they won the Super Bowl, ‘Finish Strong’,” Martin said. “That’s the motto I follow too, especially in racing.”
“You can start out strong but you have to finish strong too,” Martin said passionately. “That’s what I intend to do.”
