Post by dalejrfan on Jan 26, 2006 23:57:11 GMT -5
Local dirt track racer McGuire heads South, takes aim at ‘ultimate goal'
Dirt track racer Josh McGuire has achieved enough on the regional level.
He's ready to showcase his skills on a bigger stage. That's why McGuire will be heading to Florida a week from Friday.
“Anybody who races professionally basically will be down there racing,” he said. “All the heavy hitters. It's a pretty big deal if you can run well with them.”
McGuire, 25, will be racing in Tampa at the East Bay Raceway next week and then in Daytona the following week for Speed Week.
“This is going to be a great opportunity for the team to get recognized and take that next step,” he said. “It's always a stepping stone. The ultimate goal would be to race NASCAR.”
While that dream may be a lofty one, McGuire think he's go what it takes.
His dirt track resume is a good one regionally with three points championships in the Bomber division, two track records and 11 victories in four years. His car is familiar around Portsmouth where he won two of his points championships. The other points title came at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Grayson.
“We're known a little bit regionally within Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia,” McGuire said. “We've got to spread that out more than the East Coast.”
This will be McGuire's first chance to race in Florida because of previous commitments to school and work.
“It was so expensive,” he said. “This year we have a sponsor coming through who will go down more like a car owner.”
Nitro Jacks by Hall Brothers out of Grayson will be a sponsor for McGuire, who is a 1999 graduate of Boyd County High School. He also is a University of Kentucky graduate with a business management degree.
“That's my just-in-case, fallback plan,” he said. “What I want to do is race. It's what I always wanted to do.”
McGuire said he has a video of his kindergarten graduation where he's telling friends and family that he wants to be a race car driver.
“It's the only thing I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember,” he said.
McGuire's uncle, Wayne, raced dirt track cars in the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, Josh never saw his uncle race cars.
“I've heard a lot of stories,” he said. “He quit racing in 1967. Growing up, our family would always gather at my mamaw's house. We would eat dinner and then watch the NASCAR race.”
Josh McGuire said racing is just in his blood.
“We've done pretty well but haven't broken out on that national scene,” he said. “Hopefully, we'll get known nationally. One thing that might separate us is drive and desire. I'm very determined this is what I'm going to do, what I want to do and what I have to do to get this job done.”
McGuire keeps up with all the racing trends. He's a huge fan of “Roush Racing: Driver X” on the Discovery Channel. That show takes drivers behind the scenes of NASCAR racing legend Jack Roush.
“I might be the biggest fan of that show ever,” he said.
McGuire, whose wife Tracy is also his marketing director, is completely behind her husband. They've even put family plans on hold until Josh can get a foothold in racing.
McGuire even left a job at Cingular to focus fulltime on his racing career.
“Racing and a real work job didn't mix well together,” he said. “I was able to quit my job and concentrate on the race cars. It's a big step for me and my wife to do that. There's a lot of sacrifices.”
Other sponsors for McGuire are Don Salley Inc., Austin Bryant, Summit RV, WLGC and DJ's Kitchen Corner.
Dirt track racer Josh McGuire has achieved enough on the regional level.
He's ready to showcase his skills on a bigger stage. That's why McGuire will be heading to Florida a week from Friday.
“Anybody who races professionally basically will be down there racing,” he said. “All the heavy hitters. It's a pretty big deal if you can run well with them.”
McGuire, 25, will be racing in Tampa at the East Bay Raceway next week and then in Daytona the following week for Speed Week.
“This is going to be a great opportunity for the team to get recognized and take that next step,” he said. “It's always a stepping stone. The ultimate goal would be to race NASCAR.”
While that dream may be a lofty one, McGuire think he's go what it takes.
His dirt track resume is a good one regionally with three points championships in the Bomber division, two track records and 11 victories in four years. His car is familiar around Portsmouth where he won two of his points championships. The other points title came at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Grayson.
“We're known a little bit regionally within Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia,” McGuire said. “We've got to spread that out more than the East Coast.”
This will be McGuire's first chance to race in Florida because of previous commitments to school and work.
“It was so expensive,” he said. “This year we have a sponsor coming through who will go down more like a car owner.”
Nitro Jacks by Hall Brothers out of Grayson will be a sponsor for McGuire, who is a 1999 graduate of Boyd County High School. He also is a University of Kentucky graduate with a business management degree.
“That's my just-in-case, fallback plan,” he said. “What I want to do is race. It's what I always wanted to do.”
McGuire said he has a video of his kindergarten graduation where he's telling friends and family that he wants to be a race car driver.
“It's the only thing I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember,” he said.
McGuire's uncle, Wayne, raced dirt track cars in the 1950s and 1960s. Of course, Josh never saw his uncle race cars.
“I've heard a lot of stories,” he said. “He quit racing in 1967. Growing up, our family would always gather at my mamaw's house. We would eat dinner and then watch the NASCAR race.”
Josh McGuire said racing is just in his blood.
“We've done pretty well but haven't broken out on that national scene,” he said. “Hopefully, we'll get known nationally. One thing that might separate us is drive and desire. I'm very determined this is what I'm going to do, what I want to do and what I have to do to get this job done.”
McGuire keeps up with all the racing trends. He's a huge fan of “Roush Racing: Driver X” on the Discovery Channel. That show takes drivers behind the scenes of NASCAR racing legend Jack Roush.
“I might be the biggest fan of that show ever,” he said.
McGuire, whose wife Tracy is also his marketing director, is completely behind her husband. They've even put family plans on hold until Josh can get a foothold in racing.
McGuire even left a job at Cingular to focus fulltime on his racing career.
“Racing and a real work job didn't mix well together,” he said. “I was able to quit my job and concentrate on the race cars. It's a big step for me and my wife to do that. There's a lot of sacrifices.”
Other sponsors for McGuire are Don Salley Inc., Austin Bryant, Summit RV, WLGC and DJ's Kitchen Corner.