When Harrington’s Andrew McLaughlin was 2 years old, he remembers the weekly trips to Hermon’s Speedway 95 to watch his father, Dave, race.
Twenty-two years later, Andrew climbed into his first race car at Speedway 95.
Andrew’s grandfather, Gary McLaughlin, used to race at the old Cherryfield Raceway.
Auto racing is full of racing families and has been passed on through generations like hunting and fishing.
“My grandfather got it started in our family,” explained Andrew McLaughlin. “Some families like to go camping together. Some families do other things. We go racing. There is a bonding. It’s one of those things…once it gets in your blood [you get hooked]. And everybody [in the family] wants to be a part of it. We all do it together.”
McLaughlin remembers his family making special weekends out of their journeys to Bangor to watch his father race.
“There were times when they used to race on Saturdays and Sundays. We’d come to Bangor and get hotel rooms. We’d go out to eat at the Ground Round and, on Sunday mornings before we’d head over to Speedway 95, we’d go to BlackBeard’s and drive go-karts,” he said.
“Where we live, there’s not a lot to do. So it’s nice to get out of town,” Dave McLaughlin added.
“It’s something we enjoy doing together as a family,” said Jeff Kimball of Cornville, whose daughter Shelby and son Matt not only race at Speedway 95, but run against each other in the Strictly Street class.
Jeff Kimball’s brother, Tony, used to race in the 1990s and he said he has had other relatives involved in racing.
“When you do it with your family, it’s more fun,” Matt Kimball said.
“It’s what our weekends are all about,” Shelby Kimball added. “Everybody gets together. It’s an adrenaline rush. There is never a dull moment.”
The competition fuels the drivers, their families and friends.
“Once you get hooked, you can’t get away from it,” said Dave McLaughlin, who is his son’s crew chief. “Watching my son race is just as exciting as it was when I was racing. I didn’t think it would be that way.”
Week-long preparation
One of the aspects of auto racing that sets it apart from other activities like camping is that it isn’t just a weekend experience.
Family members and friends work on their race cars throughout the week in preparation for the upcoming race.
“You’re always thinking about it,” said Rowland Robinson Sr. of Steuben, who used to race before handing the steering wheel over to his son, Rowland Robinson Jr.
“From the day you leave the race, you’re wondering what you could have done to make the car better. You’re always writing notes and keeping track of everything,” explained Robinson Sr.
Debbie Robinson, wife of Rowland Sr. and mother of Rowland Jr. said it’s not just the driver who is involved.
“Everybody in the family has their part to do. You always want to do better,” she said.
Debbie’s father, Jerry Rumery, used to race at Speedway 95.
Debbie Robinson also knows what it’s like to be behind the wheel of a race car.
“One year I had a back operation so Debbie drove the car. She was doing real good until she got involved in a big wreck in our Enduro car,” said Rowland Sr., who eventually returned to race the car.
“Once you get involved in racing, you just want to keep doing it,” said Debbie Robinson.
Family ties
The sport of racing has evolved by keeping the same families involved in the sport, which has occurred at Speedway 95 over the last 25 years, according to Hermon’s Scott Modery.
He has been racing at Speedway 95 for 22 years and has a 19-year-old son, Ryan, who has followed in his footsteps.
Scott Modery recalled the late Red Baker, one of the owners of Speedway 95, telling him “once you get involved in racing, I want to keep you involved. You don’t have to be a race car driver.”
Racing isn’t cheap, but families find ways to support their sport.
A new Late Model race car can cost upwards of $40,000, along with the cost of fuel, tires and transporting the car to the track.
But entry-level racers can also get a car for $200-$300.
“It’s expensive but it’s worth it,” said Wayne Parritt of Steuben, a Late Model driver at Speedway 95. “Besides, if you drive to the lake you’ll spend what it would cost to race. The biggest expense is buying the car.”
Modery pointed out that one way to defray the cost is by attracting sponsors and putting their names or company logos on the race car.
“You can get sponsors for racing. But if you want to go snowmobiling, you aren’t going to go to a company and ask them for money so you can go snowmobiling,” said Modery.
Rowland Robinson Jr.’s immersion into racing occurred when he was 15.
“My dad bought me a car at an auction, a Monte Carlo. He told me I could drive it to school or turn it into a race car,” said Rowland Jr., who chose the race car option.
“It’s too bad. The car was in mint condition,” quipped Rowland Jr.
Sibling rivalry
The sport can also lead to competition between family members such as brothers Wayne and Brenton Parritt, who race against each other in the Late Model division.
Wayne and Brenton have developed a rivalry and have had their share of arguments.
“But we’ll also laugh about [things that happened],” said Wayne.
“We were racing for a win in a heat race one time and Brenton spun me sideways. Then Ryan Deane hit me in the side,” said Wayne. “But I let it slide…. three thousand dollars later.
“He offered to help pay for it and to fix it with me,” noted Wayne.
“We’re more competitive than most families,” said Brenton Parritt. “He wants to beat me just as much as I want to beat him.”
Brenton Parritt said he “doesn’t mind” racing his brother.
“We try to stay out of each other’s way when we’re racing,” said Brenton Parritt. “We do the best we can.”
Bub Parritt, who got them interested in the sport because he was a racer, admitted that his two sons don’t always get along when racing is involved
The Kimballs enjoy racing each other and if one doesn’t win, they hope their sibling does.
“Racing against your brother makes it more fun,” said Shelby. “It steps up the competition a little bit.
“I think we get along better at the race track than we do at home,” chuckled Shelby.
“I love racing with my brother,” said Skowhegan High School sophomore Jayson Bosworth of Cornville, who is in the Sport-4 division along with older brother Brad. “And our family is in the pits cheering us on.”
Racing also has its share of lighthearted moments when families are involved.
Shelby Kimball remembered letting her father drive her race car around the track to help dry it out after it had rained.
“All of a sudden, I looked out and I couldn’t find my car. My dad had driven it over the bank. My grandfather was there and said I was so concerned about my car, I never asked how my dad was,” joked Shelby.