Media Contact: Megan Dupuy – woodhullracewaypr@gmail.com
For Immediate Release – April 27th, 2017 – SWL Awards photo -
(Woodhull, NY) – Think back to how you got into racing and you will probably remember yourself as a small child getting in the car and coming out to the races. A lot of us start out being race fans at a young age.
We continue to then keep going to the races, bring our children and the cycle keeps going. For many small local dirt tracks much like ‘New York’s Toughest Bullring,’ racing is passed down through generations. This week’s father/son duo shares a car and works with one another to share the love of the sport.
For Ron Dailey Jr., Woodhull Raceway has been his home track since he was 16 years old. He built his first car at 14 and has been hooked ever since.
Dailey Jr., 40, said, “I’ve raced in every class but the modified class.” The mini stock class is the least expensive class, which is what drew Dailey Jr. to come back to this class. He has three kids, one who is racing now in the Warriors (Ronnie) and another who is soon to be racing in the upcoming weeks.
“I don’t really care about where I finish in points as long as he has fun,” Dailey Jr. said pointing to his son Ronnie.
Ronnie Dailey, 15, had not had any prior race experience until two weeks ago. Of course, he had helped his dad on the car but to be behind the wheel and be on the track was a mystery for him. The only struggle Dailey had was the shifting, which with a second place his first week, he is off to a good start.
Last year Dailey Jr. missed winning the Mini Stock track championship by two points. There is not much different for Dailey Jr. this season, other than he owns the car this year.
“It looks the same as last year, but it’s not the same,” Dailey Jr. said as he mentioned the improvements he made to the No. 76 machine.
However, the improved No. 76 will be going to a different Dailey, Dylan, later this season. Dylan will be racing that car once he gets healed from an offseason injury. As for Dailey Jr. and son Ronnie, they will have a brand new car to share soon.
Sharing a car isn’t the easiest task but for the Dailey’s it’s not that bad. One hard thing about sharing the car is getting it ready in between races. Some races go by slow with many cautions while others finish in the blink of an eye, so it’s a hustle for the Dailey’s to get the car race ready for both classes on Saturday nights.
What’s it like sharing a car? Do you guys like different car set-ups?
“I can adapt to just about any car. So I’ll do whatever it takes to make him go.” Dailey Jr. said referring to his son.
Ideally, Dailey Jr. likes to make his car loose on entry and tight on the exit. That has been the best car set up he has found to get around Woodhull Raceway. But the young driver Ronnie is the man in charge when it comes to deciding the set up, because dad works around what is best for him. For Dailey Jr. it isn’t so much about himself winning- it’s about helping Ronnie find Victory Lane in 2017.
What is it like watching your son race? Is it hard or easy?
“No, I felt like I was going to puke,” Dailey Jr. said. Being a racer himself, Dailey Jr. knows the dangers of racing.
“The more he does it the less nervous I’ll be.” Dailey Jr. said.
Dailey Jr. is excited to see what his boys can do in the racecars since he’s had many thrills. This could be the last year for Dailey Jr. as he may step out and let his kids take over. But for that, we’ll just have to wait and see.