Oval Racing
Pure Stock
After countless hours on my simulator at home, I made my first start on real dirt in late 2022. I raced full time the following year, earning my first win and the Rookie of the Year honors at Barona Speedway. Since then, I have added four more wins and captured 10 top fives in 15 starts on a part time basis.
The car is a 1976 Chevrolet Nova with a 350 SBC set up for Barona Speedway's rulebook. It weighs 3,500 lb, produces just under 300 horsepower, and uses a Muncie four-speed manual transmission. Most of my starts have come at Barona Speedway, with additional starts at Imperial Valley Raceway and Perris Auto Speedway.
Dirt racing has taught me a great deal about both motorsports and hands-on vehicle development. Making setup changes and feeling the effects first hand behind the wheel introduced me to the fundementals of vehicle dynamics, and repairing damage after incidents or mechanical failures made me very familiar with turning wrenches. More importantly, it taught me the worth of quality and perseverance. Taking the cheaper or easier route to "get the job done" more often than not resulted in a broken racecar. Learning from these mistakes and understanding what it takes to field a competitive entry was a long and sometimes painful process, but through it I gained a deep appreciation for the importance of quality workmanship and persistence.
Crown Victoria
Wanting to continue racing while in school, I founded a small grassroots race team with a group of friends centered around a 2001 Ford Crown Victoria oval race car. We purchased the car in December of 2025 and have since started four races with multiple drivers on dirt and asphalt ovals.
Our team handles every aspect of the car ourselves, from transportation and track preparation to repairs, setup changes, and of course, driving. Over the past year, we have completed extensive hands-on work including front and rear bearing replacement, brake system rebuilds, body repair and fabrication, engine bay reorganization, sanding and repainting, and much more. Managing the car has given me practical experience troubleshooting mechanical issues, preparing a vehicle for competition, and making improvements under the time and resource constraints of grassroots racing.