SPOTLIGHT ON: Barrett Off To Fast Start
Contending for Stafford track title & NASCAR Div. III crown
Daytona Beach, FL — With almost no experience in a full-sized race car, Tommy Barrett Jr. is chasing a pair of NASCAR championships in his first season.
The 15-year-old from Millis, Mass., competes in the SK Light Modified Division at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway, where he is second in points. He also entered this past weekend leading the NASCAR asphalt Div. III standings.
Barrett is the youngest feature winner at the historic Connecticut half-mile. He was 15 years, 6 monthes when he recorded his first win June 4, breaking the record set three weeks earlier in the same division by Joey Cipriano III of Waterbury, Conn.
Following this past Friday night’s events at Stafford, Barrett was riding on the crest of momentum with nine wins, including seven wins in his last eight starts. He has 13 top fives and 13 top 10s in 18 races
That momentum has helped make up the point deficit he faced. He was 32 points behind track point leader and fellow rookie Matt Galko entering Friday’s events. He led the asphalt NASCAR Finalist Division IV standings by 41 points over Christopher Lambert of All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., and Galko, 16, of Meriden, Conn.
This is the first year NASCAR allowed for Learner’s Permit License for drivers 14 and 15 to compete in select divisions at NASCAR Whelen All-American Series tracks. Stafford set the age limit to 15 for its SK Light Division.
Barrett missed the first race of the season April 24, turning 15 five days later. He finished 21st in his debut the day after his birthday.
“The car overheated and we spun out in our own water,” Barrett said.
“It probably took five races, until we got our first win, that I started getting comfortable and confident in the car,” Barrett said. “I didn’t know what to expect when we started out this year, but I didn’t expect the success we’ve had. It’s pretty exciting.”
His late-season hot streak has helped him make up a lot of ground in the point races. He closed the gap from about 90 points to 32 behind leader Galko in recent weeks.
Barrett’s performance, however, has him atop NASCAR asphalt Div. III standings by 51 over Galko and Christopher Lambert of All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif.
A NASCAR-licensed driver’s best 14 finishes are counted toward their final NASCAR Finalist Program points total for the year. The NASCAR point season ends Sunday, Sept. 19.
The new NASCAR Finalist national recognition program focuses on the divisions outside of the Feature Division at each NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track. Points are kept separately for dirt and asphalt tracks. A NASCAR-licensed driver’s best 14 finishes are counted toward their final points total for the year. The NASCAR point season ends Sunday, Sept. 19.
Each track in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series designates its top division as its Feature Division, and assigns its remaining divisions a designation of II, III, IV or V. The Finalist Program was established this season to recognize the drivers in those latter divisions.
Stafford Motor Speedway’s points season concludes with the “Final Friday Night Shootout” for SK Modifieds, Late Models, SK Lights, Limited Late Models, and DARE Stocks on Sept. 17.
Beyond his natural talent, there are some underlying factors to the youngster’s success. His dad, Tommy Barrett Sr., has been around racing for 30 years with Bobby Santos II, father of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour point leader Bobby Santos III. Santos III has raced and won in a variety of car types under a number of sanctions. Barrett Sr. has absorbed a lot of knowledge. Barrett has other expert help from his race car’s previous owner, Keith Rocco, the 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion.
Despite having the complete recipe for success, young Barrett still had to learn to drive the car and then learn to compete in it, all on race days. His first feature race at Stafford on April 10 was a humble beginning.
In addition to a busy two final point race weekends at Stafford, Barrett also began his sophomore year of high school at Catholic Memorial High School in West Roxbury, Mass. Racing’s off-season will also bring the NHL hockey season and Barrett will be pulling for the Boston Bruins,
He says he, Galko and Cipriano have friendly relationships off track, and that he also looks up to champions Rocco and Ted Christopher. Christopher is the 2001 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion and 2008 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion.
Eyeing his idols, Barrett hopes the next step in his career will be to the SK Modified Division, and while plans are not yet in place, he hopes that will come as soon as next year.
Although he is only 15, Barrett is a 10-year racing veteran. He started racing Quarter Midgets at age five, then raced Allison Legacy Series cars for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. His younger brother, Billy, 12, is now competing in the Legacy cars.
Barrett’s parents, Tom Sr. and Kerri, operate Thomas J. Barrett Trucking, and sponsor their son’s SK Light car through their Victory Lane Bar and Grill. His car is also sponsored by R.A.D. Auto Machine, the team’s engine builder.
Barrett Sr. is the car owner and crew chief. The crew includes Randy Leeman, Chris Dipisa and Bob Barrett.
Sources: Paul Schaefer/NASCAR PR