On The Hook with Tommy Barrett Jr.
OTH- Tommy, what’s your age, birthday and hometown?
T.B.- I’m 19 years old, birthday is April 29, 1995 and hometown is Millis, Mass.
OTH- Occupation?
T,B,- Construction worker / race car driver.
OTH- How did you get started in racing and at what age?
T.B.- My father raced with and was good friends with Bobby Santos and Bobby Santos Jr. so when I was 5 my dad put me in a 1/4 midget at the little T.
OTH- How did you acquire the number 9?
T.B.- I really don’t know, I always had #83 on my SK Lites, but when we moved into the modifieds that number was taken and the number #9 just came to my head.
OTH- So, how many divisions have you run?
T.B.- Well, I started with 1/4 midgets moved to the SK Lites at Stafford then the Valenti Modified Racing Series, and this year I’m driving a late model at Waterford Speedbowl and the modified on the Whelen tour.
OTH- How successful have you been in these other divisions?
T.B.- I’ve been very successful in everything I have driven up until now and we’re only a short way into the Whelen tour season and we’ve had some bad luck but we’re going to get there soon.
OTH- Any championships?
T.B.- Numerous championships in 1/4 midgets but nothing beyond that.
OTH- You always have had family owned cars until now, Christopher Our owns your Whelen team, what’s your feeling about that?
T.B.- It’s nice to work with someone else. I like working with my dad but this takes a lot of pressure off him and he’s happy for that and he’s happy for me as well, plus he works on the car.
OTH- So far in the Whelen car you have been fast where ever you ran, but you haven’t been able to finish well, is there a reason why you feel that’s happened?
T.B.- Things just haven’t gone our way, at Thompson we came from 24th to eighth and on a pit stop we had mechanical problems that took us out of the race. At Stafford I got together with the 58, got sent back to eleventh. Car was really going away and I barely held onto third.
OTH- You’re the new kid on the Whelen tour, what about respect, do you feel you’re getting enough respect?
T.B.- Well I’m new on the tour and I have to earn respect and I’m working on that.
OTH- What’s your impression of the Whelen tour?
T.B.- I like it, it’s NASCAR, more exposure, more press and I like the officiating.
OTH- Heats or time trials?
T.B.- I like time trials, it’s exciting, hopefully you sit on the pole and you hope no one can beat your time, I really like time trials.
OTH- You ran the Valenti Modified Racing Series for three seasons with 35 starts and six victories which was a pretty good win percentage. What’s the biggest difference between the W.M.T. and M.R.S. for you?
T.B.- Definitely the tires, on the tour you can go all out for 100 laps, but with the M.R.S. I went out and had to ride for awhile until there were 50 or 30 to go. But I haven’t had a chance this year with the new right rear that the M.R.S. has implemented
OTH- It seems like you were the bad boy with the M.R.S. even to the point where they made some rule changes. Any comment?
T.B.- I felt that, but I really don’t have a comment on it. I just show up to the track and I race, and I do what we have to do to win the race, that’s all we’re here to do. I’m not here to make the good boy
OTH- Is there anyone who inspired you with your career?
T.B.- Definitely Mario (Fiore). He helps me out, he’s doing everything he can to progress my career. we’ve been talking about a lot of things and hopefully we can get something going in the next year or two.
OTH- Other than racing what other sports do you like?
T.B.- I like hockey, motocross, basketball with my friends.
OTH- When you played hockey what position did you play?
T.B.- Mostly right wing, more of a grinder than scorer.
OTH- Any superstitions or routines on race day?
T.B.- Yea, I always wear my pit band on my right arm, don’t know why.
OTH- Favorite track and why.
T.B.- I want to say Thompson because it’s so fast, high banks, the racing is always good. I haven’t been able to finish well there yet, I know it’s going to come, we haven’t gotten along, me and the track.
(Note: after this interview, Tommy went out and pulled out a last lap pass to win at Thompson with the V.M.R.S.)
OTH- How about favorite food?
T.B.- Buffalo tenders.
OTH- Favorite type of music?
T.B.- Rap, Hip Hop.
OTH- If you could enter the last lap of a major modified race, who would you want to be racing against for the win?
T.B.- Keith Rocco and Teddy, those are the biggest ones.
Sources: Jim Snape