Max McLaughlin Set for Super DIRTcar Series Debut
September 19 will be another milestone in Max McLaughlin’s racing career. The Mooresville, NC driver will make his first Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modified start for Duel at the Demon Weekend at Brewerton (NY) Speedway. McLaughlin is driving for Tyler Siri Racing with sponsorship from Bad Boy Buggies.
The team is tested Wednesday at Black Rock Speedway in Dundee, NY
“It was really good,” McLaughlin said. “It was a lot different than anything I’ve ever drove, but at the end of the day I was trying to drive it like my Modified and that helped the most and there’s some similarities. But I think we learned a lot and I think we’re in good shape here come Saturday.
McLaughlin has set realistic expectations for the event.
“We’re just going to try to come out of there with the best finish we can. You can’t expect to win with these guys. These guys have been doing it forever and racing the best of the best. But we’re going to try to get the best finish we can and come out of there in one piece.”
McLaughlin said he is interested in entering some events next season. He will enter the Bad Boy Buggies World of Outlaws World Finals November 5-7 at the Dirt Track at Charlotte. He is considering running another race before Charlotte. Joe Gibbs Racing, who help McLaughlin’s Outlaw Kart, will be coming “onboard” for Charlotte. McLaughlin is also supported by Crate Motorsports, Rolfe Schnur Motorsports Marketing, and Simpson Race Products.
He uses the same CraZ8 number his father Mike McLaughlin used early in his career. Mike of Waterloo, NY began his career on dirt in the 1970s. As a Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modified regular, he finished second in 1979, third in 1980, and fifth in 1981. He owns two series wins, the 1980 National 200, and the Rolling Wheels Raceway Park championship.
“The last two days I’ve probably got like 300 friend requests on Facebook just from people up here that know my dad and it’s pretty cool to have the CraZ8 back probably been 30 years since it’s been in New York.”
The 15-year-old claimed the Mini Outlaw Series points lead at Millbridge Speedway in Salisbury, NC on the strength of four consecutive wins.
“Last week was that big nationals and we came there and the first two races were the fairgrounds and we finished second. I drove for two different teams there and we finished second both days and then I got back in my car in the CraZ8 and sat on the pole at Millbridge and won. It’s $2,500 to win so that was pretty cool and then we left right after the race to come here.”
“We’ve been trying for three years and I’ve lost the last couple of years just from lack of experience and it was all my fault we lost those championships. But it’s going to be tough racing with guys like Kyle Larson, Ricky Stenhouse, Rico Abreu, guys like that. But just keep doing our thing and hopefully we can (get) some more wins.”
“I’ve become pretty good friends with guys like Kyle Larson this year and we’re on every day talking basis now. …We got to race with them a lot this year and they’ve taught me a lot just being able to race side-by-side with guys like that and I think that’s one of the biggest things that’s helped me this year and I’d like to do a lot more of it.”
McLaughlin wants to try racing on pavement, where his father also excelled.
“There haven’t been many good opportunities to go to asphalt yet, but I’d like to try that out. We’ve been racing the dirt Modified back home and got a couple of big wins this year and traveling all over the place racing that and we won in a Midget type car, in a Sprint Car type car this year. But overall I want to go to the asphalt and test that out. But I’d like to run some more big block races before I do that. My goal is to make a living in racing driving whatever I can.”
Max said his father is “working all the time,” at the shop building everything from show cars for Joe Gibbs Racing to a portable kitchen for Wienerschnitzel.
Mike won in Supermodifieds before a string of success in Modifieds. He won 15 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races and the 1988 championship driving for Bill Corazzo from 1986-1990. His 16 poles and 16 wins rank 13th in the series, despite his last victory coming in 1993 driving for Art Barry.
In the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Mike won 7 times driving for Mike Greci from 1990-93. A NASCAR XFINITY Series stalwart, McLaughlin had 6 wins, 58 top fives, 110 top tens, and 5 poles in 17 seasons. Mike was inducted into the DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2013.
“Everything I get in he’s the biggest help I got. That he does know a lot about these and it does help just coaching me and telling me what not to do and what to do and then I got Tyler here helping me and them two together just putting their ideas together and then just trying a bunch of different stuff has helped me a lot yesterday.”
Sources: Nicholas Teto/YankeeRacer.com