Tired Iron: Forged to Win

 All over America, at least once a year in elementary school the teacher will ask the children in class what they want to be when they grow up. Millions of kids raise their hands and yell out :  "race car driver" or "astronaut","fireman" and even president.
A few of them might already race. They may do mini-bikes or bicycle motor cross. Others, who want to be President of The United States may be running for class president or in the debate club. Same with sports, little league Pop Warner, AYSO. We know everybody "aint gonna make it to the big leagues"
As life goes, we rarely hit the bullseye when it comes to 'childhood dream job'.
Most of us, due to circumstance take advantage of some immediate opportunity that pays the bills; change our minds and ultimately don't come within striking distance of NASA or even class president. But for a few, the childhood dream is an adult reality and they began living it the moment they raised their young hand.
We all have something we do well and under the right circumstances we can hone our talent to a level of perfection that will awe any that behold it. Not all of us never get the discover or take advantage of our god given gifts but sometimes we do and the results can be incredible.
Auto Racing is a competitive sport, it requires discipline, patience, good reflexes and the ability to balance all those attributes with sheer recklessness. An instinctive endeavor with consistent winners and losers.
Pretend you've been at it (racing) twelve years . You are on your fourth season, double mortgage, wife wants you to quit this expensive hobby. What if you looked over in the other lane and saw an eight yr old pass you by?
That's exactly what happened when Claude Hutchings Jr. first got hold of the racing bug.
He was The eight yr old.
In his words "Well my dad had this Slingshot Go-Cart with about sixty horsepower and he just entered me into the race" According to Claude Sr. it wasn't that simple. "I entered The Slingshot and he drove it, we didn't ask, Junior had been driving on our property for four years by then" shrugging his shoulders "he knew how to drive".
Indeed he did, the competition was either to embarrassed or didn't notice The Tired Iron Repair Driver's age, just his consistency.
Junior made history at eight years old, as the youngest driver to get behind the wheel.
He quickly was entered into Junior II Pro Series. He was a younger driver but was not outclassed he placed third in points his first season behind the wheel.
He stayed in The Junior Pro series but still couldn't get enough so Claude Sr. entered him into he 4cyl Super Stock where the little boy became a Man behind the wheel.
Between 2007-2009 Tired Iron Repair driver Claude Hutchings Jr. has wracked up 42 first place wins and three Championships at tracks all over the Northeast.
"Its a Team, our crew Chief Mark Hale, Chief Mechanic Al Laraby and Of course my wife, Carol, we all make it work, those guys have been with us since 2008" revealed  Hutchings Sr.
Last season he entered the team into a regional  multi-race multi-state competition with a very savvy draw. The ROC Race of Champions .. Despite the higher level of competition Claude Jr was the youngest ever to win The First Place Trophy.
A Highlight of his career
"Its getting to the point where people see Junior on the board and its like, 'oh no' I guess where racing for second" Hutchings Sr bragged.
He has a reason to be proud his young son is a Junior at Clark University majoring in Mechanical Engineering and he's entering his 13th yr as a successful Race car Driver.
Tired Iron Repair Saqiout, where they make race car driver's.