~ By Tom Boggie

They say that good things come to those who wait.

Well, the waiting is over for Derrick McGrew Jr.

The 15-year-old driver from Ballston Spa will take a huge step forward in his racing career this weekend when he makes his Menards ARCA Series debut, driving for the Tom Goulet-owned Rise Motorsports team at Flat Rock Speedway in Michigan.

According to a press release from the speedway, 16 teams are entered for Saturday’s “Dutch Boy 150” on the 1/4-mile paved asphalt track.

“This is a big opportunity for me,” said McGrew prior to last Friday’s racing card at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. “It just really came out of the blue. It’s not anything I expected, especially this early in my career. All racers look for opportunities like this.

“Jeremy Connors (whose son Tommy D’Angelo races against McGrew at Albany-Saratoga), who is involved in marketing, has seen me race and believed in me and helped us get sponsorship, enough to make this happen.”

McGrew officially joined Rise Motorsports in late February, and went to North Carolina to take a test at Hickory Motor Speedway to get his ARCA license on March 13. He passed with flying colors. The Rise Motorsports website stated that McGrew Jr. “was lights out at his licensing test at Hickory. His knowledge, feedback and reaction to the Chevrolet SS was that of a veteran.”

McGrew Jr. officially became a developmental driver for Rise, whose primary driver is Goulet’s wife, Rita.

“We’re incredibly happy to have Derrick on board,” said Tim Goulet in the team’s official announcement. “We’re committed to the mission of growing the future of racing and we see so much talent and potential in Derrick. All he needs is the opportunity to shine.”

He’ll get the opportunity Saturday, which will also be his first time back in the Rise Motorsports Chevy since his test. According to McGrew Jr.’s father, Derrick Sr., the McGrews have to cover the cost of getting to Michigan, as well as the expense of tires and fuel on race day. “It’s not cheap,” McGrew Sr. said.

“Our goal for this year is to put together at least four races,” said McGrew Jr.

A 150-lap race on a quarter-mile paved bullring, with no scheduled pit stops, is going to be a real challenge for McGrew, who has never run more than 100 laps. He’s tried to get somewhat acclimated in the last week, competing at Bear Ridge in Vermont on Saturday and Glen Ridge Motorsports Park on Sunday, which are similar in size to Flat Rock.

After two years of struggling with engine problems and a lack of funding, McGrew Jr. is back on track and starting to get his confidence back. Two weeks ago, he won a sportsman feature at Accord Speedway, which was his first real win since June 2019 at Airborne Park (“I got a win at Brookfield last year, but that really doesn’t count,” he said). He also was first under the checkered flag in the 602 crate feature at Glen Ridge on Sunday.

“That win (at Accord) felt great,” he said. “When you go through what I went through, it’s pretty easy to get down on yourself and to start doubting yourself, but I knew I had the talent and I knew I had the equipment and just had to keep pushing.”

McGrew Jr. made a quick climb through the racing ranks when he graduated from go-karts to driving an open-wheel race car in 2018. At the age of 11, he won 17 races and two track championships, then graduated to open sportsman in 2019 and big blocks in 2020.

He and his father spent the 2021 season traveling around the Northeast and beyond. That year, they began the season in February in Florida and ended it in November on the “Cajun Swing” in Louisiana, He made 41 starts at 12 different tracks, with his best finish of the season coming at Ark-La-Tex in November, when he finished fourth.

“I put every dime I made into the car that year,” said McGrew Sr. “Every dime I made, plus every sponsorship dollar I got.”

But when the team ran into motor issues last year, McGrew Jr. really had no choice but to drop back into the more affordable sportsman division, and that’s where he’s racing now. That’s why this weekend’s Menards ARCA Series is such a huge opportunity.

“Hopefully, I can run well out there and open some more eyes and get some more marketing partners to keep this thing going,” he said.

MALTA NOTES

Add Jack Speshock’s name to the long list of modified feature winners at Albany-Saratoga. Despite starting 12th, Speshock ran the race of his life last Friday and held off Matt DeLorenzo to get his first win.

Speshock, who played as a defenseman for four years on the Auburn University club lacrosse team, had to be pushed into victory lane after the race because the car wouldn’t refire after his on-track interview following the feature. “We’ve been having problems with the starter all night,” he said. “It gets too hot, and then doesn’t engage.”

Speshock said his biggest problems during the feature was a hole that developed between the third and fourth turns, and his fear of running the bottom.

“I kept hitting a hole in three and four,” he said. “I Charlie-horsed myself twice, and I kept tightening the belts so I wouldn’t fall out of the seat.

“I hate the bottom,” he added. “I’m scared of the wall. You can’t get away from it.”

Once he got the lead, on lap 20, he was able to stay on top and get through traffic enough to hold off DeLorenzo.

Speshock was also encouraged that he won despite starting 12th.

“If I can start 12th and get there, I should be able to start 15th, which is as far back as I can be handicapped, and get there,” he said.

Speshock wasn’t the only first-time winner Friday, as Shane Henderson posted his first career win in the pro-stock feature. “This is my first win in about six and a half years,” Henderson said in victory lane. “This old girl still has it.”

When Henderson was asked who he’d like to thank, he responded, “I don’t have too many sponsors. If anyone wants to sponsor me, I’d appreciate it.”

The modifieds will be competing for $4,000 to win Friday night as part of the John Ray/Dean’s Electrical Services Bolton Landing Night at the Races.

AROUND THE TRACKS

Stewart Friesen finished second last Friday night in the Craftsmen Truck Series race at Darlington, sporting throwback colors in tribute to former modified driver Ivan Little. That was Friesen’s second straight top-five finish.

A late caution helped defending champion Andy Bachetti win the big block modified feature at Lebanon Valley last Saturday. Ryan Darcy’s huge lead was negated by the caution and on the restart, he had fuel pick-up issues, allowing both John Virgilio and Bachetti to get past, before Bachetti got the lead for good. Darcy slipped to fourth, but then was disqualified for coming up light on the scales.

Albany-Saratoga regulars had good runs last Saturday at Airborne Park. Joey Scarborough won the sportsman feature and Craig Wholey finished third.

Speaking of the Wholey team, Ron Delease Jr. picked up the first Doug Wholey’s Ideal Excavating Back-to-Back bonus of the season with his second straight limited sportsman victory at Malta last Friday. That bonus was worth $250.

Brian Madsen instituted a $250 Back-to-Back bonus for the sportsman at Albany-Saratoga this season, but it looks like that bonus will be tough to claim. Now that promoter Lyle DeVore is running dual 20-lap features for the sportsman, because the weekly field is still exceeding 40 cars, it’s getting awfully tough for drivers who start deep in the field to get up to the front quick enough to challenge for a win.