Short track stock car racers can encounter a number of obstacles along the way in pursuit of their passion. A blown motor could sideline an otherwise solid effort. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time and winding-up part of a hard crash will sideline your efforts for the season. Zac McBride faced his obstacles before he’d ever thought of driving a racecar. The 16 year-old from Baltimore, Ontario – a 10th grade student at CDCI East Secondary School in Cobourg – was born with club feet, meaning competitive sports at nearly any level wasn’t an option. Never one to face life’s challenges with a negative attitude, the youngster charted a different course.
A casual introduction to the sport of racing ignited a hunger that could only be satisfied by strapping in behind the wheel. With the support of his parents at every turn, Zac McBride began researching the hours, effort and expense it would take to put together a ride in Brighton Speedway’s entry level division. Using investigative skills that make a veteran private detective jealous, the teenaged wanna be poured over notebooks, web-sites and talked to other racers. He was like a dry sponge, craving moisture and his only goal was having fun and learning as much as he could along the way. His father says putting together a racer brought out a side of him that had yet to be seen in his son.
“He had such a thirst for knowledge, it was very inspiring and we all got caught-up in the emotion of what was happening,” said Danny McBride. “At first, we weren’t exactly sure how serious he really was. Then we saw all the notes he’d made, the drawings he’d made of a possible design for the car. That was when we knew his heart was in it and there’d be no stopping him.”
With a realistic mission, Zac and his father began the process of getting their 1990 Honda Civic ready for action. With a love for the competitive spirit of sport and the friendships that can be made at the speedway and away from the track, McBride was pleased to finish 13th in points during his first season. His efforts were rewarded at Brighton’s season-ending banquet where he was named the most improved driver in the Comp 4 division. Even though it was just his first year of racing, Zac earned a nickname – something it takes most drivers an entire career to accomplish.
“It was the final night of the season and I was just about to make a pass for the lead,” said McBride with a smile. “I moved alongside the other car and we touched. Neither of us wanted to get out of the throttle and I got squeezed off the track and wound-up in the creek that runs along the backstretch. It wasn’t how I wanted the season to wrap-up, but from that moment on everyone started calling me ‘High Tide’ McBride. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now it’s kind of funny. We even had it put on the car when we did the new graphics.”
For 2010, Zac McBride’s efforts will be supported by Hannah Motors, Jacqueline Juranics of Re/Max Lakeshore Real Estate, Crawl Construction, Luconi Performance and Apparel, RVS Exhibit ional Draperies, Gigs Music, Apex Graphics and Finlay Construction. Behind the scenes help comes from his Mom and Dad, Uncle Ross and friends Riley DeLong and Matt Page. His biggest fan is his 15 month old niece Sierra and her footprints are featured on the side window of his #8 racer.
With long-term goals of finishing his education and moving-up through the ranks of dirt track racing, there’s no doubting Zac McBride’s ability to make a splash in the world of motorsports.
PHOTO: Zac McBride had the chance to show-off his 2010 equipment at a recent motorsports show at the Cobourg Arena.
Release and photo by Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications
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