ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 27, 1996 TAG: 9604290012
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Racing
DATELINE: ROANOKE
SOURCE: CHAD WILLIS STAFF WRITER
For the majority of race car drivers, the sport is in their blood. For New River Valley Speedway competitors Tim and Tony McGuire, auto racing is a part of their bloodline.
The McGuire brothers, both Late Model Stock drivers, are the sons of former Franklin County Speedway owner and racer Bill McGuire - the man each credits with giving the inspiration and guidance to pursue the dream of racing weekly on the tracks of Virginia.
"Our dad used to run at Franklin County, as well as old dirt tracks like the one at South Boston," Tim said. "Tony and I grew up with the sport, and our father was a big part of us getting into the sport."
"He was definitely the reason we started racing," Tony said. "He basically provided all the finances for us to get started. He bought the car and the parts and Tim got to drive it, while I worked on it, handling the repairs. Part of the trade-off for doing what I was doing was Tim let me drive the car also. We ended up trading off driving duties, and that's how we got started."
That was 15 years ago. In that time, Tim and Tony have gone from fledgling drivers to local short-track stars without losing sight of the family bond that brought them into racing.
"We're pretty competitive at everything we do," Tim said. "It doesn't matter if it's racing or golf, neither of us wants to lose to the other. But we've always had a lot of respect for each other. It's a friendly rivalry."
Tony said the respect they have for one another has carried over well to the racing arena.
"We've had times when we've come together or bumped each other in a race, but we've never lost our temper over it," Tony said. "When I'm out there on the track, I might move over for Tim if he's got a stronger car than me and can catch the leaders. With anybody else, I'd probably try to hold my position as long as possible ... and I'm sure he'd do the same thing for me."
For siblings who have led such parallel lives, it's probably not surprising to fans of the sport that each one's primary sponsor is a Roanoke-based television station - WSLS (Channel 10) for Tim and WDBJ (Channel 7) for Tony.
"Driving for rival television stations isn't as competitive as some might think," Tim said. "It's more like a fortunate circumstance. Channel 10 doesn't put a lot of pressure on me to win, they just say, 'Go out there and have fun.' It's been fun doing the race report and meeting people and shaking their hands. The winning just takes care of itself."
"Anytime a driver can get sponsored by a television station it's a big break for the driver," Tony said. "I've enjoyed being associated with WDBJ because I've gotten the chance to do commercials and meet a lot of people. I've gotten to do a lot of things I wouldn't have before, and that's a good challenge for me."
With established careers and top-notch sponsorship, what's left for each driver to prove?
For Tim, the challenge of returning to the form that gave him a Late Model Stock points championship in 1985 (Franklin County Speedway) and 1988 (NRV Speedway). In doing so, he must balance the time demands of racing and the family demands of becoming a father. Tim and his wife, Rhonda, are expecting their first child in July.
"The last five or so years I've become very career oriented with the businesses I own, and I've kind of stepped back from racing a little," Tim said. "But this year, I've kind of rededicated myself and our finishes [two top-three placings] show that.
"As far as my family goes, I've got more time now because I got involved with Phase III and Rodney Gardner, who used to be with Jeff Agnew. They handle most of the work on the car, which gives me more time."
Tony said his career is focused on winning races, with the dream of one day driving on the Winston Cup circuit still in view.
"To be honest, track championships have never been that big a deal to me," Tony said. "I just want to win as many races as possible. If I do that, championships will come. The real thrill for me comes from the big shows, like Martinsville. One of my goals was always to win the [Late Model Stock] race there, and last year I accomplished that goal.
"As far as driving at the next level goes, I know I've got the ability and the skill. You just have to be lucky to get a good sponsor. I would like to drive Winston Cup, but I would want it to be on a long term basis and I would like to have some control in the decisions. If I can't get that, I'm going to be very happy driving Late Model every week."
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB