Track/Division: Waterford Speedbowl / Limited Sportsman
Driver: Steve Barrett
Car : #14 80's style Chevy Monte Carlo SS gm metric chassis Larry's Auto Machine motor Cage and Modifications by JMD Chassis
Team : SCR Motorsports
Driver History: Born- July 29th 1967 in Norwalk, CT Status- Married to Teresa- 3 Children Steven(20), Christina(17) and Richard(15)
Since childhood I have been interested and involved in motor sports. I was a regular visitor to Danbury Speedway, where I watched my neighbors Don and Randy Lajoie compete in the modified divisions. The experiences of watching, helping, and meeting many drivers there, fueled my racing desire for life. My Grandfather was a driver there before "my time". My mother had been a driver in midgets and had competed with some of the drivers I watched on Saturday nights( Art Davis). Some people I knew off the track as well ( Randy, Don, Bob Horn, Rit Patchen, Mark Ferris and my mothers cousin Rick Samuelson, to name a few)
Danbury closed, I graduated HS(Brien McMahon '85') and I did 3 years service in the ARMY. Upon my release I worked for Sikorsky, married the Love of my Life(Teresa), and met some people who drove and attended Waterford Speedbowl. I was hooked again. Through various strokes of fate I ended up moving to the eastern area of CT and became great friends with Greg Moran. Greg was a strictly stock driver and had been since the division first started. I was fortunate enough to drive a couple enduro races during this time. I also had the great fortune of helping Greg with his car. These times allowed me to learn a lot about the various aspects of chassis set-up, and all of the inner workings of a "stock" car. It was during these years that I met many of the drivers that have been competing in various divisions since then. Larry Barnett, Scott Cook, Charles Bailey, Tom Fox, Jay Stuart, and Ed Reed to name but a few.
In 2000 I was finally able to purchase my first race car. This car was a brand new JMD chassis car that a friend was unable to continue to finance and finish. With a lot of help from Greg, Tom Pendleton, Gary Espinosa(Larry's Auto Machine) and a borrowed trailer from Bob Lord, we went "off to the races" at Thompson Speedway. By the time we finished the car , the season was well underway. With at-the-track advise from Ryan Stone,Larry B, and Scott C, we were able to get the car decent and I was able to show moderate ability behind the wheel. The season was cut short by a broken valve that destroyed the motor. The end result was a points finish of 28th.
2001 saw a late start to the season due to finances and the need for a new motor. At this point we were just getting laps and experience to make a run for points in 2002.
2002 was a year of more ups and downs than a rollercoaster. We started the season off well with a few top 15 finishes in a division that was regularly starting close to 40 cars a night. With help from "Big Man" Irish and Ernie Larose we were able to adjust the car to the best it had ever been. In June we won our first race. It was a heat race in which Ernie finished a long 2nd to us. 2 1/2 laps into the feature we were "poulinized"(an expression another top driver reffered to). The car was almost a total loss. The impact to the backstretch wall had resulted in heavy frame and body damage, and the post-crash fire only added to the severity. In late August we returned and started from scratch with a repaired chassis that was significantly different from what we had been working with. The season came to a thankfull close with us deep in the bottom of the points list. In December my National Guard unit was activated for what was not yet a war in Iraq.
January of 2003 I arrived in Kuwait and served there til Sept.
2004: After having been away from my family for so long, and with the financial burden we had to bare while I served, racing was not possible, nor was it very high on the priority list.
2005: After having been out of racing for so long, and with limited monetary finances, we started to get the car ready again. The motor is brand new and the chassis totally updated. We went to one show in July and had worked from 32nd to 12th when the transmision let go with 2 laps to go. At this point we decided that due to finances, a late start to the season, and problems with our tow vehicle, we would sit out the remainder of the season and make a run at a full season in "06"
2006: tried to run a full season. An accident and a sprained wrist at beginning of season changed that. Big wreck mid-season. Enjoyed crewing G Moran car @Waterford so much, decided that was where I wanted to be for a while. "07" will be a season of fun.
2007: A very successful season at the Waterford Speedbowl. 3rd place over-all in point standings out of 60. Having never driven @ Waterford before, I was elligible for, and did Win the Rookie of the Year award. 2 Wins also helped make this such a good year. The Thompson car was never even put back together this year. Plans for 2008 are still in the air. Most depend on finances. Options are: Continue in Super-x at Waterford. Go to Thompson, or convert Thompson Sportsman to Waterford rules and run Saturday nights.
2008: A second straight succesful season. Second overall in Points. We won the Fall Finale. We will be running a Waterford Sportsman in "09". The Super-X is gone (17 October 08). This was a very difficult decision. If I thought we could swing it financially, we would have had someone else in the car for 09. We were going to need to sell it to afford a motor for the Sportsman. Well, the perfect deal came along, and we traded the complete car for a Larry's Auto Machine motor. We were happy with the deal, and we are sure Frank is as well. We look forward to seeing that car in victory lane next year with new paint,number, and people. At this time we are starting to re-assemble the sportsman.
2009: Our first season in the Waterford Speedbowl Street Stock division was a success. Several top 5's, including a pair of 3rd place finishes in extra distance events, helped make this a "Rookie of the Year" season. We ended the season in 6th place out of over 30 cars. Our only win came in a Wed. night mechanics race in which I drove my old Super-X car for Frank. Frank also won his feature that night. We highly anticipated seeing our old #14 Super-X on the track, and we were not dissapointed. Frank drove to 2 victories, and will return in 2010 with a legitimate shot at a top5/Championship. The Street Stock at Waterford was definitely the right choice, and was a learning experience throughout 2009. This was the only year for the Silver paint scheme. 2010 we will return to a red car(candy apple metallic). Steven will be leaving in June 2010 for the Marine Corps, so we will work hard to send him off with good, successful memories to the beginning of the new season.
