Miguel enjoying successful rookie season in Mini Stock at Merced Speedway
When it comes to being a winning stock car driver, Darren Miguel calls himself a “late bloomer.” Miguel, of Ballico, is riding high on his rookie season success at Merced Speedway.
Saturday night, Miguel will leave his day job in almond processing far behind when he dons a fire suit and helmet to hop into his 1994 Acura Integra at the quarter-mile clay track.
“I always wanted to drive a race car but never had the opportunity,” Miguel, 28, said. It was his cousin, Josh Hensley, who gave him a shot at being behind the wheel late last season.
“Once I strapped in, I was hooked,” Miguel said. “I bought the Integra, stripped it down over the winter and made it into a race car.”
Miguel is racing and winning in the competitive Mini Stock division, an affordable entry-level class of compact cars powered by four-cylinder engines.
The car number for Hensley and Miguel is 86, which has been in the family for three generations of Merced Speedway racers.
“Having that number is a legacy for our family,” Miguel said. “It is the number that gives us luck.”
Miguel is riding second in points, eight behind veteran Mini Stock driver Chris Corder of Modesto.
“Even though we are rivals for the Mini Stock championship, we talk on the phone a couple of times a week,” Miguel said. “He offers me advice. He knows I am new to the sport.”
Miguel has a crew comprised of family members who help him work on the car during the week and perform pit duties at the track. In the stands are brothers, sisters and cousins who cheer him on.
“I look forward to Saturday night,” Miguel said. “It is exciting to race and hear the cheers of the crowd. I can’t thank my family enough for their help and for their support.”
When Hensley moved up from the Hobby Stock division to IMCA SportMod this season, it opened a second opportunity for Miguel. He put an exclamation point on his rookie season when he jumped into Hensley’s Hobby Stock car and won the feature on his first night out.
“I’ll be driving the Hobby Stock again,” Miguel said. “And, I’ll be definitely chasing the championship in the Mini Stock division.”
Two IMCA racing classes headline program
The International Motor Contest Association Modified and SportMod classes will headline Saturday night’s program.
The Northern All Stars Limited Late Model Stock Car division will visit to continue the challenge between drivers from Merced and Antioch speedways. The Hobby Stock and Mini Stock divisions also will have a complete program of qualification races and a feature.
Merced Speedway is located on the Merced County Fairgrounds sy 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Merced. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $8 for children 6-12. A family four-pack of tickets admits two children and two adults for $32.
Racing begins at 7 p.m. The grandstand opens at 5 p.m.
This story was originally published May 8, 2015 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Miguel enjoying successful rookie season in Mini Stock at Merced Speedway."