Ryan and Tom Martino say racing brings their family closer together.
29-year-old Ryan has been around drag racing all of his life. His dad, Tom, 54, says he began racing by sneaking the car out to the track with his brothers when he was 16.
The father-son duo make up Youngstown-based Martino Motorsports. Tom does most of the driving, but Ryan says he gets seat time, too.
“It’s indescribable, the feeling you get behind the wheel,” he says.
He started driving about 10 years ago as part of Martino Motorsports in NHRA and IHRA circuits.
They race almost every weekend during the season, competing in about 30 races. This time of year, they say, is the “height of the season.”
Ryan says the car is low maintenance, and since he and his father work different shifts, they keep a notebook on the kitchen table with notes on what to work on.
Tom, a 1972 Struthers High School graduate, is a driver for Giant Eagle. He says the family has stayed in the area because of the job, which he’s held for 34 years.
They say they plan their races out logistically. Tom calls it “geography racing,” calculating the nearest races instead of the ones that pay the most. Ryan says they, like other drag racing teams, leave Fridays after work for races.
Tom and Ryan usually don’t bicker over what and how to change the car. Tom says that it helps that he owns everything. Instead of arguing over what to do, Ryan says, racing is a way for the father and son to bond.
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