Revving Up With Motorsports Mafia
Calling all gear heads to the South. Motorsports Mafia is bringing the heat both off and on the track while supporting families through their mission.
Photos by D. Paul Graham / Location: Bethesda Academy
High-powered performance cars, fast tracks and the community combine at the Roebling Road Raceway thanks to Motorsports Mafia founder Michael Gallagher. Gallagher, who is a racer himself, came up with the idea of Motorsports Mafia when he began “noticing a lot of gaps when it came to grassroots motorsports and having to get publicity for your race team.” Gallagher wanted a way to support local racers, and this was the best solution to all kinds of motor racing. Whether it’s cars or bikes, they’re all welcome.
It was when Gallagher was looking for a lifestyle change his wife, Debbie, gifted him his first track car that got him interested in burning rubber out on the race track. He then met a friend who introduced him to the fast-paced sport of late-model stock car racing. That began the inception of the Motorsports Mafia.
With events like their Fast Fridays, drivers, both professionals and beginners, are allowed to bring their cars out on the track and experience the thrill of competiton on a race track. What makes Motorsports Mafia so popular is their Grid, a place where Motorsports Mafia will host driver’s and teams’ websites, sell merchandise and share track events for a small subscription.
On top of that, they are also part of the Fight The War Within Foundation, a foundation that helps provide families with resources, support and hope for those suffering from mental illness.
While not as big as NASCAR, what makes the world of late-model stock racing so popular is that it is fast-paced and sometimes dangerous. Gallagher, who races competitively, explains, “The late models break pretty much every time you drive them. There’s always something. I don’t think there’s been a weekend where I’ve raced my late model stock car that I haven’t had a wrench on it.” Along with parts issues, the racers are known to often crash into walls or each other. It’s part of the sport, and that’s what people have grown to love about it. With high speeds up to 165 MPH, there are no dull races when it comes to late-model stock racing.
Racing the cars is as much a mental sport as it is physical. Gallagher describes what it’s like inside the car, “You’re doing 165 MPH. You have to stay mentally alert. In the summer, it’s 150 degrees in the car, and you’re dressed like the indomitable snowman.” Despite all this, Gallagher, the other teams and racers have a deep love for late-model stock racing and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Gallagher encourages people interested in high-performance motorsports to come out on track days to support the sport and experience the thrill of the speed.
Check out their website to see upcoming track days.
L-R: Michael Gallagher, wife Debbie, Crew Chief Ryan Selgren
more @ motorsports-mafia.com
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