IMCA stock car driver Ryan Sanford plans to temporarily hang up the helmet. He felt a calling to enlist in the Texas Army National Guard.
“For me, it is quite a sacrifice,” Sanford, 18, of Abilene, Texas, said. “Racing is one of the best things in my life — it’s my pride and joy. But, I’m willing to give up racing to serve my country.”
Sanford, a senior at Hawley High School in Abilene, Texas, has raced since he was 12 years old. He won two mini stock championships at his hometown’s Abilene Speedway. Sanford moved into the stock class in 2018 and has earned three feature wins in the division.
He comes from a racing family. His father, David, steers a sport mod. Stepfather, Charles Brewer, drives a modified. Brother-in-law, Dillon Smith, competes in stock cars and sport mods. Sanford will race with his family until July 19, when he ships off to Fort Benning in Georgia for basic training.
“I’ll miss racing with my family, but it is only for a few years,” said Sanford. “We live in a great country. Sure, it may be crazy at times. But, I’m going into the Army National Guard because I feel I can make the country better, and make myself a better person.”
Ryan Sanford will attend drills with the Army National Guard once a month until called into active duty. From there, he’ll see active duty for three years. Sanford will remain in the Army National Guard Reserve for an additional five years.
Meanwhile, the stock car he built with his stepfather will await his return, whenever he has the next chance to race.
“I hope to get training in mechanical engineering in the Army,” Sanford said. “That is my career choice. My racing will benefit from what I learn.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
