Super late model driver Ron Fink knows his chances of winning a feature, or even a heat race, is slim. However, he’s racing for a cause bigger than a race win. Ron competes to raise awareness and funds for two charities. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and The Holding Hands for Haley Foundation.
“I feel bad that I don’t win a lot of money — I suck at driving,” Fink, of Cumberland, Maryland, said. “However, I’m getting the word out. I’m on a monthly donation plan, giving to both charities [whether] I make money at the track or not. If I do happen to make money racing, 100% will go to charity on top of what I donate monthly.”
Ron started racing just two years ago, at age 53. He owns a tree removal business, EZ-Out. Ron always wanted to compete in super late models. He finally had the chance to buy a car, purchasing one owned by his late friend, DJ Troutman.
“You are not going to make money racing super late models,” said Ron. “They are rich people’s toys. If you have the money to spend on one, you have the money to donate to a worthy cause.”
Ron also competes as a bass fisherman. Yes, he gives 100% of the money he wins in bass fishing, too. It goes toward the Partner in Hope program at St. Jude. He lettered his boat with St. Jude and created merch. Sales of that merch — 100% of them, not just profits — went toward St. Jude.
“Cancer was everywhere — I lost my dad, Bruce, to brain tumors,” Ron said. “My brother Mike’s wife, Patty, was diagnosed with cancer in September 2018. She died the following February. Before she passed at age 53, her granddaughter Serenity, 2, was diagnosed with leukemia.”
Ron and his brother Mike helped cousins and nephews with their racing efforts. When he told his brother he was buying a super late model, Mike tried to discourage him. Ron still went for it, hoping to spread word about the two organizations that helped his family members.
“Serenity and her parents were helped by The Holding Hands for Haley Foundation, of Cumberland, Maryland, when she had leukemia,” said Ron. “The care they gave that little girl was phenomenal. Today, Serenity, at age 9, is clear of leukemia, and they still give her compassionate care.”
In addition to his race earnings and monthly donations, Ron runs benefit raffles. He and Serenity raised $28,000 for The Holding Hands for Haley Foundation by putting on a racing auction at a car show. At the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series race at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, he had a door panel signed by all the series’ drivers. Ron will auction it off and give the money raised to St. Jude.
“I may never lead a lap or win a race,” Ron said. “But racing to help two worthy charities, that’s my checkered flag.”
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.
