Modified driver Alex Payne still remembers what it’s like to sit on the other side of the fence. That’s why when he won the Super DIRTcar Series feature at Georgetown Speedway, he had a clear message for the young fans.
“If racing is you dream, keep on dreaming and work every day to make that dream a reality,” he told them. “You can accomplish that if you put it in your mind to do so every day.”
That’s the strategy the now-20-year-old Payne took as a youngster.
“I grew up watching my dad, Eldon, race, when Danny Johnson and Alan Johnson were two of the hottest drivers of the time,” said Payne. “In all my younger days, all I wanted to do was be there on the track racing with them.”
At age 10, Payne made his first laps in a slingshot, thanks to Steve Paine, a friend of his father’s. Then at age 13, he started racing a sportsman modified at Outlaw Speedway.
“It confused so many people — they couldn’t figure out if Steve Paine was my dad or uncle or Eldon Payne was my dad or uncle,” Payne said. “They didn’t look to see the last names are spelled differently — we’re not related.”
The Paynes, father and son, worked together on their race programs. In addition to running Outlaw on Fridays, they raced at Land of Legends Raceway on Saturdays. In 2024, Payne made the leap to the Super DIRTcar Series.
“I wanted to run with the tour in 2023, but now I’m glad we raced locally first,” said Payne. “There was so much to learn. I wasn’t ready for the tour three seasons ago.”
While Payne certainly had to learn more about maintenance and preparation, racecraft was important, too.
“There is a lot on the driver — like picking the right time to make a move and putting yourself in the right place to make your move,” Payne said. “Thinking about situations you can encounter in the race and being smart about situations you get into on the racetrack makes you a better driver.”
Now Alex Payne has three Super DIRTcar Series feature wins. However, he’ll never forget his roots.
“I was there—just like the kids I saw cheering on the other side of the fence,” said Payne. “I realize the future of this sport is those kids in the stands. We need them to get more involved and get them more excited about racing.”
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.
