By Dave Dyer

Staff Writer

Most people like to reflect on days of glory when they were younger.

Beech Ridge Motor Speedway driver and Scarborough resident George Libby is trying to relive it.

This season marks the first year Libby has returned as a driver at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway since he stopped racing at the track 20 years ago. He said he decided to return to racing after looking at his past racing trophies at his home.

“I was building a racing room,” Libby said. “I was looking at the trophies that were 20 years old and I said, ‘You can still win some more.’”

Libby has held his own so far this season, gaining 177 driver points in Beech Ridge’s Sport Series as of June 26, which puts him in 17th place out of a field of 32 drivers.

Libby has had help this season. Besides his pit crew members, which include Dan and Jeff Morgan, George Shooter, Mike Sanford and Ray Smith, he has also had help from Chris Smith, who decided to assist Libby with his car this season after deciding to take a break from racing.

Smith said he first met Libby in 2001 at a mutual friend’s car garage.

“I started keeping equipment at a friend’s garage,” Libby said. “We got to know each other. He’s helped me in the past, I figured it made sense to help him out.”

Smith drove in the Beech Ridge pro series in 2007 and 2008.

“I drove for a couple of guys and it was fun, but it was stressful,” Smith said.

Smith helped rebuild Libby’s car, which he bought in January, by building new shocks and changing springs in the car. He also keeps track of the tread on the car’s tires throughout the season.

Smith said the sport series is different from the pro series because of the modifications that can be made to the car. With the pro series, he said, drivers are only allowed to drive stock cars, the same type of vehicles that are used in NASCAR events. The sport series involves a stock car, but with the lenience to make different modifications than the pro series car would allow.

Both Libby and Smith said the team did not get off to a good start, but their luck began to change after Smith raced Libby’s car during a 100-lap race.

“He wasn’t running too good on some of my input,” Smith said. “I recently didn’t do too good after changing everything in the car, but we’ve been going good ever since.”

Smith said he first started attending races at Beech Ridge at a young age, and began to work on the cars as a teenager.

“I started at 16 and I had a lot to learn,” Smith said. “But the better you do [at Beech Ridge] the more you want to come back.”

Smith said he was unsure of when he plans to race again.

Libby praised Smith in the success he’s had this season.

“You’ve got to have good equipment and good knowledge,” Libby said. “Chris has been a good help to this team.”

Libby said his secret to successful racing is avoiding other racecars while going at a high rate of speed.

“It’s trying to go the speed you’re going without hitting anything,” Libby said. “Sometimes you’re going 85 [miles per hour] in the corner.”

Libby said his racing comeback is focused on this season and is unsure of if he will continue racing next year.

“I’ve kind of decided to do it for one year,” Libby said. “Right now I’m holding on, I’m not setting the world on fire. We’re doing this for fun.”

Staff writer Dave Dyer can be reached at 282-4337 ext. 219