NEW GLOUCESTER — For Windham native Ben Tinker, a move from the friendly confines of a full-fendered stock car to the more radical open-wheel modifieds has brought success pretty quickly.
Tinker, 38, now a resident of New Gloucester, spent most of his 18-year driving career piloting a Super Street at Oxford, and more recently a Sport Series entry at Beech Ridge. In 2016, he’s focusing on the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Modified class, and has already visited Victory Lane.
“We’ve run all the points races with PASS and competed twice at Wiscasset so far,” Tinker said. “The first visit to Wiscasset didn’t go so well, but the second time we pulled off a win. To finish second at Vermont’s famed Thunder Road and finish third at Speedway 95 was satisfying, since I had never been to either track.”
Tinker’s ability to adapt quickly to new tracks has been impressive. Yet his win on April 30 at Beech Ridge reflects the hundreds of laps he’s turned there over the years, always a big advantage to any driver.
“The whole point of putting so much effort into this car was my desire to compete at different tracks after spending so much time racing at Beech Ridge and Oxford. We had a great season at The Ridge last year, winning two races and finishing second in Sport Series points. That is a great source of pride for us.”
Tinker’s background in racing is extensive. He was taken to Oxford as a young boy in the mid 1980s, and was immediately hooked. In the early 1990s, he started going to Beech Ridge more often. It wasn’t long before he got involved, helping a local race team.
“The first car I ever really worked on belong to the Timmons family, maintained in my hometown of Windham. They had a Supermodified car, so I’d hang around their shop, watch, try to learn and go with them to the races. Racing was good for me in that it gave me something to focus on that was positive.”
From his early days of helping other teams, Tinker moved to the driver’s seat aboard a Strictly Stock entry at Oxford in 1997. He ran full-time, but success in that class took a while to earn. He didn’t win a feature that first year, yet managed to finish inside the top 20 in points.
“I didn’t win my first race until June of 1999,” he said. “I took the sport seriously back then, but never had a ton of resources available. In 2000 and 2001, I had a Super Street car I ran at Oxford. A few years later, we started getting into it a lot more. In 2005, I built a brand new Strictly Stock entry and won the first race we ran in it. We worked hard at it and wound up third in final points.”
As he progressed through the ranks, Tinker made major gains every year. He won the Strictly Stock championship in 2006, won the most features and started getting a better handle on the sport. As is the case with many drivers, he was greatly influenced by a veteran with a great deal of knowledge.
“I started hanging around with Jay Cushman, and learning more about the engineering aspect. I learned what needed to get done that was important. Jay was one of the guys who took the time to teach me things. I was lucky enough to have four of five race shops within bike riding distance of my house, so I took advantage of those opportunities to learn. Not everybody has that available to them.”
Competing on the local tracks during the mid 2000s taught him the skills he needed as a driver. After a brief hiatus from racing in early 2007, he had a unique opportunity presented to him.
“I had a close friend and car owner who has since passed away that decided to give me a shot in his car,” Tinker said. “So I started driving his 350 Supermodified, and it was quite an eye-opener. We went down to Lee (New Hampshire) and I ran quicker lap times than the regular driver. In 2008, I was able to win a race at Lee and finished fourth in points.”
After his friend passed away in late 2009, Tinker bought a Sport Series car and made Beech Ridge his home. He competed full time in the Sport Series from 2010 through 2015. Then the desire to do a little touring surfaced, and today he’s running the PASS Modified he bought from Doug McClure. Brian Sullivan is now Tinker’s car owner, while Sullivan’s son Patrick is the spotter.
“These cars are a blast to drive, reasonably affordable to run and we get to race at some cool tracks. I’m blessed to have a strong program and great support in place as we take on this new challenge. My wife Amanda, daughter Chloe, and son Garrett are all behind me in this. I also have a great team, made up of Brian and Patrick, Wayne Green and Dave Brown. I couldn’t do it without all of them.”
Veteran short track racer Matty Sanborn also competes in the PASS modifed class against Tinker. He says respect for Tinker is widespread throughout the pit area given his knowledge and experience.
“Ben is a super-nice guy both on and off the track,” Sanborn said. “He’s also a hard worker and a very smart racer. It’s a pleasure to race against his team because they come to win and know how to have a good time. He’s always given great advice if I have questions on chassis setup or driving tips. The PASS Modifieds are better with him participating in the division.”
Along with a supportive race team, it also takes a few marketing partners to keep one of these cars on track. Tinker’s sponsors include GT Overhead Door, Lake City Exports, Lifetime Auto Care and Ty-Gar Machine.
“I have always said there’s a thousand ways to lose a race, but only a few ways to win one,” Tinker said. “We show up at the racetrack every week prepared to race. I think if we can carry the momentum we’ve built thus far through the balance of 2016, we’ll be in pretty good shape.”
Beech Ridge
Saturday: Miller Lite American Celebration – Fireworks Show, 7 p.m. (rain date Sun.)
Oxford Plains Speedway
Saturday: OCS, Applebees Fireworks Night, 7 p.m.
Sunday: PASS non-points race
Sunday: Colossal Carnage 100
Wiscasset
Saturday: Group 1, Fan Appreciation Night, 6 p.m.
PASS
Sunday: Non-points race at Oxford Plains Speedway
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