McClure still learning after late start to racing career
Some folks probably figure that since Eric McClure has a racing pedrigree, he’s been racing cars since he was old enough to sit behind the wheel.
Some folks would be wrong.
Eric is the son of Jerry McClure, who was part owner of the Morgan-McClure Motorsports team that ceased operations earlier this season after 25 years in NASCAR’s top division.
But despite – and perhaps because of – the McClure family’s long history in the sport, Eric McClure didn’t start driving until he was 21 years old. Eight years later, McClure is still learning against drivers much younger – yet with much more experience.
McClure, who drives Front Row Motorsports’ No. 24 Nationwide Series Chevrolet, got a late start for a good reason. His mom, Sue, was a third-grade teacher in their hometown of Chilhowee, Va., for many years, so education was clearly a priority.
“They stressed the importance of education,” McClure said. “They really thought that was the most important thing.”
So they made a deal with Eric: Go to college, and if you still want to race, we’ll try to help. McClure, then, lived a “normal” life and ended up graduating from Emory & Henry College with a degree in Mass Communications.
“My parents really tried to steer me away from it,” McClure said. “Being on the inside – a lot of people see the glamour – but they knew the reality of the sport. They tried to steer me away: ‘It’s a hard life. I don’t think that’s what you want.’”
But NASCAR was what McClure wanted, so at the advanced age of 21, McClure borrowed a trailer from one of the family’s car dealerships and loaded up a race car and some of his college buddies – and went racing.
And he was pretty good at it, too. Despite having zero experience, McClure won five races and four poles in Lonesome Pine Raceway’s Pure Stock division in 2000. The following year, McClure moved to the Late Model division, winning in his fifth start in that series.
In 2002-03, McClure stayed in Late Models at Lonesome Pine, but he also raced on the UARA-Stars touring series and NASCAR’s Goody’s Dash Series.
Also in 2003, McClure debuted in ARCA and in the Busch Series, and began testing Morgan-McClure’s Cup cars. He made his Cup debut in 2004 and raced in one Cup event a year in 2005 and 2006.
From 2004-2006, McClure also made a handful of appearances in NASCAR’s No. 2 series while continuing to drive Late Models.
In 2007, McClure finally got a full-time ride, bringing his Hefty Brand sponsorship to Davis Motorsports. With an underfunded, understaffed team, McClure failed to qualify for six races and failed to finish 12 more. That’s no way to learn any consistency, so McClure moved to Front Row Motorsports’ new Nationwide Series team for 2008.
The results have been better, though McClure has been frustrated by the slow ascent of his learning curve.
“We’ve come a long way in a short period of time,” McClure said. “Certainly, there’s no replacement for the years’ worth of laps I lost not starting out in quarter-midgets or go-karts or whatever.”
But he has no regrets, for if his driving career doesn’t work, McClure has the college education on which to fall back. Plus, he has some experience in journalism, working at a radio station and the local newspaper near his home.
“If the racing never worked out, I would love to do something in that field,” McClure said.
McClure, of course, still hopes racing works out. Front Row’s No. 24 team, which had one employee a week before testing at Daytona, is obviously a work in progress. Former driver Carl Long is the crew chief, having replaced Cal Boprey three weeks ago.
The No. 24 team is in the top 30 in owners points, which guarantees McClure a starting spot each week and means he doesn’t have to worry about qualifying.
“Would I like to win races? Yes,” McClure said. “If Eric McClure goes out as a driver now and races against the Kevin Harvicks and the Kyle Buschs of the world, and we finish 25th, it’s like one of those guys finishing 10th. You’re like, ‘Well, it’s not too bad.’”
Being “not too bad” is not at all where he wants to be, but don’t try to suggest to McClure that his inexperience is why results are coming faster.
“I don’t use it as an excuse now,” McClure said. “If I go out and run poorly, as a competitor, I’m still upset about it, I still get frustrated
about it. I enjoy doing this. I probably had some unrealistic expectations this year, which has probably added to some frustration. We got a very late start to our team this year, and we’re still fighting some battles with that.
“Inexperience is always going to hurt me to a point. But just like any other point, there’s always going to be variations in the competitors. I enjoy it, I think I can compete at this level.”
Soon, of course, McClure would like to be able to back up his words. He knows it takes time, but at age 29, how much time does he have in this sport?
“Here we are, an independent group, and we’re coming in cold,” McClure said. “You’re trying to make races. We’re fortunate to be locked in most every race we’ve been to, so that’s a step up. We look for little victories.
“But I can’t be 35 years old and still learning, either. We’ve got to go. That’s the most frustrating part.”
