Thomas Stinson began racing at Southside in the Street Stock class. When he started racing 20 years ago, Thomas Stinson told anyone who would listen that by the time he finished racing at Southside Speedway his name would be etched on one of the racetrack's concrete walls.
Stinson was wrong.
Already, the racetrack has honored him by putting his name on its wall. Stinson is a living legend at the Midlothian racetrack where he's won five consecutive Modified championships.
Stinson, 47, looks to further secure his reign with a sixth straight title as Southside Speedway begins its 50th season tonight.
"Southside is like my home track," Stinson said. "I will put everything we have in trying to win six in a row, but there's going to be some good competition out there. I'm sure they'll be doing all they can to put a stop to our streak.
"I feel like I'm in better shape than I've been in the last 10 years. If I don't have the drive to win, I'll just quit. But I don't see that coming in the next five, six, seven, eight years."
Stinson knows he'll be pushed hard by Rusty Wood, Kyle Wood and Chris Johnson, and that he'll have to keep an eye on Mike Rudy.
Stinson, a winner of 13 overall titles at four tracks, is confident as ever. And he's just as hungry.
"I tell everybody racing is in my blood," said Stinson, who began his career at Southside in 1989 by winning back-to-back Street Stock titles. "I want to win. I don't go out there to finish second. If I didn't think I had a chance to win, I would just sit at home.
"I'm like that in everything I do. I don't care if it's playing pool or throwing darts. I would race tricycles at Southside."
Stinson, a Chester resident, has won more championships than any other driver in Southside history. Yet, despite all his accomplishments, Stinson can't shake the disappointment of not having the opportunity to prove he can get it done in NASCAR's top two series, Sprint Cup and Nationwide.
"The only thing I can ever do to better my career is get a Cup ride," Stinson said. "I kind of feel like at my age I kind lost out on my dream to drive in a Cup race. I still think I can do it. I just started too late.
"I didn't have my parents helping me get into racing like Denny Hamlin's or Joey Logano's. I've had to do everything myself. I feel like if I had a chance, I could have been pretty good at it."
While NASCAR's top series haven't come calling, Stinson has enjoyed modest success on the NASCAR Whelan Series. He's compiled a number of top 10s and is expecting better when he races at two Sprint Cup venues, Martinsville Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.
"If I had the sponsors to compete with the Hendricks, Roush and Yates motors, I would have won a [Whelan] race," Stinson said.
Stinson, though, has no regrets. And he has greater appreciation for his success, particularly at Southside Speedway.
"It was a goal of mine to run a fast division on a short track like Southside, South Boston and Langley," he said. "I feel like I've oveachieved. I never thought I would win a championship - or that my name would be up at Southside Speedway."
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