Collin Burke eats, breathes and sleeps racing.

Although the 19 year-old 2013 Freeport graduate is a rookie in the Stock car division, he was born to compete.

His father Tony Burke drives a late Model and his maternal grandfather, the late Jimmy Faas, piloted a Modified. Colin’s uncle is Sprint driver Charlie Holben.

As a little boy, Collin remembers spending many hours tinkering in his father’s garage.

Six years ago, he was promoted to crew chief for his father. Although he had never raced any vehicle himself before,

It was a big responsibility that he took great pleasure in doing.

At Freeport High School, Collin played both soccer and football. However, his first love was racing. Through the years, he has absorbed all the knowledge possible to start his own race team. When his dad began racing, he was 23 and that was the number Tony used for racing. Collin decided to utilize that number also.

Collin works for Precise Racing Products as a salesman.

He saves every penny he gets for his racecar. He was able to buy a stock car from Dave Kline that has a Pro-1 Chassis and he gathers used parts in the garage when necessary. Collin purchased the engine himself. He went to the business community and found twelve sponsors to support him.

His main backer is Dave Huston & Sons Accountants.

Collin is so appreciative of his sponsors and his family. He said, “I could never do this without them.”

The pit crew that consists of Madeline Barbarino, his sister, Nikita Burke and Mike Demeno helped him get the car race worthy at the end of last season.

He drove two times at Marion Center and a couple of time at Lernerville to get some seat time for the 2014 season. The hardest adjustment he has found is the change from the heat to the feature when the track gets slick.

He said, “I keep reminding myself to be patient.” He added, “It is important to have a car that doesn’t fight you back.”

Now he is vying for the 2014 rookie of the year. Besides this his goals are to be in the top ten in points, continue to get better, and chase that first win.

He’s been told that his dad is super excited in the stands watching him race and looks for way to help him get better each week. They watch the film of the last race together and critique it.

Collin is like a sponge soaking up all the advice that his father’s gives and makes necessary changes. He says, “Each week, I want to get a little bit better.”

Driver Gregg Beach also shares advice with him. Collin’s best finish to date is a third in the heat race and 13th in the feature.

“I was up to ninth once, but broke,” Collin said.

Collin likes to watch on the track is Late Model chauffeur Alex Ferree. His dad’s car will be debut sometime in July.

His long-range goals are to be in a Super Late Model some day and compete in the Florida WoO winter Nationals.

Right now, Collin is a man on a mission.

Last Saturday. Ed Ferree bested the PA Motor Late Model field defeating his son Alex.

It was Ed’s first win since 2002.

The Sprints made a special debut at the track and 24-year-old Danny Holtgraver turned a one-lap time of 145 miles per hour. The North Hills driver won a career first at the legendary Eldora Speedway to open the 32nd Annual Ohio Sprint Speed week.

If you were at the Lernerville WoO Late Model “Firecracker” show last week, you would have seen something in the air traveling around the infield and track that resembled a toy plane. It actually was a Go Pro Drone Camera that has four propellers with a camera in the middle. You might say that it is your eye in the sky that gives you an unprecedented photographic experience by streaming to your I-Phone. It adds new dimension to TV broadcasts by sending the images back to a trailer in the pits and the footage can be used for TV.

At the “Firecracker” WoO Late Model show, several local drivers had an outstanding showing, competing against professional drivers. The first night that Daryl Lanigan was the victor, Jared Miley came from 19th to finish seventh in 30 laps. The next evening John Garvin set the one lap fast time of 16.849.

Although Jimmy Owens won the event Garvin placed 15th in 30 laps.

Lanigan won on the Firecracker 100 and which was his first at the track.

The top local drivers that evening were, Mike Pegher Jr. (24th), Alex Ferree (25th), John Garvin (26th), Jared Miley (27th), and Dave Hess Jr. (28th).

The holiday weekend brings the race fans new things for the fans a various tracks.

The BOSS Sprints and Rush Late Models are at Lernerville.

Fireworks will be an added attraction at Mercer Raceway Park and Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway will have driver autograph night plus feature the ¾ Late Models.

Carol Gamble is a racing columnist for the Butler Eagle