by VSP MediaBARBERVILLE, FL- For anyone seeking proof that you are never too old to start, simply look to the Challenger Division at Volusia Speedway Park and locate the white and blue number 11 race car driven by “Super” Dave Ladrie. The retired Daytona Beach fireman caught the itch to go racing, and instead of wishing that he had done it when he was younger, he did went out and did it. And not only did he do it, but he did it well, and is still doing it every Saturday night.
Dave Ladrie is certainly not the sort of Florida retiree that one might find tooling down the highway in the left hand lane at 10 miles per hour under the speed limit, with the right turn signal flashing. He is an accomplished pilot who loves to fly, and he has been a certified scuba diver for over 40 years. On top of that, the Maine native returns home in the fall each year to go hunting and fishing, and maintains a hunting camp there which he frequents after the racing season ends in Florida. That is the exact reverse of how the Florida snowbirds do it, but Ladrie does not care. In fact, he revels in his own uniqueness. And while one might not expect a man like Dave Ladrie to have a “bucket list,” he does, and racing was on it.
So at 63 years young Dave Ladrie wanted to race, and as luck would have it his neighbor was Volusia Speedway Park’s Thunder Stock racer, Scott Mooers. Mooers loaned a spare race car to Dave, and Dave hit the track, plus a few other things as well. And as Ladrie puts it, it became cheaper to purchase his own race car than it was to repair Scott’s car, so Dave Ladrie got some wheels and did his own thing, and has since honed his skills and developed the ability to race without wrecking. And beyond keeping the car in one piece, Super Dave managed to finish inside the top 10 in the points race for 2009, which is an accomplishment in a division as diverse as the Challengers are at VSP.
And Ladrie’s racing accomplishments have attracted some attention. After a season that saw marked improvement and a fierce desire to get into the top five, Dave Ladrie was honored as Challenger Division Rookie of the Year for 2009 at Volusia Speedway Park. But again, Ladrie wants more, and has his mind set on a new race car and a top three finish sometime in 2011. Should he achieve that goal, no doubt he will be gunning for a win, or two, or even more.
Up until this past weekend, Dave Ladrie’s racing career has been restricted to Volusia Speedway Park’s wide and fast half mile, but Super Dave made the trek westward over to Ocala Speedway on Friday night and took on what is known as the toughest 3/8ths mile in the southeast. Driving a car that was neither geared nor set up for Ocala’s tricky layout, he scratched out a 13th place finish, and in the process developed a liking for Ocala’s unique quirks. Not bad for a guy who had never raced on a track so different from the familiar confines of VSP.
Dave Ladrie will turn 65 years old on Mother’s Day, and while he may not act his age, he certainly has the wisdom to go with his years. Ask him what he wants from racing and Ladrie will give a simple, yet wise answer. Super Dave just wants to have fun, and he avoids the serious attitudes that many other racers take toward the sport. He wants to enjoy life and his hobbies, and taking things too seriously makes the fun go away.
This Saturday night Dave Ladrie will again rev it up with the rest of the 4 Cylinder Challengers at Volusia Speedway Park. Fans will find the 11 car out there mixing it up with the others, and the driver will be wearing a smile instead of the usual look of focused intensity. That is because if nothing else, Dave Ladrie will be having fun.