December 25, Westfield, MA--- Merry Christmas everyone! Hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season. I find it more enjoyable when I get to talk racing with every one. As I mentioned in my last column, this month’s driver is the “Quiet One,” Jim Peterson. Jim competed in the #17 Late Model at Stafford Motor Speedway. Here is what Jim and I discussed before he headed down to work for the Wood Brothers.

   For Jim, getting involved with racing was a family affair. His brother was the main reason he had gotten into racing. Once he got hooked, all he could think about was winning.

   Talking about winning, that is his main goal. When Jim was at the track each season you’d never catch him running for points. He just lets the point’s fall where they may.

   Jim told me directly, “Try to win, not points race is my goal.”

   When Jim got started racing though he did have a mentor to help him, Chris Kopec, and overtime Jim has also mentored other drivers himself. When I had asked him about it all he could say was, “I have but never realized it.”

   When he is not out on the track competing, he enjoys making friends in the pit area. That’s right, another person that enjoys the other people involved with racing.

   Have you noticed a pattern yet? If you haven’t, it seems like everyone involved with racing really likes to be around each other. Can you blame them?

   For those who didn’t already know, Jim took a job with the famed Wood Brothers back in October. On behalf of all his fans everywhere, we wish him luck in this new challenge in his life.

  For next month’s driver, it will be another good friend of mine, Charlie Newman, driver of the No. 16 Limited Late Model.