SKIP BARBER: Devin Wojcik's road to racing

Devin Wojcik's 'road to racing' began 14 years ago when he was given a battery-powered jeep for his second birthday. When he first climbed into that little jeep and started driving around his back yard in Syracuse, NY, he fell in love with speed. He would not stand for his father putting a power-regulator on it to slow it down. He wanted to go as fast as that 12v battery would take him!

Devin was an adventure-seeker right from the start with a very inquisitive mind. He could take things apart and put them back together at a very young age and finding a tool in the garage became a never-ending battle because he was constantly "fixing" things. Devin was the kind of kid that always had a smile on his face and would answer the question "how are you?" with an enthusiastic "Great"! Until he started first grade. That was when things started to change.

Devin loved most aspects of school. The social time, the creative process, the learning of new things ... He was like a sponge, soaking up information. But when it came to reading, Devin struggled. The struggle became so great that we decided to consult a professional. Devin was diagnosed with a reading disability when he was eight years old and we were lucky enough to find the right professionals to provide the right therapies to help him finally get back on track with his reading.

Even as a young child, Devin's level of grit and determination with which he tackled everything, including learning how to read, was truly inspiring. He was not going to let a reading disability get in his way of success. It has been said that with every cloud there is a silver lining. Well with the "cloud" that was the diagnosis of a learning disability, came the added information provided by his testing, that Devin posessed a higher than average IQ with an exceptionalality in the area of spacial relationships and problem-solving. Well there it was. The silver lining.

Rather than focus on his disability, Devin chose instead to capitalize on his strengths. He never let his struggles with reading hold him back, and today he is an honor-roll student taking honors level and Advanced Placement classes in his high school. His vision of who he was and what he was capable of has never wavered and carries over to all areas of his life.

Devin goes after every endeavor with dedication and furvor. He joined Cub Scouts when he was seven years old and has been active in Boy Scouts ever since. He is currently very close to achieving his Eagle rank. He began playing lacrosse when he was five years old, running around with a stick that was taller than him and a helmet that made him look like a bobble head.

Although he gave up lacrosse after seventh grade when the season began to interfere with his racing, he has since found rowing and another opportunity to go fast. His Crew team has won NY State medals and qualified for the Scholastic National finals the past 2 years. But nothing compares with racing for Devin. It has been his one true passion since he was 11 years old.

I will never forget the Sunday morning in May, 2011 when Devin first raced. I had recently gotten a call from a friend's brother asking if "Devin would be interested in trying a go-kart". Knowing that the boy was obsessed with anything that had wheels, especially machines that were propelled by engines, I knew he would be! Devin's dad took him to the local go-kart track (Cherry Valley Motorsports Park in Lafayette, NY) to meet my friend's brother (Tony Lischak of Kompetitive Kartsport) to "try" the go-kart. I arrived at the track that afternoon just in time to see the beginning of the race that my husband had entered him in. Wait...a race? He only just laid eyes on this machine two hours earlier!

The moment I saw the green flag fly and heard those 100cc Yamaha engines screaming across the line, I knew there would be no turning back! From a mom's perspective, that little kart sitting an inch from the ground with my baby racing it around the track at 40+mph (with no seatbelt) seemed like a death machine! But after I saw Devin's face when he came into the pit (after taking his victory lap with the checkered flag) I knew this was something that was meant to be. It seemed the inevitable result of his quest for speed over the past nine years. What I had no idea of knowing at that moment was where that day would eventually lead us.

Our family spent nearly every Sunday afternoon for four years at go-kart tracks. At first close to home at our local club track, then across New York and New Jersey with the "NJ Sprint Series" and the 'F-Series Gear-Up Challenge', and eventually as far as Florida and Indiana for WKA 'Manufacturers Cup' races. Devin loved racing any kind of kart he could get his hands on; Yamaha engines, Tag engines, Rotax engines, KPV engines ... he didn't care, he loved them all! It wasn't until he grew to nearly 6 ft tall by the time he was 14 years old, that his enthusiasm began to wane. It had absolutely nothing to do with the karts but more to do with the fact that it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to be competetive in a class where he was racing against kids whom he out-wieghed by (sometimes) nearly 50 pounds.

It was at this point that we were faced with a decision. Promote him to the Senior classes early or find something else for him to race. Because not racing was not an option! That is when we found Skip Barber Racing School. Devin was given a gift certificate for a 3-day school for Christmas 2014. In February we traveled to Georgia for him to learn how to drive a formula car at Roebling Road Raceway near Savannah. From the first time Devin stepped into the car, I knew we had made the right decision. He loved it...and...he was fast! I remember him receiving his "diploma" at the end of the weekend and having two of his fellow students come up to him and ask for his autograph on theirs because they "knew he was going to be a famous race car driver someday". A silly gesture by some complementary new friends, or a premonition of things to come?

Devin knew that weekend that Skip Barber was the perfect place for him. He participated in another (2 day) school at Lime Rock Park in CT and raced in two Skip Barber events at Road America and NOLA in preparation for their 'Karts to Cars Shootout' in October 2015. Devin was very competitive at the shootout against karters from around the world and a month later he was registered for the Skip Barber Winter Racing Series. Devin did very well, finishing the season third in the points. With some scholarship money in hand, we enrolled him in the Summer 'Championship Series'. By this time, Devin had begun receiving invitations from a variety of racing teams to come and test their cars and race in their series.

We considered the new F4 Championship Series, but the pull of 'the Road to Indy' was very strong for Devin. He did a test day with a USF2000 team (ArmsUp Motorsports) in March 2016 and did very well. Although the options seemed tempting, we felt that the best place for Devin at this point was still at Skip Barber so we jumped into the new 'Championship Series' at Road Atlanta with gusto. Devin enjoyed a 3rd place podium finish at that first contest of the season and was looking forward to the next event in Pittsburgh when he got a call from ArmsUp Motorsports once again, asking him to come to Road America to drive one of their cars in the USF2000 race that ran in conjunction with the Verizon Indy Car Series that same weekend. Devin jumped at the chance and the family hit the road for Wisconsin.

Although he only had one previous test day in the USF2000 car, Devin got up to speed quickly. He learned so much from the engineers and mechanics about tuning the car and had an incredible time. He ended up finishing his races 14th and 16th (out of 24 cars) against significantly more experienced drivers who were already well into their racing season.

Having had such a great experience at his first 'Road to Indy' event, Devin is determined that he will be on the grid contesting the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship in 2017. However, now the real measure of his perserverance will be tested. When we heard the news of how much a season of racing in the USF2000 series will cost, my heart sank! It seemed like a daunting task to come up with that kind of funding. However, Devin was not deterred, saying "You know Mom, if it's meant to be, it will be, and I'm sure we can make it happen!"

Once again, the grit and determination of the young man that I am proud to call my son, wins the day. I have absolutely no doubt that he will achieve whatever he sets his mind to and that he will be fast in the process!

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