J.R. McGINLEY SEEKS WIN IN DICK RANKIN MEMORIAL RACE
by Brian Spaid

May 27, 2005 

  This Sunday night, for the second year in a row, Tri-City Speedway honors the memory of well-known DIRT Modified driver Dick Rankin. Featuring the stars of the BRP Modified Tour, the Dick Rankin Memorial recalls the gentleman driver with a wide smile and a huge heart.

   Among the racers on the track that night will be one man that knew him better than any other competitor -- John Richard (J.R.) McGinley.

   McGinley, 28, is a descendant of two of local auto racing’s most famed racers, Rankin and Johnny McGinley. Rankin, of course, is best known to fans that watched races at the half-mile Venango County oval in the 1970s and 1980s. McGinley won the first race ever held at Tri-City in 1954 and earned the first and only NASCAR Sportsman track championship that same season.

   The younger McGinley began his racing career as a spry lad in the early 1990s. Grandpa Rankin owned a cycle shop near Fairmount City, and he decided to let the young teen give a whirl at the sport.

   “He let me ride around on the smallest dirt bike they made,” smiles McGinley. “Then, I got into go karts.”

   Competing at Blanket Hill Speedway in Kittanning and Slippery Rock Speedway, McGinley won some features, but he yearned for the big time. He used to race his go kart, then go to the dirt track to watch his grandfather compete.

   “The first time I got to race a DIRT Modified, Grandpa promised I could take the car out in hot laps if I made it back from go kart racing early enough.”

   That first taste of racing a DIRT Modified made him hungry for more. In 1995, Rankin won 12 features, finished second 16 times, and was in the top five 42 times. It was the best season of his entire career. That car became McGinley’s first DIRT Modified.

   “He gave the car to me. He told me that I could have it only if I worked on it, learned how to setup the car, and fixed it when I wrecked. The only thing he asked was for me to take his number when he retired.”

   McGinley continues to race his Olsen Eagle No. 66 to this day. Sponsors include Rankin & Son Excavating of Fairmount City, The University Inn of Clarion, Keystone Country Concrete of Brookville, and Jerry Sprocessor of North Carolina.

   Rankin assisted with his grandson’s efforts until he died in a construction accident in 2003. The only thing that held McGinley back was finances.

   “I feel I’m an average racer. I could be better, but I’ve learned a lot over the years. You really can’t go anywhere in this class without money. I’m just waiting for that big sponsor to one day help me along. We’re a low buck team, and we take it as it comes. It frustrates any racer to know that your limited budget prevents you from getting the front quicker.”

   McGinley, who works as an equipment operator for Rankin & Son Excavating, has seven heat race wins in his career. He nearly scored an upset feature win in 2004 when he earned a career-best second place to Kevin Bolland in a race at Lernerville Speedway. His effort was overshadowed, however, by a late-race incident between Bolland and Brian Swartzlander.

   “I like Lernerville a lot and I race there every Friday night. To be honest, it’s just easier for me to race on Fridays. I like Tri-City Speedway too, but I get up early on Monday mornings, and I just can’t make it there to race each week.”

   The two tracks present different challenges for McGinley, and he is quick to note that the best drivers and teams are those that succeed at both tracks.

   “Lernerville is banked and has more bite. You really use the tops of the turns at that track. Tri-City is more flat and the straightaway speeds are much faster. You have to drive both tracks differently. The setups also change a lot.”

   In addition to his weekly jaunts to Lernerville, McGinley tries to race the entire BRP Modified Tour. Last weekend, he suffered major damage in a wreck at Central PA Speedway in Clearfield. His car nearly flipped when the left rear wheel broke off. As a result he missed the next night’s race at Mercer Raceway Park.

   “We’ll have the car ready for Sunday at Tri-City. We had to repair the rear end and exhaust. I just want to do better in this year’s memorial race. Last year, I got the track provisional and I feel I didn’t earn my way into the race. I want to make it in on my own this time.”

   While a win would be phenomenal, just to make the show on his own merit would be enough for McGinley to remember Grandpa Rankin.

   “I miss him a lot. He was a good person. He was always happy and said ‘Hi’ to everyone. He was always there for me and gave me a lot of good pointers.”

   And he gave him a little push into racing with that small dirt bike too.