by The Star Gazette
It's often said that once racing gets into your blood, you're never able to get rid of it. Likewise, the racing gene seems to be easily passed on from one generation to the next.
That certainly is the case with the Elmira area's Potrzebowski family, which has competed successfully on just about every racetrack within 100 miles of the city. Headed by patriarch Terry, who is in his 37th year of competition, the family includes his sons T.J. and A. Jay, and grandson Jesse Kent.
Each member of the Potrzebowski family has campaigned the familiar No. 72 on their race cars at some time. Terry remembers showing up at a local dirt track in 1970 with the number 727 on his car. He was quickly told numbers with three digits were not allowed. After the last seven was dropped, his new number became just 72. It has been linked with the Potrzebowski family ever since.
Good times, fast times
Terry, 53, currently competes at Redline Raceway, near Troy, on Friday nights. He is the two-time defending champion in the Super Stock division and leads the points race this season behind two wins.
T.J., 36, is racing Friday nights at Spencer Speedway (near Rochester) in his own asphalt Modified and an SST Modified owned by longtime racer Ed McGuire. Saturday nights are spent at Chemung Speedrome in the McGuire No. 51 SST Modified, where T.J. is the defending track champion and current points leader in the division. He is running a limited schedule on the ROC (Race of Champions) Modified tour this year. But his main focus is to try to capture the NASCAR New York State regional points championship. Back in 2000, T.J. barely missed that title.
Younger brother A. Jay, 28, is competing in the 4 Cylinder division at Redline on Friday nights. On Saturdays, he cleans the dirt off his helmet and racing suit and heads to the Speedrome, where he races his own No. 72, a 4 Cylinder asphalt car.
In his three-year career, A. Jay has raced successfully on both surfaces. Two years ago, he used the same car and won on every dirt and asphalt track he raced on.
"To be able to do that shows what a great car that really was," he said.
The youngest racer in the family is 13-year-old Jesse Kent. He is competing weekly in Uncle A. Jay's No. 72 in the Speedrome Junior division at Chemung. He is the son of Terry's daughter, Tracy, who is married to veteran Modified competitor J.R. Kent.
Terry now takes Saturday nights off from competition to watch his sons and grandson compete at Chemung. Of course, he is always willing to help out. Plus, he is always near enough to offer his fatherly or grandfatherly advice.
When asked about his favorite win, Terry said, "There are a lot of them over the years, including six championships, but watching the kids race is exciting to me. They're all doing better than I did."
Dad leads the way
His sons are quick to point out Terry's influence on their careers. T.J. was bitten by the racing bug early and knew he wanted to be a driver like his dad.
"I can remember falling off the bleachers many times when I was a kid, pretending I was helping my dad steer the race car around the track," he said with a smile on his face.
For A. Jay, a racing career wasn't always what he wanted.
"I had other ideas of what I wanted to do," he said. "And racing wasn't one of them."
About six years ago, that changed.
"I am very appreciative for all my dad has done for me," A. Jay said. "He bought me my first race car, and after that I was hooked. He has helped me so much."
A. Jay ran a limited number of races the first couple of years, but he began running full time last year. His biggest win was his first win, which came at Black Rock Speedway on July 4 weekend in 2004. Since then, he has been a frequent visitor to victory lane all over the area.
A. Jay is especially enjoying being able to work with his nephew Jesse on a weekly basis. He is quick to point out that the 13-year-old is turning lap times that are just a tick slower than his own in the car they both drive each week.
"We are all real proud of Jesse," said Terry.
"He is such a natural," said A. Jay. "Last year, we took him go-cart racing and he won seven times at Star-Lite Speedway (near Trumansburg)."
Uncle T.J. has been impressed with Jesse's determination and focus on detail. A couple of weeks ago, Jesse helped out on T.J.'s Modified crew at Wyoming County Speedway, near Perry, N.Y.
"He wasn't just there to be a spectator," said the proud uncle. "He was all about helping with the car, even torqueing down the lug nuts to make sure they were tight."
When young Jesse won his first race a few weeks ago at Chemung, Uncle T.J. admitted to having a lump in his throat as he watched him take the checkered flag. Since then, Jesse has won two more races.
The younger Potrzebowski brother also looks forward to the day when he can work with his namesake, "Little A. Jay," who is 4 years old.
"He already likes to turn wrenches on the bolts," A. Jay said.
The three Potrzebowskis have not had the chance yet to race against each other, but T.J. and his dad have raced against each other a number of times over the years. One of the first times was when T.J. was driving a Street Stock car at Black Rock Speedway for the first time. T.J. started on the pole, with Terry behind him.
"I am sure it was a scary moment for my dad," he said. "I went high coming off of turn two and put dad off the backstretch."
T.J. said his best memory was when his dad won his first asphalt modified race ever at Chemung in 2002. As Terry took the checkered flag in the Ray Marshall-owned No. 97, T.J. was running third right behind him.
"When we came off turn four, I was screaming and hollering louder for him than I do for myself," recalled T.J.
Behind the scenes
Probably Terry's scariest moment as a father came while watching T.J. race in a NASCAR Featherlite Modified race at Loudon, N.H., in 1998.
The race was being broadcast live on television. Terry and his wife, Ann, were watching at home when T.J.'s car viciously hit the wall on the mile track at the same spot where Adam Petty lost his life two years later. T.J. was knocked unconscious. They held their breath and waited until a call from T.J.'s wife, Robin, confirmed he was all right.
All three racing Potrzebowskis know their racing has made it very tough on Ann.
"She is definitely our No. 1 fan," said A. Jay.
Terry added, "She has never missed a week with me at the races in our 36 years of marriage.
"She only has one rule, and that is that no talk about racing is allowed on Christmas Day when the family gets together."
T.J. and A. Jay are both very thankful and realize the importance of having supportive wives behind them. A. Jay and his wife, Kim, have been married for six years.
T.J., speaking about Robin, his wife of 17 years, said, "Racing takes all of your spare time and all of your spare money, and it takes a very special woman to go through it with you."
A. Jay jokingly added, "When you go racing, it is like you get to go on vacation every weekend."