Role Reversal – Tom Stark Raised His Kids Around Racing, and Now He Steps into the Crew Chief / Co-Pilot Role with Blayne and MaCayla Stark
Watching kids follow their parent’s lead in any form is a different type of reward for the parent.
And when that comes in something their parents enjoy as a hobby, you can see the parents perk up just a little bit more each time they get to enjoy that hobby with their children.
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The Stark family first joined the drag-and-drive community at the 2019 edition of Rocky Mountain Race Week (RMRW). Being from Colorado, it wasn’t unusual to see the entire family, with father Tom Stark wielding the shifter handle in his ‘55 Chevy wagon stick shift entry.
But then I’d hear about how much Blayne was into the experience, guiding and helping his dad, and it was a flashback to my childhood, watching my dad race almost every Saturday during my schooling years.
I personally witnessed this firsthand at the 2022 addition of Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive; Blayne guiding his dad into just the right spot on the starting line before Tom would drop the clutch for a 9-second attempt.
Tom nearly got that first 9-second pass on day one at Bradenton Motorsports Park, clocking a 10.007 at 138 mph. With Blayne enthusiastically alongside for every pass, Tom finished fourth in Stick Shift with a 10.10 average, his best average and finish from six drag-and-drive events to that point.
At the first RMRW of 2022, Tom tried his hand once again at Stick Shift, combining an 11.23 with three runs in the 10-second range, for a 10.59 average. This would also mark the first time we’d see Blayne and sister MaCayla as competitors, with Blayne jumping into the Junior Street class in father Tom’s ’55 Chevy, while MaCayla would do the deed in her ’93 Ford Mustang.
In the 14-second class, MaCayla average a 15.36 and completed her first event. Blayne averaged a 9.27 with an .079 of-a-second spread between his time slips, finishing second in his class. Blayne didn’t have to wait long for next drag-and-drive shot, as RMRW 2.0 that year had Blayne in the top spot in Junior Street
The Starks would return to RMRW in 2023, and Tom was in a tight battle with Bill Armstrong for the Stick Shift title at 1.0, clocking a best of 9.37 at 158 mph on day one. But that final day would be his kryptonite, slowing to a 13.61 and a 10.52 average, earning the third place spot.
MaCayla would also run the Stick Shift class, combining a single 12-second pass with 11-second runs from her ’93 Mustang. MaCayla would be the lone Stark in competition at RMRW 2.0, trying her hand at the Stick Shift class 2.0, but went out on the second day of competition.
Fast forward to this year’s Sick Week, and with Blayne now a 16-year old holding his regular and his NHRA driver license, he became a driver for hire. Blayne would make the trip to Florida to pilot the Motion Raceworks ‘El Toro’ turbocharged Coyote-powered Fox Mustang in Rowdy Radial. But unfortunately, problems sidelined Blayne after an opening 5.21 pass at Orlando ‘Sick’ World Dragway.
Just a couple months down the road, we’d see the entire Stark family at the 2024 edition of Sick Summer Presented by Motion Raceworks. Tom joined Blayne in the ‘El Toro’ Mustang for Rowdy Radial, while MaCayla would row the gears in Stick Shift with mom Aleda as her co-pilot.
The ’93 Mustang broke the blower before day one, but Macayla and Aleda managed to survive the week with a 12.98 average. Blayne made good on his second-chance in the seat of the turbocharged Coyote-powered Fox, averaging a 5.13 for the title and a coveted Sick orange helmet.
“To watch them come out to a drag-and-drive, something I enjoy doing, and the smiles on their faces, I can’t describe it,” said Tom. “To be able to do this with my family makes for an incredible week.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, 1320 Video, Motion Raceworks and the Stark family.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com