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 Born
July 6, 1962 in Garner, North Carolina, Michael Glenn Best grew up
the youngest of three boys. He learned at an early age the meaning
of standing his ground and the benefits of healthy competition.
Around the age of 10, Mike found an interest in go-carts when a
friend of his starting racing carts at Virginia International
Raceway. Soon after, Mike built a go-cart out of parts he collected
from a parts bin at his dad’s shop class.
In many of the people I write about in the POTW series, a large
number of subjects got their start in racing through automotive
education from their high school shop teachers. Mike was lucky
enough to grow up the son of two educators. His dad was the shop
teacher and his mom an administrative assistant for the department
of education. If a person can gain a life changing education with
only a few hours a week in class, can you imagine the education one
would gain by living under the roof of the shop teacher?
Mike’s building of his go-cart fueled his interest in small engine
crafts. As a youngster, all of Mike’s friends owned dirt bikes and
he had to be satisfied with just bumming rides and tinkering on
their bikes. It wasn’t until Mike turned 27 that he finally bought
his own motorcycle. Mike purchased two dirt bikes at a great price
so he sold one to a friend. That friend told two friends and so on
and so on, soon their two buddy weekends turned into six friends
that rode every Sunday afternoon. That ended after Mike wrecked his
knee from going down on his bike. This all happened at the same time
his wife was pregnant. When his wife had to help him to the floor
during Lamaze class, because of his hip to ankle leg brace, that was
the beginning of the end for his dirt days. After his son was born
motorcycles got put on the backburner and the dirt bike was sold.
Years later Mike got
back involved in motorcycling through his brother Greg who drag
raced his Harley Sportster. Greg started out at local tracks then
moved up to AHDRA events first in ET then SEP (11.50 index) and
Super Gas (9.70 index.) Mike started out helping his brother at the
track but eventually made his first official trip down the track in
2007 on his ’91 1200 Sportster and has never looked back. Today Mike
competes on the AHDRA national tour making all the East Coast events
with a couple of West of the Mississippi events. Future plans are to
expand to more classes as the budget can support it. Mike’s even
been trying out one of his brother’s bar bikes. Yes, another monster
created. Next!
Other Areas of
Interest
Residence: Cary, NC
Children: Carmen Ipock, 31, Justin Best, 23
Occupation: Technical Training Specialist, Hill-Rom, Inc.
Home track: Rockingham International Dragway
Team Name: Scalded Dawg Racing
Crew Members: Kristen Best, Ronny Allen, Greg Best, Pat Lewis
Sponsors: Techni-Quest
Accomplishments: 2011: currently 9th in the nation. 2010:
career first #1 qualifier, two quarter final finishes, finished 8th
in the nation. 2009: finished 18th in the nation. 2008: finished 8th
in the nation and 4th in the Eastern Division. 2007:Entered AHDRA ET
Class Non Points; Career first Runner-up at Bristol; finished in the
semi finals in Virginia.
Goals: Enjoy what I do, strive to be the best that I can be,
all while having fun.
Interest outside of racing: Computers, Blues Music, Playing
Pool
Favorite foods: Chinese, Southern cooking, anything cooked on
the grill
First motorcycle: 1975 Yamaha 125 Enduro
Hero: I look up to my brother Greg Best. He was more than
willing to pass on 12 years of drag racing experience. He has taught
me to be the racer I need to be. He taught me to take my licks and
keep a positive attitude. Bob Glidden and John Force have been my
favorite racers for as long as I can remember.
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