Name: Justin Caton
Year / Make / Model Car: GARC/Chevrolet
Number: 7
Class: Late Model Sportsman/Pro Late Model
Years Racing: 7
Job: Student Pastor at Thorsby First Baptist
1. How did you get into racing?
JC: My Dad, Allen Caton. He drove a car for about 3 years. Then he started allowing other drivers to drive for him such as David Bonnett, Jeff Dawkins and the late Gary Easterling.
2. What would you be doing if you were not driving a race car?
JC: Probably coaching high school basketball. Before racing, basketball was my life.
3. People who have inspired you the most while you have raced?
JC: My Dad, Augie Grill and David Bonnett.
4. What is the biggest obstacle you are facing in your quest to succeed in racing?
JC: Seat time has definitely been an obstacle. Also, finding the funds to make it to the track.
5. What driver are you a fan of?
JC: Augie Grill. I have his car door hanging in my shop.
6. Out of all the race cars you have driven, which one was your favorite and why?
JC: The Late Model Sportsman cars are fun. Really feels like you are driving on the edge every time you’re out there.
7. Pick one : CD player, I pod, 8-Track or Record player, and who do you listen to?
JC: I Pod and probably right now it’s Trip Lee’s new Album “Rise”
8. What have you been doing during the off season?
JC: Busy! I love my job! As a youth pastor, I have the opportunity to help mentor students in their relationship with Jesus. I also have a second job doing screen printing that helps me pay for racing. And on top of all that I’ve been going to school online to get a Masters in Theology.
9. Is there any other type of race car that you’d like to drive that you haven’t yet?
JC: I have always thought that racing a truck would be fun. Also any NASCAR race car would do as well.
10. Your best and worst moment in racing?
JC: Best moment was definitely winning the track championship at Montgomery in the Late Model Sportsman. Worst was probably while I was qualifying for the last race at Birmingham I backed the car in the wall.
11. Any local legends that you admired while coming up in Short Track Racing?
JC: Augie Grill and Gary St. Amant. I have not raced against St. Amant but he won the championship the year we raced in the ASA ACDelco Series. He is one of the reasons I use the #7.
12. What motivates you to be the best in your racing division?
JC: What motivates me to give my best in anything I do is my relationship with Christ. In everything Jesus did He gave 100%. My life is completely surrendered to Him and making His Glory known.
13. Favorite smell at the track : race gas or burning rubber?
JC: Burning Rubber.
14. What’s the funniest thing you have ever seen on the race track?
JC: This was back in the day when my dad owned a car in, what was called the ASA ACDelco Series, with David Bonnett as the driver. We had a full time sponsorship at the time with a golf company. That season we were having a rough time the entire first half of the season. It truly felt like we had a monkey on our back. Someone thought it would be funny to hang a toy monkey in David’s racecar and try to play a joke. David’s sister, Kristen, went over and grabbed the monkey, and took a very expensive golf driver (that was on display outside of the car hauler) and took that monkey and teed the stuff animal up. She swung so hard at that monkey that it knocked the stuffed animal’s head off. I guess that set the tone for the rest of the season because we never missed another race and we ran pretty well for the rest of the season.
15. What local driver do you have the most respect for and why?
JC: Larry Speakman. I was pretty excited when he and his family went to victory lane last year.
16. Do you have another sport you enjoy to watch or participate in?
JC: Basketball.
17. What’s more important … racing for points or racing for the win?
JC: Go for the win!
18. Your favorite track and why?
JC: Montgomery Motor Speedway. Because it is really the only place we run at because we are just about an hour away from the track.
19. Which describes you best : calculating driver or kamikaze driver?
JC: Calculating Driver.
20. Last Lap, you’re in a side by side dash for the win… who would you want to beat and why?
JC: I would have to say maybe Kyle Bush. Only because maybe I might get a racing deal out of it and get an opportunity to drive for him. A dreamer can dream right?
Special thanks to my Sponsors: Allen Caton Acoustical and Drywall, Moonlight Screen Printing and Designs and Caton Properties.
Special thanks to my Crew: Allen Caton, Ricky Barber, Barry Davis,Tyler Armstrong, Tim Armstrong and Josh Higgins.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justincaton
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jcaton7
Thanks Justin, for providing us with this information, and if anyone else would like to be featured here please contact me at ShortTrackTalk@gmail.com