THE NEXT GENERATION

WASILLA — At 16 years old, Demi McDonald is just old enough to be a licensed driver in the state of Alaska. But that doesn’t mean McDonald just learned to drive.

McDonald, an incoming junior at Chugiak High School, has spent more than five years behind the wheel of her bandolero car.

“I think it’s great. It’s definitely different than what all of my friends are doing,” McDonald said Saturday afternoon a few hours before she’d hit the paved oval track of North Star Speedway to compete in the bandolero class.

McDonald and her younger brother, Will, are proof that teenagers and pre-teens who can’t wait until they’re old enough to get their driver’s license can still test their driving skills. Both are regulars at the Wasilla-area speedway and help make up what has become the McDonald racing family.

The Eagle River siblings had their interest sparked years ago when they hit the track to watch a relative race.

“We came out here to watch my uncle, John, drive sprint cars on the paved track,” Demi and Will’s dad, Jason, said. “We realized you could get into racing as a fairly young adult. We didn’t know you could do it, but found out you could get into it when you were 11 or 12. We decided to give it a whirl.”

That chance encounter with the sport has developed into a summer tradition for the McDonald clan. Each Saturday, the family is at North Star Speedway with their three cars in tow.

While Demi is the veteran, Will, 12, hit the track this summer as a rookie.

They’ve already developed a friendly sibling rivalry. Demi is the season points leader in the bandolero class, but Will celebrated victory for the first time last weekend.

“It felt great,” Will said. “I was very surprised.”

Will has grown up around the sport and the cars, as he spent the last five years watching his sister compete. The family has relatives who are regulars on the dirt track of Capitol Speedway in Willow. All helped lure Will behind the wheel.

“Watching them doing it made me want to do it even more,” said Will, who will be a seventh-grader at Gruening Middle School in the fall.

Demi felt the same way when she got started.

“Seeing my uncle and my all my family drive, I tried it and fell in love,” Demi said.

Racing has become a way for the McDonald family to bond.

“It’s something we can do together,” Jason said.

That’s a draw for the kids, too.

“Being with my dad, having fun,” Will said. “We wouldn’t be out there if it wasn’t for him.”

The bandolero class was designed to give young drivers the opportunity to compete, without being responsible for controlling a full size car. The cars are much smaller and powered by a 30-horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine, and can weigh half as much as the average car in the legends class.

Jason McDonald said the bandoleros usually average 60 to 65 mph.

“At times this car can hit 80,” Jason said as he pointed to Demi’s No. 17 car. “But you’ve got to keep them running. You have to have that momentum.”

While there is potential for speed, the cars are not meant to accelerate like the rigs in other classes. But they’re fast enough to keep the McDonald kids interested.

“It’s an adrenaline rush,” Demi said. “I like driving, going fast.”

They invest much more time in the sport than a few hours on race day. The regular maintenance of the vehicles also keeps them busy.

“We work pretty hard at it, trying to get a good car on the track every week,” Jason said.

Earlier in the week, the McDonalds were busy replacing the motor, drivetrain and clutch on Will’s car.

“We’ve been real fortunate to be able to do it,” Jason said. “It’s an expensive sport. We’ve had some help from the grandparents, considerable help from the grandparents. It’s costly for us, but we’re able to do it and we’re thankful for that.”

Driving for a cause

Jason said he knows he’s fortunate to have the means to watch his kids compete in a sport they’ve grown to love. But they’re not just driving for fun this year. The family is working to help a cause.

This year, the McDonalds have chosen to race for the Food Bank of Alaska.

“It was all of our idea,” Demi said. “We all decided.”

With the support of North Star Speedway, the McDonalds set up collection sites at the gate and near the pit. They’ll collect as much food as they can throughout the summer, with all going to the charity.

“It’s one of the ways we’re able to give back,” Jason said. “Instead of asking for more sponsors, we decided to sponsor the food bank.”

The family has also sponsored PB&J Day, which is slated for Aug. 14 at North Star Speedway. Race fans who bring a jar of peanut butter and a jar of jelly will be admitted for free. Jason McDonald also said people have donated bags of rice and canned goods, and have promised to donate potatoes once they are harvested.

McDonald admitted his family once benefited from the charity of the food bank, and now they want to pay it forward.

“When we were younger we did,” McDonald said. “There were times when my wife had to go to the food bank when we were first starting out. I know what it’s like. It’s a good thing to have for people. We just want to give something back.”

Donating to the food bank is nothing new for the McDonalds.

“We’ve chosen it as our family’s primary charity. We usually give them a little cash whenever we can,” Jason McDonald said. “We all feel pretty fortunate.”

Looking for a few

good drivers

Jason McDonald said the number of drivers in the bandolero class has been small at North Star this summer. But he’d like to change that.

“It’s a little light this year. We’re looking for more drivers. There’s a couple cars for sale,” Jason McDonald said. “If somebody wanted to drive a bandolero at the entry-level class, for $3,000 you’d have a race-ready car and a suit and helmet, ready to go.”

McDonald is even willing to help a young driver get on the track.

“I’ve actually offered to sponsor that for the first half of the price the next person who wants to put that car on the track,” McDonald said, pointing at the family’s third bandolero car. “I’ll throw $1,500 if they want to get it on the track and race — as long as they promise to come out and race every week.”

Regardless, Demi and Will won’t be leaving the oval track any time soon. Will would like to race sprint cars someday. Demi has her sights set higher.

“I want to be driving for a long time,” Demi said.

Maybe even NASCAR, she said.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.