Childhood dream driving Beech Ridge owner

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Like most youngsters, Andy Cusack used to go to stores looking for football jerseys bearing the number of his sports idols. But there was a little twist to his search.

His sports idols were race car drivers so he would buy football jerseys whose numbers matched the car numbers of his favorite drivers.

“I’m so jealous of kids nowadays,” said Cusack, noting that there is a wide assortment of merchandise with the names and logos of race car drivers thanks to the remarkable growth of NASCAR.

The fact Andy Cusack owns Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough probably comes as no surprise to anyone who knows him.

His father and mother, Ralph and Jane, bought the track in 1981. Andy and his older brother Glenn purchased it from their parents in 1997 and he bought his brother’s share in 1999. His brother owns a general store in Portage where he lives the outdoor life he loves.

Andy Cusack has worn several hats in the 20 years he has been involved with the track.

Just about the only thing he hasn’t done is follow in his father and brother’s shoes as a stock car driver. His dad, in fact, was a racer when the track first opened in 1949.

“When my parents bought the track, I was too young to race. Driving interested me but I’ve always been a little afraid of it because I felt if I tried it, I’d like it too much and stick with it,” said the 36-year-old Cusack.

“I knew if I was going to have a career in it, I needed to pay attention to the business side of it,” added Cusack who became the accountant-bookkeeper for his father’s used equipment business when he was in the seventh grade.

His aunt, Brenda Whittaker-Cole, taught him the ropes. She was the previous accountant-bookkeeper.

“She did a great job training me,” said Cusack, who graduated from Scarborough High School in 1983 and attended the University of Maine-Orono for two years.

“I was sitting in my dorm room reading business law books when a light bulb came on [in my head],” said Cusack. “I realized I didn’t need to know this stuff. I’d just hire a lawyer. I already knew how businesses worked [through his affiliation with Beech Ridge] and I didn’t need a degree to do it.”

Cusack feels he has the best of both worlds these days.

“I’ve always enjoyed business and I’ve always enjoyed the entertainment of racing,” said Cusack.

That’s not to say that owning and running a track is easy.

“It’s complex,” said Cusack. “You have tons of different personalities. It’s such a competitive sport.

“The longer you’re in it, the more you come to understand the nature of the business. The bottom line is that when people leave the track, you have the four division winners going home really happy. Another six to eight are pleased with their finishes. That leaves you with 80 or 90 feeling that life isn’t good. They go home disappointed,” said Cusack.

“But they come back and it’s just a matter of time before they’re happy again,” added Cusack.

Cusack hears his share of complaints but he speaks highly of the drivers and the fans.

“They may blow up at you but, the next morning, if that same guys sees you broken down on the side of the road, he’ll pull over and ask you if you need a hand,” said Cusack.

All things considered, Cusack says “It’s a great business to be in. I like to see a good race. It’s great competition.”

BEECH RIDGE SPEEDWAY

SCHEDULE

June

2, Pro series special, 6:30 p.m.

9, Autograph series 1, weekly racing series, 6:30 p.m.

10, NASCAR Busch North Series PTM (Partnership for a Tobacco-Free Maine) 150, weekly racing series, 2 p.m.

14, Thursday Night Thunder, 7 p.m.

16, New England Legends Tour, weekly racing series, 6:30 p.m.

21, Thursday Night Thunder, 7 p.m.

23, Weekly racing series, 6:30 p.m.

28, Thursday Night Thunder, 7 p.m.

30, Wildcat 50, weekly racing series, 6:30

July

3, Miller Lite American Celebration, fireworks show, weekly racing series, 7 p.m.

5, Thursday Night Thunder, 7 p.m.

7, NASCAR Busch North Series Irving Oil 150, weekly racing series, 6:30

12, Thursday Night Thunder, 7 p.m.

14, Truck Series Showdown, 6:30 p.m.

19, Thursday Night Thunder, 7 p.m.

20, PTM Day of Destruction series 2, 7:05 p.m.

26, Thursday Night Thunder, 7 p.m.

28, Wildcat Lucky Draw, weekly racing series, 6:30 p.m.

August

2, Thursday Night Thunder, 7 p.m.

4, Sport Series Lucky Draw, weekly racing series, 6:30 p.m.

9, Thursday Night Thunder, 7 p.m.

11, N.E. Legends Cars Tour, Truck Series Lucky Draw, weekly racing series, 6:30 p.m.

16, Thursday Night Thunder, 7 p.m.

18, Pro Series Lucky Draw, 6:30 p.m.

25, Weekly racing series, 6:30 p.m.

September

1, Autograph session 2, S.T.A.R. Antique Race Car Tours, weekly racing series, 6:30 p.m.

8, Weekly racing series, 6:30 p.m.

9, NASCAR Busch North Series PTM 150, weekly racing series, 2 p.m.

14, PTM Day of Destruction Series 3, 7 p.m.