The crowd was on their feet as the drivers raced side by side switching leads. With one power slide after another and only a few more laps to go for the annual JLH Construction 305/360 Challenge at Fremont Speedway on August 13. “The Track That Action Built” was living up to its reputation as the two raced for the checkered flag.

After 60 years, would it be a Roepke or a Linder or a Keegan taking the checkered flag?  The flag waved and thousands cheered as…17-year-old Paige Polyak crossed the finish line first.

She had just beaten 23 of the area’s best drivers-many with 360 cubic inch motors compared to her 305-, and, as she pulled into victory lane, she took her time getting herself composed after winning the biggest race of her young career. The fans crowded the fence to see her and to hear her every word as track announcer Todd Tappel interviewed her as she tightly clutched the coveted checkered flag.

17 year old racer Paige Polyak in victory lane. (Photo by Action Photos)

Truthfully, the basketball and softball player (softball all-league honorable mention and offensive player of the year in the Midland Athletic League) at Old Fort High School was a lot more composed than her mother, Cathy, and her father, Tim, who joined Paige in the winner’s circle. The proud parents had tears in their eyes and were seemingly getting hugs from everyone there that night. Joining Paige and her mother and father were her twin sister, Kelsey and younger brother, Logan. It was, after all, not only a huge win for her-but for the entire Polyak family.

Her family has always been her biggest supporters, Paige says. Her dad took her to the races when she was 3-years-old and she “loved it”. She wanted to race from the very beginning. For years her mom and dad were her only sponsors. As a 17-year-old, that might not seem like much but Paige has been racing competitively since she was 7-years-old. It was their hard earned money that kept her dream alive. 

As her racing reputation has grown so have the number of people who now want to have their name associated with her racing abilities. Today her sponsors include Meggitt Powder Coating, Kistler Racing Products, JLH Construction, Level Performance, Circle H Tire, and Sonny’s Machine Shop.

She started out racing go-carts and won 35 races and three track championships combined at Great Lakes Speedway in Bellevue and Li’l Indy in Carothers, Ohio. She then moved up to Micro Sprints at age 11. She raced in Illinois and Indiana and won 25 races and the track championship at Stateline Speedway in Edon, Ohio. She began racing at Fremont Speedway and Attica Raceway Park when she moved up to 305 sprints at age 14. At age 15, Paige Polyak became the first female driver to ever win a feature race at Fremont as she held off veteran driver Paul Weaver to take the checkered flag.

With her win in the 305/360 Challenge which was her “biggest win in my racing career” she now has three wins at the 1/3 mile oval. Currently she is second in points at Fremont and fourth in points at Attica. She humbly says that she just wants to be successful in racing. Her immediate goal is to win the championship at Fremont Speedway. Next year she is hoping to move up into the 410 sprint car class where she can continue to compete at Fremont, Attica and other tracks. 

She has set her future racing goals a little higher. She wants to race competitively with the best sprint car drivers in the world with the World of Outlaws. Racing in NASCAR would be a home run for the softball player from Old Fort.

Rick Claar is a former Press contributing writer who now serves on the Genoa village council.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed