(Shane Jackson photo)
This driver may be younger than the other drivers on the racetrack but that does not mean Dillon Groover is a driver to quickly pass by. The 17-year-old driver out of Beaver Dams, New York pilots the No. 12x 370 modified on a weekly basis at ‘New York’s Toughest Bullring.’
Dillon has found himself behind a steering wheel ever since he was four-years-old. He had eight years of competitive go-kart racing under his belt when he jumped into a NAPA Crate Sportsman just four years ago.
Dillon racked up 8 track championships and 99 feature wins during his go-kart career.
The go-kart experience has helped Dillon in the modified even though the driving styles are different for the respective car.
During a recent interview, Dillon said, “Everything helps. The experience of being able to drive anything, in any condition.”
He also gave a good piece of advice that many of our Warrior drivers and rookie drivers can take things away from. “Before you go fast you have to go slow,” Groover said during the interview.
Racing can be a hard and demanding sport but Groover mentioned that the competition and the adrenaline rush are two of the things he enjoys about the sport. In addition, he also always has someone he wants to be better than- and to accomplish that, you have to keep racing, learning and improving.
In the future, Dillon is thinking about moving into a late model; however, he does not want to move to a different style racecar until he perfects the one he is in now. For time being, he will be racing at Woodhull Raceway and traveling to other tracks to seek new competition and increase his skills.
Groover says, “I want to beat the best, but I haven’t beaten the best because I’m not the best.”
Dillon Groover is working towards his goal of becoming the best. He has the right attitude and perseverance to do it.
In the upcoming weeks, there should be a lot more of the No. 12x up front, pushing towards his goal of being the best. He is off to a great start so far with two top five finishes in as many starts. His consistency lands him in the fourth position in points.