Toby Parese
#11 Chevy Monte Carlo / #22 2008 Chevy Impala

Driver Profile

Driver name: Toby Parese

Birthdate: August 31, 1990

Hometown: Mohnton, PA

Current residence: Mooresville, NC

Activities in school: Member of: Student government, Fellowship of Christian athletes, and Performance ensemble; participated in the spring musical

Sports: Participated in football, basketball, baseball and track

Interests: Racing, spending time with friends and family, participating and watching sports of any kind, school, church

Short term goals: Doing well in school, being a good friend, doing the best that I can do in everything I attempt

Long term goals: Attending college, becoming a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver

Racing experience:
Late model stock car: 1 year
Go karts: Speedway Pavement (oval): 8 years
Gold cup (road course): 6 years

Racing highlights: traveling throughout the country, meeting people and
         building new friendships

Memorable racing experiences: My first World Karting Association win at
         Wilson’s Speedway in Watumpka, Al; my first late model race where
         I finished ninth

Favorite charity: Make A Wish Foundation

 

My Passion & Career Goal
Toby Parese

One day when I was six years old my dad came home and said he bought me a go kart. It was a "kid kart." My dad thought that racing would be a fun family activity. He knew there was an oval dirt track close by that raced on Saturday nights. We went there and that's how I started racing.
During that first season I only raced a few times. I really wasn't sure that I wanted to race so my parents decided we would stop. Fortunately my parents kept the go kart because during the off season I constantly asked, "When can I race?" Of course we had to wait for the next season to begin. When the 1998 season started, we were there. I raced the entire season, won my first race and finished third for the season. I also won the Best Appearing Helmet award. My passion for racing had begun! As each race season began my passion grew stronger and new experiences occurred.

In 1999,1 continued to race a few dirt track races but mainly raced on asphalt tracks. I also moved out of the kid kart class and into a regular go kart. The next new experience I had was racing on a road course track. That was more challenging but I really liked it. In 2001, we started racing at a track that had an oval track and a road course track. I was now racing just about every Saturday and Sunday from March through November. Racing at this track gave me the opportunity to race in the World Karting Maryland oval and road course divisional series and the World Karting National road course series. A divisional series is more competitive and the national series is even more competitive. This was a great year for me. I was faced with many new challenges along with wining two club championships and finishing second in both divisional series. The following season I participated in the same series as the previous year plus I also raced in the World Karting National oval series. This is where I had my most memorable racing experience: I won my first national race and will never forget that day! I continued to race on oval and road course asphalt tracks in divisional and national series and it was a really cool experience.

I had a great time racing go karts. I learned and experienced many things. It gave me the opportunity to travel up and down the east coast from New York to Florida and west to Wisconsin. It allowed me to meet many people and make some great friends. As much as I knew I was going to miss everything related to go karts I also knew it was time to move onto another level of racing if I wanted to work toward my goal of being a NEXTEL cup driver. My parents and I discussed this situation and we all agreed that it was time to move on. We were unsure of what I would be racing . We looked at a variety of options like legend cars, the Ford Focus cars and the Allison Legacy cars.

As we ended the 2006 go kart season we were contacted by some men that said they were forming a new race team. They said that were looking for a driver to drive a late model stock car. They had heard I was moving out of go karts and asked if I was interested in racing a late model. Initially my parents thought that this was a huge step but as we talked they believed I could handle the challenge. I am very lucky to have parents that support and believe in me. They bought me a late model stock car.

For most of the 2007 season my parents and I traveled to Concord, North Carolina from Reading, Pennsylvania. We did this so that I could work with my team and race in the NASCAR Whelen Racing All American Series at Concord Motorsport Park. In August , we relocated to Mooresville, North Carolina. It was difficult driving back and forth and we knew it would be even harder once school started again.

When we made the decision to race late models I set some goals for myself and I believe I accomplished most of them. I knew it would be a year of learning. I definitely learned a lot and know there is still much more to learn. I wanted to finish every race and show improvement. I finished all but two races and one of those was due to a mechanical failure. I believe everyone that watched my season would say I improved as a driver throughout the season. Finally, I hoped to be “Rookie of the Year.” Unfortunately I finished in the runner up position, but I did finish seventh for the season’s overall point standings. Although I might not have accomplished every goal, I do believe I had a successful season and am looking forward to the 2008 season.

Toby Parese–Young NASCAR Star
from Berks.TV

Toby Parese, a Governor Mifflin township sophomore, has been racing cars since he was 6 years old and he got his NASCAR license long before he even got his Pennsylvania driver’s license (which he did just 2 weeks ago–congratulations, Toby!).

Toby, who describes racing as “exhilarating,” travels every weekend to North Carolina to compete as a team member of the Bobby Waltrip Racing Group. As the youngest driver in his division, he frequently races against competitors 3 times his age.

This summer Toby’s family will be moving to North Carolina and Berks.TV couldn’t pass on the opportunity to chat with Toby before he moves out of Berks County.

Toby Parese–In the Rear View Mirror