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Oh, my goodness. I didn’t think it was possible to fit more emotions into one moment like there were on July 7 at Grundy County Speedway.
Sportsman division competitor Rickey Mathis Jr. spoke from the heart after his wire-to-wire victory in the Jake Bradley Memorial race.
For starters, it was his first career feature victory in six years of trying.
It was also his late father’s birthday.
“I couldn’t write a better storybook way to get my first feature win,” Mathis said. “I’m just as excited as can be.”
The meaning goes way deeper.
The race is held in the memory of Jake Bradley, a former street stock and sportsman division competitor at Grundy. Bradley was just 21 years old when he took his own life in November 2016.
Mathis was in his first season of racing when his father, Rick, died by suicide in the spring 2018.
“My dad was the first person who got me into racing,” Mathis said. “He grew up in a hard life. Racing was the one thing that connected us. I felt like I had something with him. We were supposed to go racing together.
“The last place I ever saw my father was in the pits at this racetrack. He came to my first race. I was wearing this shirt, and I remember he said, ‘I love your shirt, son.’ And then he left. We lost him three days later.”
Mathis wore the same shirt when he raced Friday night. It still looked good.
“Every year when we race in this Jake Bradley Memorial, it weighs on my heart,” Mathis said. “I’ve wanted to win my first race on this night so bad, I can’t believe it actually happened.
“I wish my dad was here. I know for sure he was with me. He’s with me right now. This is the greatest day of my life.”
Got room for one more emotional story?
It involves Mathis’ 8-year-old daughter, Madilynn.
Back in December, Mathis was wavering back and forth about selling his sportsman car when he made a surprise discovery in his garage.
“I had this little racing fund jar,” Mathis said. “One day, I went to put a couple of dollars in. I looked in and there was a 20-dollar bill in it. I had no idea where it came from.
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“I came inside and asked, ‘Who put that money in there?’ My daughter wouldn’t say it was her, but I kind of knew it was her because she had this grin on her face.”
The wavering was over. Mathis decided to keep the car. He contacted fellow competitor Tristan Batson to ask if he wanted to form a team. Batson shook the car down for the first time on June 30. They plan to alternate driving duties for the remainder of the 2023 season.
“When he called me, I was kind of surprised,” Batson said. “But we made a good deal that we worked out. I had high hopes for Rickey. He’s a good guy. I thought it would be OK, but I didn’t know he’d be this good this quick.
“Watching him (from the fence), I was so nervous. Man, this is his first win. It feels great to be able to help him get there.”
The smile on Madilynn’s face sealed the deal.
“After I came across that jar … you know, sometimes somebody just has to show a little bit of faith in you, a little bit of hope,” Mathis said. “Just that little bit right there made me not want to quit. It got us here tonight.
“After we won, she was right there (in victory lane) with me. We’re going to celebrate.”
