Little boys have big imaginations; whether they become Superman, Batman or Buzz Lightyear, they can be anything they want when they are little. For Joey Pastore, it was a race car driver.

Joey’s mother, Donna, shared that it was his dad, Joe Sr., who got the family involved in racing. “When Joey was about three we found out about a go kart track in Shelton, CT. He got hooked and started racing Sundays there for about two years, his nickname was ‘Joe Shuffle’ because he had a way of shuffling his way through the pack.”

As time went on, Joe Sr. also got his wife and daughter into racing so it became a family affair. They eventually moved to Maine and Joe approached Beech Ridge Speedway with an idea for a go karting organization. Donna said, “Joe and I both raced the first couple years to help with kart counts and then once Joey was old enough to race, Joe stopped so he could focus on Joey and me. He also had to run the now popular, fast growing organization.”

Joe Sr. continued to follow his dream but it was through his son Joey. “My dad bought me a go kart to race at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Friday nights. At the time he and my mom owned and operated Southern Maine Karting,” he said.

Joey raced for seven years, and during that time he won numerous championships and awards. When he was old enough, he entered the Limited Sportsman at Beech Ridge on Saturday nights. He shared, “In my first year racing in that series, I won the last race of the season and earned the Rookie of the Year title as well. My dad was my biggest supporter. He made sure I had the best equipment and helped me to truly develop what he called my ‘natural abilities.’ ”

As Joey moved up in divisions, his dad’s support was unwavering. In 2003 he entered the Pro Stocks to race in a faster division, but his parents signed him up for the Nascar Technical Institute in Mooresville, North Carolina so his season ended early. “The program was a two year program but I fast tracked it and was finished in 18 months. Over that time my dad sold his prized Corvette to have a new pro stock built for me,” he said.

Then, as they say, times got tough. His parents were building a new house with a race shop, but their other house wasn’t selling. “Kids now wanted to drive cars not go karts so Southern Maine Karting closed its doors in 2003,” he said.

Joey raced in the Pass Tour and traveled all over New England. He picked up many wins and the Pass Sportsman Championship. However, his dad was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s and it progressed quickly. Joey said, “He needed a lot of care and racing just wasn’t my priority anymore. I also had just started a family and needed time to focus on that as well.”

When Joe Sr. passed away in November of 2017, Joey decided he wanted to race one more season for his dad. “I knew he would have wanted me to keep living my passion. With the help of Bob Craft as a sponsor and Andrew Morais as my crew chief, we were able to keep our small team going,” Pastore said.

The 2018 season started with a win but included some struggles before Joey captured the Sports Series Championship at Beech Ridge. He said, “I knew throughout the whole season my dad was watching over me. I often wanted to give up and quit but I could hear his voice (and my mom’s) telling me to never give up and to continue to make him proud.”

Not only did Joey win the championship, he was picked as Overall Driver of the Year. He was particularly proud of this award as it is determined by the track officials based on driving skills, statistics and sportsmanship.

Of course his mother Donna was in the stands cheering him on. “Seeing Joey continue to follow his dreams this year and race in his father’s memory was very emotional, but so fulfilling for us all. He achieved what his father had always wanted for him since he started racing: a feeling of accomplishment, pride in his successes, and a Beech Ridge Championship,” she said.

Joey is considering returning for the 2019 season, however, with a young family to think of and the time it takes to be involved in the Saturday night program, it will be a carefully thought out decision. “This year I raced with the angels and I know my dad was right there beside me just like he always was.”