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Switching Gears From Navy To NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Every man and woman to ever serve in the United States military is to be celebrated with respect as our nation observes Independence Day on July 4. One NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track operator has unusual and highly specialized military experience.

A 1992 graduate of the United State Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. as a Lieutenant, Andy McCartney, 39, of Willoughby, Ohio, spent a year and a half charged with the responsibility of running the pair of nuclear engines that power the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), the nation’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier. Those engines are powered by eight on-board nuclear reactors and four shafts.

The engines drive the nearly 90,000 ton vessel, which carries 3,350 ship’s company, a 2,480 man Air Wing, and 85 primarily fighter jet aircraft. The ship was commissioned in 1961, and has seen duty around the globe. It is currently in its home port at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., preparing for its 21st deployment after two years in a shipyard undergoing extensive maintenance.

“It sounds more glamorous than it is, but the responsibility was great,” said McCartney, who completed his service in 1998. “Thousands of people on the ship are counting on you to keep them safe, and there was an element of danger.”

McCartney became the new owner of Lake County Speedway, a .200-mile paved oval in Painesville, Ohio, this year. He immediately sought and ultimately received NASCAR Whelen All-American Series sanction for the 2010 season. Despite having little experience in track operation, McCartney and the track’s General Manager Randy Holbrooks Jr. have turned MASCAR’s shortest short track into a Northeastern Ohio hot spot.

McCartney attended graduate school at the prestigious Tufts University near Boston, Mass. and received a master’s degree in electrical engineering. His Navy career was spent alternately in nuclear power training and serving on various warships that were at times positioned near theaters of battle. His older brother Mike is currently stationed on the USS Nimitz, another nuclear powered warship now based in Bremerton, Wash.

McCartney was a longtime sponsor of cars driven by Holbrooks at Lake County Speedway through his business, Bowden Manufacturing. The company is a specialized machine shop crafting parts used in medical, defense, and industrial equipment.

“Running a race track is a new to experience to me,” McCartney said. “I have a strong belief if we put together a good team we’ll have a good business. It’s been really fun.

“It’s similar to running a ship. One person doesn’t know everything, but a team will. It makes for a nice combination.

“We wanted to partner with NASCAR as soon as we opened,” McCartney continued. “NASCAR helps our team gain credibility. Our fans and sponsors may not know me, but they know NASCAR.

“Everyone is absolutely ‘into it’ at Lake County Speedway. We’ve doubled and nearly tripled the car counts from last year. Our drivers put on quite a show. It’s fun. It’s a great time. And it’s been a learning experience. 

We’ve only had eight races so far this year, and our eighth was our biggest yet. We had a Figure Eight camper race plus out full regular show and the place was packed. It was a sell-out. We had to turn people away. It was so much fun it was unbelievable.

"We’ve built our foundation and we’ve got our legs under us,” McCartney said. “We’re already making our plans for next year.”

NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
July 4th Weekend Event Directory

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