By Brenda L. Holmes
CNHI
DANVILLE — Three race car drivers ranging in age from 9 to 28 visited Sheltering Wings last week to inspire its residents and have a little fun.
Sheltering Wings is a domestic violence shelter for women and their dependent children. The facility is the only one of its kind in Hendricks County.
Maria Larrison, the shelter’s executive director, is a huge race fan. Her favorite driver is Mike Larrison, her nephew, who drives sprint cars for Bob East.
“I’m his biggest fan,” she said. “I’ve only missed one of his races and that was because I had surgery. I had to have my gallbladder out.”
Mike Larrison said he’s just about as proud of his aunt who leads the staff at Sheltering Wings.
“She’s just wonderful and I’ve been out to the shelter before,” he said. “It’s an honor for me to be asked by Maria to come out. I could never turn her down.”
He’s been racing for most of his life. He’s 28 now and started when he was only 4.
“I did take a break in there,” Mike said. “Me and my dad got involved in motocross (when he was young.)”
He said his father was injured in a race, so they started racing go-carts. He’s raced quarter-midgets and midgets. Now he’s in a sprint car.
“Driving for Bob East is an opportunity of a lifetime,” Mike said.
Drivers like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Kasey Kahne have come up through the ranks and driven for East in the past.
In anticipation of the event at the shelter, Maria Larrison took a group to see a race.
“The other night I took three girls from the shelter with me to the (Indianapolis) Speedrome to watch Mike race,” she said. “They had so much fun they want to go back. They really enjoyed it.”
Midget driver Dillon Welch, 16, also came along for the visit to the shelter. He’s been racing for several years and lives in Carmel.
“I’ve always loved racing,” Welch said. “When I was little they would try to give me baseballs or footballs and all I wanted were Hot Wheels.”
Welch’s father worked for ESPN so he had some contacts in the racing world. He began by racing quarter midgets and brought his old car in for the children at Sheltering Wings to see.
“Seeing them in the quarter midget really brings back memories,” he said.
The youngest driver who came out to the shelter was Ben Mikitarian, 9. He and his two brothers, Joe and David, with help from their parents John and Celeste, make up Triple M Motorsports. Mikitarian is from the Boston area.
“My brothers were into it when I was a kid,” he said. “I started driving when I was 4. I really enjoy it.”
brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com
