23-year-old, Mason Bailey, is a High Point University alumni and a driver in the GEICO of Fredericksburg Late Model Stock Car division at Dominion Raceway. The driver of the #05 Late Model currently sits atop the points standings but being winless so far this season, he wants more.

Five races into this season, Bailey has piloted his car to two top-three finishes including two-second place finishes. He is sponsored by A&A Contractors, Hernandez Contractors, Alpha Sports Marketing and their help provides Bailey with a fast car on Saturdays.

Bailey’s roots run in racing, but not on asphalt.

“My dad raced flat track motorcycles,” Bailey said. “Him and my uncle did that a lot growing up; they liked to keep it on two wheels.”

The Bon Air resident raced at the now defunct Southside Speedway in Midlothian, VA before making the transition to run at Dominion Raceway for his first full-time season in 2021. Southside Speedway was good to Bailey and his team as he found victory lane almost 20 times in his four seasons at the track.

As is the case with many young racers, Bailey spent time at local go-kart tracks around the area dreaming of one day being able to do it competitively.

“I had my eighth birthday party at G-Force Karts and since then I’ve been hooked,” Bailey explained. “My dad bought me a go-kart and we ran Capital City, Virginia Dirt Karting Association races, and went big time go-kart racing.”

When asked about who his biggest role model was, Bailey said, “I have a lot of role models. My dad is a huge role model. In racing, I’m surrounded by role models. Our team owner, Chris Phillips, is a role model. We’ve had crew chiefs in the past who are excellent role models. There’s a long list of people that I am very fortunate to be around.”

Bailey is a hardcore racer at heart and spends many late nights in his race shop making sure his car is prepared perfectly for the week ahead. His passion for racing is extremely strong and when he’s not racing, he’s watching racing.

“We really don’t have much free time but when we do I love watching races,” Bailey commented. “If we have any free weekends, me and a few of my buddies will go find a race to go watch. We will drive down to Charlotte and watch dirt racing or drive out to Langley and watch a weekly race. Even in my free time, my mind is still filled with racing.”

Being surrounded by people in the garage area you are inevitably going to have friends and rivals. In Bailey’s case, his biggest rival and his best friend on the track is the same person.

“Alex Brock is a good buddy of mine; I love to beat him every week,” Bailey explained. “He is probably a best friend and a rival. He’s trying to make the top-500 by starting and parking each week and we’re trying to shut him down.”

His biggest goal in motorsports is “just to continue racing late models.”

“I love late models and it’s all I have ever wanted to do,” Bailey said. “If I could race these cars another ten years, that would be a dream come true.”

Story by: Joshua Slate

Cover photo by Dinah Mullins.