HAMPTON ROADS — Mason Bailey is used to the racing circuit around Hampton Roads and Richmond.
“It all started when I was seven, when I had a birthday party. My mom loved planning my birthday parties, and we had one at a place that had go-karts. I had that party and just loved it way more than anyone else there,” Bailey recalls.
From that time, Bailey and his father visited the go-kart track once a week before he bought a kart of his own. Not long after, he began traveling and racing around the state. He now races late model stock cars.
Bailey finds himself in a unique position, as he is not just a driver, but also the crew chief and engineer of his racing team. He can usually be found working on his car throughout the week leading up to race day. After the car is prepped, Bailey has to switch hats and put himself in driver mode.
“My week to get to the race day really is a mindset of whatever it takes. If we crash it, I have to fix it. If we’re really fast, and that means I have to come back and take some really good notes on why we were so fast. Our crew is a crew of all volunteers, and it can be really high-energy and fun. We work hard, but we’re going to put our best foot forward each week,” Bailey said.
Once at the track, Bailey tries to dial it in and focus on the race ahead of him. In a recent race, Bailey was going up against both a Dale Earnhardt- and a Kevin Harvick-sponsored team.
“I kind of feel validated when I race against some of these big names. It makes me feel good knowing that I’m out there with the best, competing against the best, and it’s a real challenge for our team,” Bailey said.
As he works toward wrapping up his 2025 season, Bailey says racing in the Hampton Heat is always a highlight.
“The Hampton Heat has been very, very rough to us the last couple of years. This year, we got involved in a crash that took us out. We had a decent car, and I was pretty sure we were going to run top 10. Last year, in practice, we had the throttle pedal malfunction and in a brand new race car, we hit the concrete wall at almost 100 mph, and the year before that we had a complete engine failure,” Bailey said.
Despite the adversity, Bailey said that it’s just part of the world of racing.
“The thing about racing is that if 40 people show up, there is really only one winner and everybody else is a loser. You are going to lose a lot more than you win in racing. A good season might be five wins and 20 losses. You learn to not get too excited on the highs and not get too down on the lows,” Bailey said.
He has also already set his sights on what 2026 might hold.
“Just the opportunity to get to continue to do this is a real blessing. Every week, we’re very appreciative and I always have that pinch-me moment. I walk around the shop, and I see all the beautiful cars we have here, and it’s a real blessing that I get to live my dream,” Bailey said.
Above all, Bailey treats every race like the last.
“Every race could be your last. You could lose your sponsors, something could happen to the car. There are so many things that I don’t have control over, but I keep that in mind every time I take the track,” Bailey said.
To learn more about Bailey, visit masonbaileyracing.net.