Mike Drake grew up with dreams of becoming a race car driver. The allure of finely tuned machines, high speeds, and cheering fans excites most young boys, but the source of Drake’s racing dreams didn’t stem from TV or the movies, it came from watching his father circle the track at the Merced Speedway.“I got started because my dad raced full modified in Merced when I was younger,” Drake said. “I always wanted to be a race car driver because of him.”As he grew out of his childhood and into his early adolescence, Drake was eager to feel the adrenaline rush associated with racing.