During the week, you probably can find Andrew Hammond after school at his family’s business, The Panama Auto Center, 2 E. Main St..

He’s making sure his racecar is in competition condition.

A junior at Panama Central School, Andrew races weekends in the Penn Ohio Touring Series. He also races at Stateline Speedway in the town of Busti. Andrew is drawing on his experience from last season to propel him through this season.

“I have learned to pace myself during the races, and not go all of it in the beginning, and stay out of harm’s way,” Andrew said.

On June 22, 2024, Andrew won his first feature race at Stateline Speedway.

He likes the dirt track atmosphere and is likely to remain racing on it.

“I am not really a big fan of asphalt racing. To me, it just seems boring because there is not a whole lot of action,” Andrew said.

At the beginning of the session, the dirt track is softer, and after several preliminary races, where drivers are learning to maneuver, but by the end of session, the clay becomes hard packed, so drivers can maneuver better on a much smoother surface.

Drivers may use different tires for different races. Pit crews may cut (groove) tires specifically for early and late races.

“Sometimes the track looks hard, but you would really need a softer tire,” Andrew said.

His pre-race routine – “all the fun stuff” – consists of looking at his car and going through a list: tire lug nuts – tight; fuel cell cap – tight; air filter – not as tight. And then he walks around his car and gives it a visual inspection.

On race days, Andrew is focused, and admitted in 2024 that he does get nervous at times when other drivers are in wrecks or have spinouts. He is used to getting his car bumped on the track, but for the most part, when he is behind the wheel, in his flame-retardant race suit, with the seat belt and neck restraint fastened, he follows a simple routine.

“Don’t wreck the car. Keep it one piece. Finish the best you can,” Andrew said in 2024.

When not racing, Andrew is a PCS honor student, enjoys hunting, fishing, and trap shooting as well as listening to Green Day and Nickelback. While racing, Andrew said, his mentors have been David and Wyatt Scott of AffliXation Race Cars, of Garland, Pa.

For anyone wishing to get into racing Andrew advised to, “Just try and find the right people to help you get into it. And don’t be lazy, and actually work on your own stuff.”

He added that it’s not hard to find a car to race.

“It’s maintaining it (the car).”