Driver Bio:
Name: Mike Elder Jr
Wife: Angela R. Elder
DOB: 12-20-73
Hometown: KC.MO.
Hero: Wile E. Coyote. Inventor/ Genius
Starbuck... Our Great dane/ team mascot
I was Born In KCMO on 12-20-73 to Larry And Cheri Elder. I was their third child and the only boy. I grew up around cars as my dad owns Elders Corvette Restorations, I was constantly getting in the way so I guess he figured he'd put me to work. I've always loved cars. Especially when you are the one who built them!!!.
I always loved racing but was never involved in it until a childhood friend of mine called me up and asked me if I could help him on his street stock. I agreed and began helping him repair and modify his 79 Nova. I was very quickly bitten by the racing bug... I HAD TO HAVE MY OWN CAR!! (thanks Billy Duncan #69 Adrian Speedway) I found my car on the side of 50 hwy near Warrensburg, Mo. beside a tire shop. It was an old asphalt car that had raced at warrensburg in the few years before.
This is how it looked when I brought it home. Not much left!!
I worked all winter long in Billy's garage to get it ready for the first practice session. Billy was nice enough to put his car outside to allow me to keep mine inside. (thanks again) Sure enough it was done in time and we took it to the track. I can still remember perfectly the feeling, The inability to breath as the green flag dropped the first time. My heart was beating so fast I needed a tach to be sure I wasn't over reving it! I slipped and swearved all over that race track. It wasn't a few seconds later that I was being passed! The experience was like being blasted by a shotgun loaded with mud pellets! in my excitment I bumped the wall off turn four and spun bass ackwards on the straight. I looked up at Herschel the flag man and he was smiling down at me. I realized that Everything I had worked for was within my reach... I also realized that my fingers were going numb from the death grip I had on the wheel!
By Now the season is over and I took the honor of being the CMS rookie of the year. I am very proud and LUCKY to have won such an honor. I have only begun to learn the tricks of the trade but with the help of so many racers I have meet this year, I feel that next year will be much better!!!.
THANKS TO:
Dave Walker #87, Chris Braun#48, Darrin Meyers "lil D" #13, Billy and Bill Duncan #69,Mark Evinger #19, Everybody else who helped me this year!!!!
see ya next year!!!
Why The Number 77????
Well... At First I wanted a two digit # , My wifes sister (Beth) told me to use 7. " Cuz Its COOL!" Being dumb as I am I chose 44. for no reason at all. When I finally came to my senses I saw that 77 was much better than ANY OTHER!!! And I had a good reason to use it. Thank You Beth!!!