Mike Drake

Special Projects Engineer

Special Projects Manager Mike Drake was instrumental to the implementation of Nine Racing's new state-of-the-art truck and trailer. Working closely with Team Manager Kelly Drake, he was responsible for its design, coordinated its construction, and outfitted it with all the necessary race equipment. Drake has an engineering background and experience in AutoCAD, a computer-aided design system. He also worked closely with Kelly to design the interior of Nine Racing's shop, a brand-new building.

Mike joined Nine Racing around 2003 after retiring as the public works director for the City of San Fernando, in San Fernando Valley, California, for 30 years. Mike moved to Indiana, and works part time on Nine Racing's special projects. Mike also helps out at the races with the two or three race cars that typically run at the track. He helps to unload the cars, gets them ready, and then services the cars after they come back in from each run, adjusting the suspension, fueling them up, changing the tires, and other crew support.

Mike, who was among five kids in the family, started quarter-midget racing when he was about eight years old, after his father won a quarter midget in a raffle. After he was too big for quarter midgets, he got his own quarter midget and put younger brother Kelly in it and raced him around. Mike went into the military, and when he came back, he had his own son Jay to go racing with. When Jay--a USAC Western States Sprint Car champion--was about five years old, Mike got him a quarter midget, too.
The family has been very involved in midget racing. Mike drove three-quarter midgets and then midgets on the West Coast in the late 1970s up to the early 1990s, when he worked at his job and raced part time, with son Jay and brother Kelly, who helped on the crew.

Mike's favorite track is Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). He not only enjoys the history behind the track, as it's almost 100 years old, but also, all his childhood heroes--AJ Foyt, Johnny Rutherford, Rick Mears--raced there. Growing up, he looked up to these legends and loved watching the Indy 500 when they raced. Other favorites include events in Belleville, Kansas; the Chili Bowl race in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the 'Night before the 500' race at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis; and the 100-lap Turkey Night Grand Prix at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale. While Drake's hobby has been racing from a young age, his ultimate goal was to move to Indiana and be close to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Now he lives only 15 miles from IMS, and mere minutes from Nine Racing headquarters. For him, it's a dream come true.