RPW Exclusive: Glen Ridge Motorsports Park Competitor Dylan Eldred: More Than Just A Racer

Column By: TOBY LAGRANGE / RPW – SCHOHARIE, NY – If you walk through the pit area at any given race track the chances are pretty good that you will find some interesting stories.
You will find those with interesting hobbies away from the track, some with interesting careers and other with personal stories that will raise your interest and make you want to give thanks.
To me, I have always been intrigued by those members of our racing family that also choose to serve in our great military. Those racers, crew members and even sponsors that sign up to defend our great country should be celebrated for not only entertaining us on a weekly basis, but putting their lives on the line to keep us free. It is that freedom that allows us to head to our favorite race track each and every weekend.
One such racer has decided to call the Glen Ridge Motorsports Park home in 2024. He is not just a racer but one of those brave individuals who are defending our great land.
That racer is DIRTcar Sportsman competitor Dylan Eldred.
The 24-year-old from Berne, New York is rising through the ranks not only of the weekly racing divisions but the Army National Guard.
“I am five years into the Army National Guard,” Eldred said. “I hold the title of Sargent and a mechanic. I work Monday through Friday as a federal technician.”
How did a young man from the small town of Berne end up as a mechanic and Sargent for the Army National Guard?
“I started when I was 19 years old working pretty much a dead-end job,” Eldred would explain. “Then I found a recruiter and decided that is what I wanted to do. I tried the air force first and then moved to the army.”
On Memorial Day Weekend at The Ridge, Eldred had the honor of presenting the red, white and blue to the excited Glen Ridge Motorsports Park crowd. He attached old glory to his number 28 DIRTcar Sportsman and took a lap, much to the afore mentioned crowds’ appreciation.
“It was awesome,” Eldred said. “I couldn’t hear the crowd but I was told that they were going crazy.”
Eldred started his racing career like so many have done before him, in the local karting ranks.
“I started racing when I was seven years old,” Eldred said. “I started in the go-karts and then after winning some championships, we moved our way up.”
The Ridge is a track that Dylan and team have not competed at in recent seasons, but they are back and looking to land in victory lane.
“I haven’t been here at The Ridge in five years and am giving it a shot,” Eldred commented “We think that we have found a little bit in the car, so we will see what happens.”
Eldred is certainly a name that you will hear about for years to come both on the track and off. As we prepare to celebrate our Independence, be sure to stop by the Dylan Eldred pit and not only say hi but say those two magic words – thank you.