Glen Reen’s racing career, centered around short track competition in New England, has spanned over two decades, highlighted by his involvement with the ARCA Menards Series and his enduring mentorship from Ralph Ridgeway. Reen, a Wilbraham, Massachusetts native, currently races part-time for KLAS Motorsports, piloting the No. 07, and attributes much of his technical growth and success to Ridgeway’s influence and expertise.
Short track racing in New England thrives largely due to the intersection of racers, crews, and the deeply invested community of fans. Chronicled often from the victory lane or the pits, an entire tapestry of racing stories unfolds in the grandstands as well. Through RaceDayCT’s Faces In The Crowd, stories like that of Glen Reen and his close advisor, Ralph Ridgeway, reveal the vital, often unseen, mechanisms that power competitors forward.
An Invaluable Mentor: Ralph Ridgeway’s Role
Ralph Ridgeway’s connection to Glen Reen traces back to when Ridgeway competed against Reen’s parents. As Glen’s racing ambitions crystallized, Ridgeway became an integral mentor, especially in the mechanical and engineering facets of the sport. Devoting numerous hours to hands-on guidance, Ridgeway taught Reen the intricacies of race car preparation, engine assembly, and troubleshooting.
“He worked and still works on Modified cars at Stafford, on ARCA cars and also helping tweak cars or their components. He is the one that, helped me with an ARCA motor. It’s just pretty cool that he’s 86, and it can take him two weeks to put one motor together.”
Reen recounted acquiring a race car from Teddy Marsh and facing significant setbacks with the engine block, leading them to enlist Donnie Wood of RAD Auto Machine. Together, Ridgeway and Reen assembled an engine in just a week, taking it to compete successfully at Lime Rock and then achieving a fourth-place finish at Watkins Glen against more powerful, better-funded teams.
Everyone else racing there had these big motors that make way more power than we had. And, you know it’s great that Ralph at 86 is still building motors that can compete with the big boys, in a garage in Belchertown. You know it’s amazing.
Technical Mastery and Problem-Solving at the Track
A defining trait of Ridgeway’s mentorship is his acute mechanical intuition—an ability to discern problems by sound and feel, qualities that Reen admires and strives to emulate. During ARCA testing at Daytona, Reen and Ridgeway’s combined knowledge led to the rapid diagnosis and repair of an engine issue, significantly preserving valuable practice time.
“He’s got a God given talent that he can feel. It’s insane, but he still one ups me every time as far as, that stuff. But again, it’s beyond a blessing when you think about it, like this year at Daytona for the ARCA testing. I have built the engines with Ralph. Now I’ve built so many with him, that I feel I have become mechanic wise. When we left pit road, the engine shut off. And it had separated around 7,000 RPM.”
Reen detailed how, after the engine incident, he read the on-board data and swiftly isolated the failed crank trigger sensor, impressing both his crew and KLAS Motorsports crew chief Mike Dayton with his familiarity of the car’s systems.
“Mike Dayton [KLAS crew chief] said, ‘Well, how do you know that?’ I said, ‘Well, the dash never lost power. So, the ECU [Engine Control Unit] is still working and it’s still reading RPM when it’s shut off and it’s still in gear. So, it’s still rolling and I can still see RPM on the dash.’”
And off we went and we had the whole rest of the day for practice. So those things may seem little, but they’re huge because now we didn’t lose three and a half or four hours of practice.
Lessons in Ingenuity and Integrity
Beyond traditional racing tactics, Ridgeway instilled in Reen the value of creative, legitimate problem-solving under pressure. Ridgeway’s outside-the-box thinking emerged in situations as simple as extracting a broken bolt, revealing his unique knack for resourceful solutions.
So, he’s like, well, let me take a ride down. He comes down to the shop and he looks at it. He didn’t look at it for more than 10 seconds. He says, ‘Why don’t you just take a die grinder and cut a slot in it and use a flathead?’ And I just looked at him and I was like, ‘How the hell did I not think about that?’ Like, he just has the most unbelievable outside the box thinking. Yes, he is unbelievable. His problem solving or his capability to come up with alternative solutions that are still within the box that are still legal. It’s amazing. He has a gift.
The importance of fairness and legality has been a core tenet in Ridgeway’s instruction for Reen. Racing often skirts close to regulatory boundaries, but Ridgeway’s influence ensures that the line is never crossed.
“No. We don’t do anything illegal. We sometimes might be right on the edge, but we are legal. But if it comes to it, what’s flat out cheating, we’re not doing it. And that’s why I used to get so much enjoyment out of when we would beat those guys, whoever it may be.”
You know, I’m not singling out anyone, but I know people are cheating out there. And I’m not going to name names, but I know that we beat them with a lot less. So, it’s a much better feeling not cheating. And Ralph’s instilled that in me. Ralph also does not want to do anything that could possibly risk a driver’s safety.
Memorable Journeys and Lasting Regrets
Reflecting on his journey, Reen wishes he had met Ridgeway earlier in his career, underscoring the depth and enjoyment of their working relationship, both at the shop and traveling the racing circuit across America.
I just wish I had, like I knew of him for years, right, but I didn’t know him until 2006. So, my only regret is I wish I had met him sooner because I would have had more time with him. But we have had a blast in our time together. I don’t want to say it was short, but it may not be as long as I wished it was. We had some hell of times, let me tell you. Traveling the country and doing all kinds of stuff.
Among Reen’s most cherished memories is the victory at Thompson Speedway’s Whelen Modified Tour race, but, even more so, the routine of building engines side by side in the shop stands out as a highlight.
Ralph used to come into the shop and wake me up. I’m a night owl. He’s a morning person. I would work all night at the shop and he’d roll in the next morning at seven o’clock. Seven thirty banging on my floor. I used to live above my shop, so he’d be banging on the ceiling saying: ‘Time to go to work.’ He doesn’t know. I didn’t go to bed till 5 a.m. or 4 a.m.
The Challenges of Time and Health
As Ridgeway confronts health obstacles, particularly scoliosis aggravated over the years, his ability to travel to marquee events like the ARCA Menards Series race at Daytona becomes limited. Despite encouragement, Ridgeway’s aversion to flying and physical discomfort have kept him from attending, though his contributions are felt regardless of his presence.
You know, back about 20 years ago Ralph’s back bothered him, but it wasn’t as bad as it is now. As you grow older, the Scoliosis condition still exists and can impact you more. Will he be going to Daytona? No. His biggest thing is, first of all, he hates flying, so he does not want to fly to Daytona for the ARCA race. I keep telling him: ‘If it’s two and a half hours, we’ll get you on a plane, we’ll get you off the plane
Looking Ahead: The Road for Glen Reen
Funding remains the most formidable obstacle confronting Reen’s ambitions for the season ahead. Even as his skills and aspirations align, the struggle to secure financial backing underscores the many challenges facing drivers like Glen Reen.
When you get the funding, you know, going to a race. It’s tough right now. Yes, you’re finally getting close to your dream but there is no money.
The Enduring Influence of Mentorship in Racing
The ongoing legacy of Glen Reen’s racing career, shaped by the steadfast guidance of Ralph Ridgeway, demonstrates the vital blend of practical skill, innovative thinking, and unwavering integrity. As new generations arise in short track and ARCA Menards Series competition, the partnership between Reen and Ridgeway stands as a testament to the power of mentorship, resilience, and a commitment to doing things the right way—no matter the obstacles in the journey.
