At Riverside Speedway, a quarter-mile track in Groveton, New Hampshire, anyone 10 and over can race full-powered stock cars. In this far-flung town deep in the Great North Woods, racing is a family tradition, and the median income is little more than half the state average. ÒRiverside Speedway is probably the only thing in town thatÕs bringing people in,Ó says Melinda Kennett, GrovetonÕs town clerk. Some racers hope that their stock cars will be a ticket out of town. But for most, the track is a reason to stick around.

9-year-old Ariel Switser works on her racing car in the family garage in Vermont. Following in the footsteps of her brother and father, Ariel will be old enough to race this season in the youth division at the track and will be hitting speeds approaching 50 m.p.h. Asked what was the best part of her upcoming tenth birthday she replied, “I’ll be double digits and I can race.”