Persistence finally paying off for Barron

GLADEVILLE, Tenn. -- Alex Barron's best trait might be persistence.

The 32-year-old former karting champion had searched for the perfect team since moving to open-wheel racing in 1996. Unable to find it, he bounced around and thought of quitting before deciding to work even harder, marketing himself to potential bosses.

"He's worn out a few pair of sneakers up and down pit road," said Larry Blair, his new boss. "That's clearly been part of his method, to make certain that he's visible to the other owners whether as a substitute driver or a candidate for a full-time ride."

That stubbornness finally paid off two weekends ago, when Barron got his first big-time victory. He took the Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville Superspeedway in just his 11th IRL start.

"This has been a big breakthrough for me mentally," said Barron, who also has raced 34 times in CART. "I always knew I could do it. This helps a lot."

Still, there have been signs that Barron is developing into a contender.

In his first year with Blair, he has started each event and failed to finish only once. He has six top-10 finishes, including a fourth at the Indianapolis 500 that earned him co-rookie honors.

Consistency has helped him reach fifth place in the IRL standings.

Points leader Gil de Ferran, briefly a teammate in 1999, said Barron has proven his ability after getting a decent opportunity this year. Barron got his first victory by running away from de Ferran over the final two laps following a restart Sunday.

"He really drove well there at the end of the race," de Ferran said.

Barron can blame his father, a drag racer, for addicting him to racing even though he preferred the challenge of karts over driving in a straight line.

He started competing at age 9 and won seven California titles. Between 1981 and 1995, Barron won four Grand National Karting titles.

"It all starts at a young age, and you don't realize how much that helps until you get your career going," said Barron, who still drives a shifterkart and recently opened his own kart shop. "That's why I'm so passionate about it. I knew eventually that would get me into the next level."

Barron adapted quickly to the bigger cars. He finished with six top-10s in Formula 2000 in 1996, won the Toyota Atlantic Series with Lynx Racing in 1997 and made the jump to CART in 1998.

But Dan Gurney's team was busy developing an engine and chassis that season. The best Barron could finish was 12th, although he was chosen as the most promising road racer of the year. The team downsized in 1999, then split midway through the season.

Barron tested for Roger Penske and wound up starting two races for that team.

Rides prospects dimmed in 2000, and Barron started six races for Dale Coyne Racing in CART. Engine troubles in the final 10 laps ended opportunities to win in Australia and Fontana, Calif.

In 2001, Barron only tested on new tracks in Germany and England, and started in Madison, Ill., for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the IRL.

Racing was no longer fun, and Barron was frustrated.

"It's human nature when that happens because you just have to step back," he said. "It took me two weeks to realize it would be a wrong decision if I went and did something else.

"I just came back and was passionate about it like I always was."

His chance came late last season with two races for Blair's CART team. Barron ran as high as fifth before finishing 13th in Australia. He then finished ninth at California Speedway, impressing Blair with communication skills and a cautious aggression that kept his car near the front of races when it mattered most.

When Blair decided last December to switch from CART to the IRL, he didn't look far for his driver.

"That's an enormous amount of perseverance," Blair said of Barron's commitment. "When it came time to design the program for this year, he was a cornerstone."

Barron isn't relaxing yet. He stays busy lifting weights, exercising and eating right. Marriage to longtime girlfriend Candy Townsend is a future possibility, but Barron's career is now his main focus.

He doesn't have a deal to drive for Blair next season, but Barron finally feels comfortable and talks of winning the IRL season title instead of just a race or two.

"It makes you more hungry for it knowing we're within striking distance," he said.

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On the net:

Barron: http://www.alexbarron.com