In the Nov. 9 issue of The Clarkston News, a picture with a boy and his racecar ran with a caption asking anyone who recognized the driver to call the paper. Not long after, phone calls came in and our young car enthusiast was identified.
Meet Larry Wright of Clarkston.
Wright, 44, has lived in and watched the Clarkston community grow and change for 40 years. In that time, Wright’s youthful fascination with cars turned into a career with a major automotive company.
Wright said he was into cars for a long time, and this love is what brought him to The Clarkston News over 30 years ago.
Wright recalls seeing a poster advertising a contest to win ‘Tin Lizzy,? a miniature 1910 Model-T replica. The winner would be the person who sold the most subscriptions to The Clarkston News over a six week period in April and May of 1973.
‘My mom would drive me around to all different neighborhoods and I would go door-to-door,? Wright said. ‘It was kind of neat, after the first week of the contest I had my picture on the front page of the paper, so I could take the paper with me when I was knocking on doors and say ‘I’m in this contest and I won the first week and I’m trying to sell subscriptions to The Clarkston News.? I think it helped a little bit to sell more and it really worked.?
Wright won his prize. Wright said the car had about three horsepower and resembled the type Shriners drive in downtown parades.
Wright recalled keeping the car for a couple years, but never being very comfortable driving it.
‘My knees were always really tight right up against the dash. I was always a tall kid and I think I basically outgrew the car,? said Wright, who added he eventually sold the car and bought a home stereo with the money,
‘I think the gentlemen I sold the car to was a Shriner, and probably that car is still out making the parade circuit with the Shriners,? Wright said.
‘It’d be kind of neat to still have it, but when I was 14, I think… a stereo would have been more cool to have than a car.?
Wright and his wife, Renee, 45, have been married for 21 years, but they have known each other for much longer.
‘When I moved to Clarkston? she lived two doors down from me,? Wright said. ‘Her brother and I were buddies? I’ve known Renee since I was four.?
The couple has three children – Alison, 16; Evey, 14; and Matt, 12.
When Wright’s photo ran in the Nov. 9 issue, Renee was the first to show him.
‘I had read the paper once and I hadn’t seen it. I always read it a second time and it just kind of jumped right out at me,? Renee said.
Renee said she recognized the boy in the picture right away. ‘We grew up next door to each other? so I remember when he did that.?
Wright is still into cars, as shown in his job in the performance division at General Motors. Wright is approaching his 25th year with the company, which he started working for before even finishing night school at Lawrence Technological University.
A few weeks ago, Wright traveled to California with his company to race a Chevy Cobalt in a time attack event. Wright said his group won the race in his class by about seven seconds.
Outside of work, Wright said he watchs ‘dream cruises? and attended a few Sports Car Club of America racing events with his son.
Over the years, Wright said he saw the Clarkston area grow in many places, while the Village stayed the same to him.
‘It still seems like a small town to me and I think that’s what makes it so nice,? Wright said. ‘You can’t get around the way you could. Like the high school, for example, is where I used to go out and ride my bike and snowmobile, and now it’s just? it’s huge.?
Wright said his children have been involved with the Clarkston Chiefs, cheerleading and cub scouts, and the experiences of helping out with each group is fun.
Renee recalled 40 years ago people talking about new people moving into a new subdivision in the area and how after all these years, the topic is still being discussed.
‘It’s as though everything has changed, but nothing’s changed,? Renee said. ‘It remains a very caring community and a wonderful place to live and raise our children. People are willing to give so much to make the community a wonderful place.?