It's not easy to honor a family tradition and still be different than those who started it, but Sterling Cling has found a way. He used to watch his father Doug and older brother Landon race and "wanted to follow in their path so I joined in, too."
Well, he did, and he didn't. Cling started racing motocross and go-karts, then moved into bigger four-wheeled vehicles – and off the pavement. His dad and brother had raced on paved tracks; Cling wanted to do it in the dirt as part of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series presented by GEICO.
"I like asphalt racing," he said, "but the whole atmosphere of off road racing – racing in the dirt, going fast, getting to go over the jumps – is exciting to me. Plus I like to be a little different than everyone else."
Cling is different than all but one of the drivers he competes against in the Pro Buggy class in that he's just 16 and one of the least experienced, without a full season at any level to his credit. This season he missed rounds 3 and 4, at Las Vegas in April, and is 12th in the standings with 3 top 10 finishes in six starts following the Toyota Utah Off Road Nationals June 21-23.
"I'm happy with the progress we've made," said Cling, a Tempe, Arizona, resident who'll be 17 on August 10 and a junior at Corona del Sol High School in the fall. "I hadn't had much seat time in the car for the first time out. Now we've been trying to practice between races and we've made a lot of improvement. I'm happy where I'm at and I hope we keep improving."
Cling said among the conditions his parents have given him to race are that he gets As or Bs in all his classes, does his chores around the house and help get the Alumi Craft/Honda buggy ready for the races. He said that takes up most of his time, but he doesn't mind at all.
Older brother Landon has continued to race, on asphalt in the Jegs/CRA All-Star Tour in the Midwest, and Sterling wants to keep on as well – in the dirt. He may be establishing his own tradition, too, since younger brother Hayden is racing the Junior 2 Kart class.
"I'd like to stay in off road and hopefully one day move up to Pro 2 and Pro 4," he said. "I raced Mod Karts (and Junior 2 Karts) in the past and this year we wanted to move up. We felt like we were ready and it would help us get some more exposure with sponsors.
"We're just going with how it feels. Hopefully we can step up and gain some more sponsors and step up in class."
STERLING CLING AT A GLANCE
Age: 16 (10 August 1996)
Lives in: Tempe, Arizona
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Student
Car number: 77 in Pro Buggy
Type of chassis: Alumi Craft
Engine: Honda V-Tech
Crew Chief: Kyle Green
Sponsors: Kyle Green Fabrication, Cling's Manufacturing, Quinn Graphics
Years in racing: 6
Divisions raced: Dirt bikes, Karts, Trophy Karts, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Junior 2 Kart, Modified Kart, Pro Buggy
Series points standings: 13 Modified Kart (2012); 20 Junior 2 Kart, 18 Modified Kart (2011); 21 Junior 2 Kart (2010)
