Myan Spaccarelli said that when he was working full-time to build his business he did so hoping "that at some point in time I'd have the opportunity to go racing full-time."

Today, he jokingly lists his occupation as "unemployed" because his dream has become a reality. Five years ago he sold his recycling business and now "I spend most of my day working on" the Tonka Chevrolet he drives in the Pro 2 division of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.

Spaccarelli said when he was younger he raced motocross and Go Karts and did a half-dozen desert races in a Class 1/ 2-1600 buggy, and when he became a full-time racer in 2008 his first stop was the Pro Buggy class.

"A friend of mine knew I was looking at getting into racing and he knew I loved motocross and he said I ought to look into the Lucas Oil series," Spaccarelli said. "I started looking into that and then I saw an ad from John Cooley and Alumi Craft for a Pro Buggy. It said "buy this and be a part of our family" and that seemed like a good idea to me. It turned out to be a great decision. John and Alumi Craft are top-notch people."

Spaccarelli got some help from Cooley and company and some from Lucas Oil Modified Series driver Andrew Phipps, a neighbor in Simi Valley, California, where Spaccarelli lives with wife Viviana and their three children. Spaccarelli said after Phipps lent his expertise to the suspension setup "I went from the back of the pack to racing toward the front and got on the podium in Las Vegas (with a third-place finish on the final weekend of the 2010 season).

The next season Spaccarelli bought a truck from Las Vegas racer B.J. Baldwin and moved into the Pro 2 class, where he finished 12th in 2011 and 18th last season, when he ran only six races while doing some reorganization that continued through the first six races this year. He made his return, and debuted the Tonka sponsorship, at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah in June.

Spaccarelli said Tonka is as excited about its relationship with the team and the series as he is about the future. The main in charge in the pits is Evan Weller, a talented mechanic who went from tire groover to crew chief in one year, his Chevrolet SV2 engines are built in Tennessee by NASCAR veteran Vic Hill, a champion dirt track stock car racer, and he's getting some driving lessons from veteran driving coach Troy Adams.

"He's teaching me a lot about car control and good habits," said Spaccarelli, 43. "I tell him to treat me like one of his new younger students that needs to learn everything from the beginning and he's been very helpful.

"There's a long way to go, but we're definitely moving forward. I know I still have a lot to learn. It's kind of like climbing Mount Everest. You're happy you're climbing, but you really want to be at the top. You're always motivated to constantly improve. I love being in this series, and we're in it for the long haul."

MYAN SPACCARELLI AT A GLANCE

Age: 42 (6 July 1970)

Lives in: Simi Valley, California

Marital status: Married; wife's name is Viviana. They have 3 children

Occupation: Professional racer

Car number: 12 in Pro 2

Type of chassis: Race Prep Services Chevrolet

Engine: Vic Hill Chevrolet 

Crew Chief: Evan Weller

Sponsors: Tonka Toys, Spartan Trucks, For the Need Foundation, Larsen's Steak House

Years in racing: 4

Divisions raced: Motocross, SCORE Desert Series 1/2-1600, Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Pro Buggy, Pro 2

Series points standings: 18 Pro 2 (2012); 12 Pro 2 (2011); 16 Pro Buggy (2010)