Millionaire teenagers

As far as mouthy teenagers go, Doug McNair is one of my favourites.

And I don’t mean mouthy as in having-the-urge-to-smack-upside-the-head mouthy, I simply mean that whippersnapper charm that all 18-year-old boys (and some 40-year-old men) possess.

So, consider for a moment the incredible opportunities this industry currently offers to young go-getters like Doug McNair.

Barely old enough to vote, not yet legally allowed to drink, and he’s the youngest driver in the history of the sport to surpass $1 million in earnings. One year ago, he wasn’t even licensed to compete in Grand River Raceway’s young guns driving contest. Twelve months later he wins the track’s signature event, the $300,000 Battle of Waterloo.

Barely out of diapers and he grossed $50K this year! I can’t even fathom how mouthy I would have been at 18 with a year like that. And yet, he’s pretty even keel. He’s personable, enthusiastic, easy-going, and even humble — always publicly acknowledging his father and the other trainers who gave him a shot in this debut season.

And like many drivers that came before him, McNair will always have to deal with the jealous lot and their petty contentions that his success is merely an extension of his father’s. (Laughable and hypocritical considering most industry participants have less degrees of separation than Kevin Bacon.)

Add to that all of the normal challenges of being 18, the typical aggravations of being an emerging driver, and conversely, the incredible perks that come with being an ultra-successful young whippersnapper. It’s all good practice, I suppose, for the extreme highs and lows of a career in harness racing.

We should all revel in congratulating young Mr. McNair on his million-dollar milestone. It’s a lovely illustration of the incredible potentials that can be met by young and old whippersnappers alike in this very unique and very colourful industry.