THE SOBILO FAMILY
Kid: KEEGAN SOBILO, 14 YEARS OLD
Parent: ROMAN & Hillary
NEW BALTIMORE, MI
Keegan began racing mini cup race cars at the age of eight years old. (A mini cup is a half scale race car with a 20 horse power engine.) At 12 years old Keegan began racing a full size late model race car which is what he drives to this day. This obsession with racing was all new to mom and dad who had to learn the ropes, trial by fire. Mom is a kindergarten teacher who had no experience to give. Dad loves restoring classic muscle cars, so his mechanical knowledge was helpful but he had no idea how to work on a performance chassis or make adjustments to a race car. Mom and dad needed help to get their son setup professionally. Some people were gracious and helpful and some people just took their money and tried to take advantage of them. They also weren’t prepared for the politics that came with racing. Now, six years later, the family feels that they have a much better handle on the situation.
Mom and dad believe that fulfilling Keegan’s dream has made them closer as a family. A nutty family at that. Dad says that his wife is a quirky Lucille Ball type character and he’s a classic, car loving type of dad. The spend a lot of time travelling and at the race track together as a family. Although grandma thinks that putting her only grandchild in peril is “bad parenting” she’s there too, cheering from the sidelines with the family Doberman. Keegan has had his fair-share of close calls throughout his short years on the track. Once, during a crash he was launched fifteen feet in the air and landed on his roof, totaling a thirty-thousand-dollar car. And yet the Sobilo’s persist…
Dad is a full time mechanic and mom is a kindergarten teacher. They are a middle class family, so all over their extra money is put into Keegan’s racing. Dad works on Keegan’s car before every race and transports it to the chassis builder (three hours one way) for adjustments. They have given up several family vacations, missed family functions and have spent retirement savings on racing. Dad also spends time promoting Keegan and making professional marketing materials, meeting with sponsors and trying to get Keegan in front of the camera. He’s been on the news and written up on papers on several occasions.
Dad admits the he is driven by the desire to see his son win. He lives for the fun ride home after Keegan takes home a trophy. The more obstacles they overcome, the better they feel. They have seen yelling matches, fights and have witnessed people suspended from tracks. The Sobilo’s admit that they’ve been guilty of “all of the above,” from time to time.
The families goal for 2022 is seat time, seat time, seat time! They have a goal to race 30 races in six months between April and September. The family has applied to the CRA Sportsman Series which is a points standings series where drivers compete to accumulate points throughout the season, competing for a championship. This will be a full time, number one commitment for the family next year. When they are not in that series they will be on their local track called Spartan Speedway. The Sobilo’s are as fierce as they are lovable, and son Keegan has a likable personality that just might make him a super star one day.