Hershel McGriff finishes 13th in Nascar race

For most of us senior citizens, the thought of getting on the interstate causes us some stress. So for a moment put yourself in a race car, bending around the first turn at the Portland International Raceway... and by the way, you are 81 years old, competing in a sanctioned NASCAR race.

Last Sunday, that is exactly what Green Valley resident Hershel McGriff was doing.

McGriff finished 13th in the race. Fifty years ago Hershel competed in over 200 races on the racing circuit. Last Sunday, McGriff broke his own record as the oldest competitor in a NASCAR sanctioned race.

Hershel is back in Green Valley attending to his mining business. McGriff is owner of Twin Buttes Properties, which is housed on a 9,000 acre spread near Green Valley. He's been in the business for 25 years. McGriff said, during a phone interview yesterday, that he'll hang up the racing gear until next year."I haven't raced for seven years, but I just had that urge to get back out there."

McGriff added that the average racer(on the circuit) is around 25 years of age. It's obvious Hershel doesn't sit around every morning and watch the birds chirp, instead he's up at five o'clock in the morning and heads for the office early. Hershel and his wife, Sherrie, spend a lot of time away from the office as well. "We take off in the motor home a couple of times a year and go to Maine to see the leaves fall,or maybe Key West, Florida," McGriff added. "We have our computers and everything we need to conduct business inside the motor home. It works out pretty well."

Chances are, that motor home will be parked outside Portland International Raceway this time next year, but Hershel won't be inside taking a snooze. He'll be rounding that first turn...chasing those 25 year olds.