Cole Searing is always up for a challenge when it comes to racing and has proven he can handle it every stop along the way.

From racing go-karts as a small boy to becoming one of the top Late Model drivers in the region, the Huron man has thrived when he gets behind the wheel.

Searing grew up at around the sport because his father, Jim, was an auto racer.

“My dad would take me to watch the races all the time in Huron. He used to race back in the day, so he’d take me to watch all the time when I was growing up,” Searing said. “I guess I started long enough to actually buy a go kart. I think I started that at about 6 or 7 years old. (I’ve) been racing ever since then.”

Searing began his racing career in the Street Stock class at age 15, then moved into the Super Stock class. He began succeeding in several classes, including winning a national title in the Midwest Modified class. However, the challenge in those classes began to wear off, and Searing finally settled into the Late Model class where he currently races.

“It was kind of getting to the point where if you’d show up and didn’t win, then you’d kind of be upset. You just had to win every night to make you feel good,” Searing said. “I needed a different challenge.”

And that challenge came in the Late Model class.

“Dennis Moser and Brandon Moser were selling their late model, and one night I just had a coming to Jesus meeting with myself and decided I needed to either quit or make a switch and try a new challenge,” Searing said. “We decided on a new challenge.”

Searing thought there would be several adjustments going from the Super Stock and Midwest Modified classes to the Late Model class, but he was surprised to learn that he adjusted quickly.

“The change didn’t really affect me as much as I thought it would,” Searing said. “I thought the speed was going to catch me off guard a little bit and it really didn’t. I just took to it pretty easily. It was just something I felt comfortable in and there’s always a change going from different classes. I like learning and finding new things out and I seem to fit well with the car, and it’s just been going good from there.”

That fit has produced good results on the track for Searing. So far this year, he has won six races, along with several top five and top ten finishes. Searing says making sure the car is in the best condition it can be in has been the key to the success.

“Lately we’ve just been trying to run a lot of the bigger (races) and we seem to have a lot of success at that,” Searing said. “We’ve been running some bigger ticket races. When it comes to the big (races) around here, we just make sure our stuff is good and spend extra time in the garage making sure everything is well (maintained) and I’m going to do everything we can to keep ourselves towards the front of those things.”

Along with the big races, Searing said he enjoys the challenges that come with the sport.

“Every week is something different. Every week your competitors are going to find a little advantage to make you step up your game and make your program faster,” Searing said.

Searing also said the sport has kept him grounded through the years.

“It’s one of the most humbling sports I’ve ever been a part of,” Searing said. “One week you can be on top of the world and the next week you can wonder if you remember how to drive a racecar, so it keeps you on your toes and keeps you always looking for the next item to try to get ahead of the competition.”

Among many other tracks throughout the region, Searing said he enjoys coming to the Brown County Speedway in Aberdeen. He noted that some of the track’s pros include the close distance to home and the competition that comes to the track.

“It’s not too far from us, an hour and a half, where we can sneak up there on Fridays. They usually have some good shows that we get to race,” Searing said. “The track has been fairly good lately. They get a lot of cars and lot of fierce competition.”

Searing said he has appreciated racing against several well-known names, including Kent Arment, Curt Gelling, and Chad Becker. He says the championship-level competition is always welcomed when he is in Aberdeen.

“You’re always racing the best guys on the track, and that’s where they all kind of congregate, so it’s good to go there and test yourself with everybody,” Searing said.

Searing said he also appreciates the support he gets from those in the community of Huron, as well as other racers in the Huron area.

“It’s cool. We’re a fairly smaller town. We actually have quite a few guys that race from town here. We get a lot of support from the community,” Searing said. “The bulk of our sponsors are from here, and without Huron racing full-time anymore, you kind of have to go out to these other tracks and support them full-time. It feels good to have a lot of success and the community helps cheer you on, which is cool too.”

As for the rest of the season, Searing hopes to continue doing what has gotten him to this point in the season, including racing at some of the bigger races in the region.

“We’ve been running the Tri-State Late Model Series. It’s a little further south than up here, but they did make a trip to Aberdeen once,” Searing said. “We’ll probably finish off with them and we’ll go hit some more bigger money specials around the area and see what happens.”