Every Mile a Memory

After the Loss of His Close Friend and Confidant, Torie Costa, ‘Mad’ Max McLaughlin Turned Tragedy into an Everlasting Memorial

Story By: MATT NOLES / RACERSGUIDE.COM                                                                                                                                Photos By: DAVE DALESANDRO and MATT NOLES / RACERSGUIDE.COM

SPRAKERS, NY- July 6, 2016- There is a name that gently adorns the fuel cell cover of Max McLaughlin’s modified. There’s no explanation; no reason given, just a beautifully written, barely perceptible name; Torie Costa.

It is said that all the people we have loved and lost are often found alive in our past memories. For modified racer Max McLaughlin, he’s brought the past to the present and managed to keep the memory of his friend and confidant alive and well both on the track and behind the wheel as well as away from it.

Joining that delicately placed name is a helmet; a living memorial that the young McLaughlin is incredibly gentle with. Adorned with photos of his lost friend, the second-generation modified driver will walk around the track before the evening begins and if he sees too many rocks on the surface, his helmet stays locked safely away in the hauler, playing back-up to another that holds little to no meaning.

It has been just over six months since McLaughlin lost Torie to cancer and the pain is still with the driver of the No. 6H HBR owned modified; undetectable almost, but there nonetheless. “I basically grew up with Torie,” McLaughlin said Sunday afternoon. “She was like family. She was a best friend to me and she was there through my whole life.”

When Costa turned 16-years-old, she discovered she had advanced stage cancer. While most teenagers were preparing for the prom or other events, Costa was in the fight of her life. “She was diagnosed with stage four Rhabdomyosarcoma,” continued McLaughlin. “Against the odds, she actually beat it a few summers ago.”

Unfortunately for Costa and McLaughlin, her victory would be short-lived. “About this time last summer it came back and hit her pretty hard,” said McLaughlin. “She passed away on Christmas. It was hard for me to get through.”

Through his grief, McLaughlin found a way to both memorialize Torie and keep her with him no matter where he goes. “We put her name on the fuel cell of the car,” McLaughlin stated. “And then we decided to put together the helmet so she’ll always be with me.”

When McLaughlin started his racing career, he did so in a pink car. Despite her diagnosis, the color combination was purely incidental. “When she was first diagnosed I was racing outlaw karts at the time,” McLaughlin continued. “My whole car was pink but not as a symbol of her cancer but because pink was her favorite color and she would always say that ‘everything is better in pink.’”

There isn’t a moment that McLaughlin has spent behind the wheel that Torie wasn’t involved in one aspect or another. “I had her with me my whole career honestly,” McLaughlin said. “Ever since I can remember, she was there; my life, my career, everything. She was always there.”

Whenever McLaughlin straps into his modified to head into battle, there’s always a thought of Torie prior to taking the track. Some may see it as dwelling in the past but the truth of it is this; there’s solace to be found instead of pain or anguish.

“To bring her out on the track every time I go out is pretty cool,” McLaughin remarked. “I know that she’s watching over me and it’s kind of a comfort thing for me. I have to be honest though, a lot of the tracks I go to if I see a lot of rocks, I won’t wear her helmet. I don’t want to gouge it up at all. It means too much to me.”

While it’s common to see names and numbers of people who have passed on from this realm to the next adorning cars from one season to another, they seem to fade away over time. McLaughlin is certain that he’ll keep Torie with him behind the wheel one way or another for the entirety of his driving career.

“I’ll definitely do this throughout my career,” continued McLaughlin. “Maybe not the same paint scheme but definitely something similar. The picture on the back of the helmet will definitely be on all of them for sure.”

Torie Costa hasn’t made it to victory lane with McLaughlin yet, but when it does inevitably happen, another lifelong memory will be made between them. “I haven’t won with this helmet or her name on the car yet but we’ve been close,” concluded McLaughlin. “But when it does happen it’ll definitely be cool for sure. If I can get my first big-block win wearing this helmet, that’ll be super special.”

It is said that all the people we have loved and lost are often found alive in our past memories. Torie Costa and Max McLaughlin are an exception to that rule. Every race day and every day in between, the loss of Torie has given Max’s life purpose. In that sense, she’ll never truly be gone.

Matt Noles is a contributing writer to Racers Guide, Speedway Illustrated and Dirt Track Digest. He currently resides in Sprakers, New York and can be reached by e-mail at matt_noles@yahoo.com.