The final weeks of the 2024 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series season were extremely stressful for veteran racer A.J. Sanders.
Winning the Division IV national championship required Sanders to maximize every point possible in a three-way battle with Nathan McNabb of Berlin Raceway and Adam Hensel of Adams County Speedway. When the dust settled, Sanders had earned the national title over McNabb and Hensel, who both missed out by two points.
Sanders’ stellar season also included championships in the DIV Southeast Regional division of the Weekly Series and the Stadium Stock division at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Nothing about the process was easy, but Sanders was not ready to let adversity stand in the way of more accomplishments on his resume.
“It took everything I had to get that title,” Sanders said. “We ran good all year, but once I got disqualified from Florence, that put me two points behind, but we were able to overcome all the obstacles that were put in front of me. At my age, and after everything we had to fight for to get it, this probably means the most of any championships I got.
“You might knock us down, but you can’t hold us down.”
[caption id="attachment_448389" align="aligncenter" width="1300"]Now 56, Sanders has developed a reputation as one of the most stalwart short-track competitors on the East Coast.
The copious number of track championships Sanders has accumulated in the region features three straight in Bowman Gray’s Stadium Stock class, bringing him to five overall at the track. With the consistency he displayed in 2024, Sanders now possesses a second regional and national title to his name.
Sanders’ high standard of success starts with his late father Archie, a dedicated competitor himself who got his son started racing on dirt tracks. After finishing third in his debut event at what is now Ace Speedway, Sanders gradually devoted more of his time to motorsports with Archie supporting him in every regard.
The guidance Archie initially imparted onto Sanders has stayed with him throughout a career that has encompassed four decades. Maintaining a blue-collar style of approach -- just like that of Archie -- enabled Sanders to find his comfort zone and ascertain all the information needed to enjoy sustainable success.
“[My dad] told me to do it the basic way, like the old ways,” Sanders said. “Don’t change what you’re doing, and that’s the way I’ve done this all my life. We do this all ourselves, and that’s another thing he burrowed into my head. There’s not a piece on that car I don’t touch.
“If you work on it, you’re going to know your car.”
[caption id="attachment_448390" align="alignnone" width="1300"]Being hands-on is not the only component of Sanders’ winning formula; he has also leaned on many of his contemporaries for advice.
When Sanders competed in Super Late Models earlier in his career, the drivers he faced included Freddie Query, five-time Snowball Derby winner Rich Bickle and three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Jack Sprague. Their guidance was invaluable for Sanders when it came to understanding his limits and how to make improvements.
Sanders has attempted to apply his collective knowledge to other disciplines over the years, but he finds himself content with running Stadium Stocks, which are known as Mini Stocks at other tracks. The competition routinely tests Sanders, who excels despite operating on a limited budget.
“This is something I can do by myself,” Sanders said. “It’s affordable, and you can go to other places and race them, which is fine. This is a car you have to drive. I can get in a Late Model, and that’s like driving a Cadillac down the interstate compared to these things. You actually have to wheel these cars.”
Despite this viewpoint, Sanders said many aspects of conventional race craft do not apply when it comes to navigating Bowman Gray’s compact layout. The primary factor in races at Bowman Gray is patience, but Sanders admitted there is balance between being conservative and aggressive that needs to be perfected in the short Stadium Stock events.
Bowman Gray can be stressful when it comes to the chaotic nature of the races, but Sanders still enjoys every opportunity to add to his legacy inside The Madhouse. For as long as he can, Sanders plans to keep racing at Bowman Gray while simultaneously passing down his knowledge to the next generation.
All three of Sanders’ children have followed in their father’s footsteps by turning competitive laps. His oldest son Andrew no longer competes, but Sanders’ two youngest children, Stephen and Blaze, remain present in the industry, with the latter having made his debut in Bowman Gray’s Stadium Stock division this year.
[caption id="attachment_448392" align="alignnone" width="1300"]Sanders is also keeping a close eye on his 10-year-old grandson Clayton, who he recently got to race against for the first time. The cohesion Clayton displayed impressed Sanders, who believes his family has a bright future in racing long after he decides to finally retire.
“[Clayton] had never set foot in a race car, but I was blown away by the raw talent,” Sanders said. “We all race, so the Sanders name is going to go on. With everybody racing, I don’t see the Sanders [family] leaving the sport no time soon. [But Clayton,] he’s going to be the one to watch.”
Aside from wanting to compete with and against his family members in more races, Sanders knows there is not much left for him to accomplish in Mini Stocks. He hopes to venture into other disciplines and tracks to see how he measures up to the competition.
Sanders has never been one to back down from a challenge, as he has climbed back into the seat after surviving heart attacks and getting run over by a truck. Staying competitive through the adversity is something Sanders cherishes, which is why he wants to continue racing as long as his car is out front.
“I’m going to hang it up if I can’t win at least one race a year,” Sanders said. “I race probably 50 times or more a year, so if I can’t win one, then I’ll know it’s time to hand the steering wheel over to one of my kids and step back to work on the cars.
“We’re not going to get rich in racing, so you just have to enjoy what you do and make it fun.”
The obstacles Sanders faced to win a track, regional and national title this year were just part of the process for the seasoned competitor. When 2025 begins, Sanders will be ready to face whatever is in front of him so he can put himself in contention for more wins and championships.