PERRY COUNTY, Pa. — On Tuesday evenings, you can count on the Rhome family being in their workshop at their Rye Township, Perry County home getting prepared for race day. It's part of the weekly routine that has become somewhat of a family tradition for up-and-coming Super Sportsman driver Troy Rhome, his mom Tracey, his dad Dan and the rest of his family.
"People know that Tuesday night is shop night," said Tracey. "They can stop in here [and know] the Rhome’s will be here.
Some racing team's have a big budget, some have a professional crew to back them, but Troy believes he has the best team of them all, his family.
"I'm living a dream that most people don't get to live and I'm getting to do it with my family," said Troy. "It's very sentimental [and] something that we've done for a long time and have enjoyed doing together."
Since day one, racing has always been in the Rhome family’s blood. Tracey and Dan met at the racetrack and when Troy came along it wasn't hard to predict he would be the next one to get behind the wheel.
"It was kind of cool for us because with me starting in racing when I was racing around the Silver Springs days, and then being fortunate enough to have a son to come up through and now be at the level where I was when I was younger. It has come full circle," said Dan.
The Rhome Family Motorsports team goes beyond just Troy's mom and dad, all of whom meet up after their day jobs to work on the thing that they love. His uncle, Terry Gouse, takes care of car maintenance, his best friend, John Provenza is what Troy likes to call his tire guy, family friend Mick Morrow looks after the engine and even 11-year-old friend Jaxon Lenker lends a helping hand.
It’s an all hands-on-deck operation.
"I have had the opportunity to give them a hand with this, and I'm enjoying every minute of it," said Gouse.
"I'm not racing anymore, but it keeps me around it," said Provenza. "I've been very good friends with Troy for a long time and there's no no better person to help in my mind."
A family crew, that would put their operation against any other in the state.
"We want to compete weekend and week out, we put the work in and that's what's got to be done," said Morrow. "I wouldn't have it any other way and we're not here just to work on a car, we're here to have a good time. It's fun with your friends and I wouldn't ask for anything else. You just got to love it."
It's love and hard work they put into the car that gives them just as much back.
"Us being able to do this a couple nights a week and have the family here and family around. It kind of puts some value back and things and it slows it down for us even though, there's a lot of work and a lot of commitment," said Dan. "You're spending it with good people. So it's just something that we have enjoyed doing for a long time."
A family that has known nothing but racing.
"There's no comparison to racing. It's in our blood," said Troy. It's something that you just do forever."
Troy Rhome and his team are currently 6th in the Meyer's RV Super Sportsman Winged Series standings. They are set to race next on May 11 at BAPS Motor Speedway.