By ohnson 
Paul McMahan has come a long way since his early days in California when his roots were firmly planted in a race car. Before Wednesday’s action at the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions race at Volusia County Speedway, the regular World of Outlaw competitor was filled with confidence that this would be a great year. He said, “Entering this season, I really want to be consistent. Last year, we weren’t consistent, and I aim to win again. I’ve never had a year where I didn’t win a race, but Rick and Barb Rogers, along with Mondak Portables, have given me a superb team for this year’s efforts.”
This year, there is a new look to Destiny Motorsports, with blue being the dominant color on the car. Paul joked, “Well, portable toilets are blue, so why not have a blue car?” Paul and his team got an early start as they have participated in all the ASCoC shows in Florida. The egg-shaped Bubba Speedway hosted three nights of racing last weekend. Paul said, “Bubba puts in a lot of effort to provide us with the best possible situation. There is about 18 inches of dirt on top of the asphalt. When it’s really wet, it’s difficult to pass, and when it’s dry, it’s tough to pass. You have to find a happy medium. Donny Schatz surely figured it out as he was able to pass cars there.”
When talking about the VSP, he said, “This is just an old, fast half-mile track. It’s wide open, and sometimes the tires slip, but you can really build up speed here.” The first night didn’t start as he had hoped as he timed in 25th place out of 34 cars. However, finishing fourth in his heat and making a late pass on Aaron Reutzel put him at 17th on the starting grid. But he rallied and managed to move up to 10th at the finish.
Having been a traveler for 20 years, he was asked about the stress. He said, “It’s not hard on the body as I’ve been doing this for a long time, but it’s mentally challenging. You’re away from home and your kids for long periods when you might be on the road for months at a time. The daily grind is tough.” No one could blame him for having his mind elsewhere recently as the threat of the dam collapsing in California hit him close to home. He commented, “My wife’s family and all of my in-laws and their friends live in that community, and they had to be evacuated. I think about it a lot during the day, but when I get in the car, I have to focus on something completely different.”
Originally from California, he now resides in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife. He explained, “My wife has friends in the music industry. I had to find a place to stay as I would be traveling, but I really like Nashville.” His children are now 18 and 21 years old, and those long road trips when they were younger are a thing of the past. However, with a smile on his face, he said, “My son works for Parker Price-Miller, so I get to see him on the road.”
McMahan has one of the more interesting nicknames in racing as “Pauls to the Wall” is his moniker. He said, “My buddies in Pennsylvania gave it to me. There were all sorts of nicknames, many of which wouldn’t look good on a t-shirt. So we settled on that one.” He has come a long way from his quarter midget days on the West Coast. Paul noted, “Even in those days, I had a dream of following the World of Outlaws.” In fact, when reflecting on some of the early competitors in Sprint Car action, he said, “I raced against some of the great names in California, including Tim Green, Brent Kaeding, Jimmy Sills, and Chuck Guerney, among others. I guess I’m showing my age a bit.”
Reflecting on the evolution of the sport since he first got behind the wheel, he said, “I remember when I first started, a $10,000 piece of motor was considered state-of-the-art. It has really changed a lot.” McMahan is just hoping that consistency will become a major factor in his 2017 season, and he is confident and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Destiny Motorsports.