In 2014 people asking Sean Foster through comments on Facebook about when he was bringing back Short Track Racer became almost social media cliché in the Southern New England Racing scene.
In 2013 Foster, an SK Modified division driver at Stafford Motor Speedway, launched the Short Track Racer video series on YouTube.
Foster created the monster, but then couldn’t keep it rolling. The look inside the life of a local race team became wildly popular across the short track scene, but also became massively demanding on Foster, who was essentially a one-man production crew.
Now, it’s coming back, with some help.
Foster, of Willington, has connected with John Murphy of Xpressive Productions of Hartford to bring Short Track Racer back to YouTube this season.
“Last year, I was attempting for season two of Short Track Racer, but way too many things got in the way,” Foster said. “My work schedule, I ended up getting a new job, and I realized really quick that it wasn’t going to be possible if I wanted to sleep, ever.
“I ended up posting a Craigslist ad searching for video editors and filmers and anything like that. And this kid John Murphy contacted me. He has a place called Xpressive Productions. He was a very interested. He went to a couple races last year. We didn’t really feel comfortable with putting anything out last year, but we got acquainted with each other. I contacted him a month or two ago and he was excited to do it. He’s all pumped up about it and so am I.”
When he launched Short Track Racer during the 2013 racing season, Foster wasn’t shocked by how quickly the series grew in popularity.
“I hadn’t been able to come across anything similar to it,” Foster said. “I haven’t found anything that is short track related … following the lifestyle of a racer, which is a very interesting lifestyle to say the least. So I had kind of figured it would be a popular item right off the bat.”
Foster said the series will continue to have the same simple theme of showing the racing life that he created in the first year of the series.
“I always struggled with trying to concentrate on the racecar and I’d be at the track and then I would realize ‘Oh crap, I didn’t even take any footage of my day here.’” Foster said. “It’s kind of a pain in the ass trying to do all of that on your own and then spend your nights editing all the footage. It will be much better for that reason. [Murphy will] be able to get a lot more footage that I was never able to. And it will free me up and I can spend more time at the race shop and concentrating on the racecar while him the filmers can concentrate on getting footage. John is also extremely talented in the editing field – with editing and motion graphics – so right off the bat it’s going to have some more flair to it.”
While still living in Connecticut, attending Stafford Motor Speedway weekly , I was a huge proponent of Short Track Racer. I believe Sean’s work to be a vital piece/addition of information. It shows the hard work and dedication; an area I hugely respect about racers and teams. Know that I’m here in St. Petersburg, with little ability to be at Stafford. I’ll be sweating in anticipation waiting for each show. I hope each segment will be as great and wish Sean Foster and John Murphy all the best.