Darian Boesch may be just 22 years old, but there’s one thing he hopes never changes. “If it’s up to me, I would race every weekend until the day I die,” Boesch says.
It’s a succinct but clear statement on his passion for racing, something that’s been evident in the young standout since he first climbed in a Jr. Dragster at 7 years old. He’s since become a force in the Top Dragster and Top Sportsman ranks, winning the NHRA world championship in Top Sportsman a year ago.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #172, the 30 Under 30 Issue, in November of 2021.]
The Louisiana native has already clinched the divisional title in Top Dragster this year and has picked up a combined three divisional wins, one national event victory and six final rounds in another impressive season. He’s at home in the quick and fast sportsman classes, and if he has his way that won’t ever change.
“Where I’m at right now is where I’ve always dreamed of being,” asserts Boesch, who won multiple championships in the Jr. Dragster ranks. “My dad always ran some form of Top Dragster and that’s what I grew up around. My dream was always to run Top Dragster and the Top Sportsman car is my favorite car in the whole world. I love driving the door car, going 6.20s, going fast in the quarter mile and trying to chase someone down.”
That’s always the deal in the Top Sportsman ranks, as Boesch’s roots-blown Camaro is one of quicker cars in the class, meaning he’s working hard to track down opponents at the finish line while going 6.20s at 230-plus mph.
It gives Boesch a massive jolt of adrenaline, but he’s invested in every area of the sport and may be just as passionate in the work off the track. Boesch is a stickler when it comes to the maintenance of his cars and while the thousands of runs he makes each year has been crucial to his tremendous success early in his career, it’s that time spent working on the car that has perhaps been most pivotal.
“Pretty much my entire life, I never missed a weekend where I could go racing,” Boesch says. “That helps me a lot, but I go through the cars between every race and for me, without a doubt, that has helped make me who I am. I definitely wouldn’t be the same person without it. It builds a connection between you and your race car, and I always like to make sure the car is good and ready to go.”
