A Madison Township man who still participates in drag racing at age 80 credits his longtime doctor for helping him to stay active. Claude Buchan races at Kuhnle Motorsports Park in Thompson Township, and at tracks in places such as Columbus; Norwalk, Ohio; Milan, Michigan; and Indianapolis, Indiana. Buchan has been competing in sanctioned drag racing for 62 years. However, his involvement in the sport has sometimes been interrupted by serious medical problems. Buchan’s health history includes a heart attack and a stroke, and he’s battled prostate cancer and skin cancer. In addition, Buchan faces a continuous challenge with controlling his diabetes. For Buchan, a key factor in recovering from serious health conditions has been the excellent care he’s received from Dr. John Baniewicz. “He’s probably saved my life two or three times,” Buchan said. Baniewicz, who specializes in internal medicine, has served as Buchan’s primary-care provider for about 30 years. “He has had some unique interests (his racing), and it has been delightful to see him continue to pursue those same interests despite increasing age and various medical issues,” Baniewicz wrote in an email exchange. Baniewicz, who has an office in Mentor, is part of University Hospitals, which is based in Cleveland. Buchan said he makes regularly scheduled visits to Baniewicz every six months. Part of each visit involves checking Buchan’s bloodwork for numerous measures of health. “He analyzes all my bloodwork, and when he sees any abnormalities, then he will send me to a specialist,” Buchan said. “Over the 30 years, there’s probably been 12 different doctors he has sent me to.” University Hospitals, in a news release, stated that it is “working to reimagine primary care as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports nearly 40 percent of Americans have a chronic disease, with rates only climbing.” “It’s an enormous number with equally large implications,” the news release stated. “It almost goes without saying that living with conditions like heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer or obesity can redefine how people interact with the world, often not for the better.” To address this situation, University Hospitals developed the Systems of Excellence, which draws on the collective expertise of caregivers to standardize and optimize care with the goal of achieving even better health outcomes for patients. “A focus of this is assisting older patients like Claude, who has diabetes, manage his care,” the news release stated. Buchan will be celebrating his 81st birthday on Feb. 2. He’s looking forward to the end of winter and arrival of warm-weather months, so he can participate in another season of drag racing. He began drag racing in 1962 at Thompson Drag Raceway, which was purchased by new owners and renamed Kuhnle Sports Motorpark in 2021. Buchan, who graduated from Perry High School, said he grew up with friends who shared a passion for automobiles. “When I went to school, that was all we did,” he said. “We raced cars and worked on cars.” Claude Buchan poses with his 1993 Ford Mustang in the winner’s circle after a drag race competition in 2023 at Kuhnle Motorsports Park in Thompson Township. A Madison Township resident, Buchan continues to enjoy drag racing at age 80. Buchan said he’s been able to stay active as he’s grown older, thanks to the excellent care he’s received from Dr. John Baniewicz. The doctor has served as Buchan’s primary-care provider for about the past 30 years. (Courtesy of Claude Buchan) Buchan owns two cars that he uses for drag racing: a 1993 Ford Mustang, and a 1972 Corvette, which he purchased in 1981. Along with enjoying the competitive aspect of drag racing, Buchan said the sport also provides him with great opportunities to socialize. “I get to see all my friends that I’ve known for years,” he said. As for the future, Buchan said he wants to keep on drag racing, and will strive to stay healthy by maintaining his routine of regular visits to Baniewicz. “My hope is that Dr. Baniewicz doesn’t retire on me,” Buchan said.