Chase Austin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
||
| Born: | October 3, 1989 | |
| Birthplace: | Eudora, Kansas | |
| Achievements: | — | |
| Awards: | — | |
| NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics | ||
| Car #, Team | 64 - Rusty Wallace, Inc. | |
| 2007 NNS Position: | 154th | |
| First Race: | 2007 Sam's Town 250 (Memphis) | |
| Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statistics current as of December 11, 2007. | ||
Chase Austin (born October 3, 1989) is an American racecar driver. He is currently a development driver with Rusty Wallace, Inc. and races in the NASCAR Camping World Series, East Division.
Contents |
[edit] Background
Austin started racing when he was 8, in an old go kart. He earned over 60 wins while racing go karts in the late 1990s to early 2000s.[1] In 2001, he raced in micro sprint cars and won 16 features in two years.[1] Then he moved up to full size sprint cars, dirt track racing modifieds, and late models on dirt and asphalt.[1] While competing in the Kansas area, he won over 100 features in karts, sprint cars and stock cars.[1] He won the "Future Dirt Track World Championship", a dirt late model race for around a dozen of the United State's top teenaged drivers.[2]
[edit] NASCAR career
In late 2004, at age 14, he signed a driver development deal with Hendrick Motorsports.[1] Hendrick assigned him to race for the team's ally SS Racing in the ASA Late Model Series.[1]
In 2005, he won two races, with one top five, six top ten finishes and a pole position.[2]
Hendrick dissolved its driver development program in 2006.[3] Originally backed by the new STAR Motorsports team, the deal fell through after STAR failed to fulfill its financial obligations. His family was given a race shop and car parts, so they used the parts to race in numerous series. While a 16 year old in high school, Austin was the driver and crew chief for the family effort. He raced in 23 events in the season, with 3 wins, six Top fives, and eight Top tens.[2] He competed on dirt and asphalt. He competed in his first USAR Hooters Procup Series race.[2]
He made one start at the 2007 Sam's Town 250 at Memphis Motorsports Park for RWI, finishing 41st after crashing out.[4] In that start, he became the first African American driver to start in a NASCAR Busch Series (then the name of the Nationwide Series) oval track race, and the second African American driver to start in the series' history.[5] He started in eleven NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch East Series races, with four top ten finishes.[2] He had his first start in ARCA that season. He was scheduled to run 15 races for RWI in the Nationwide Series in 2008, but those plans were postponed. He may still run races later in the season.
[edit] Personal life
Austin is the son of an African American father and a Caucasian mother.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f Hendrick Motorsports Signs Chase Austin, Hendrick Motorsports, October 6, 2004; Retrieved December 11, 2007
- ^ a b c d e Chase Austin: Driver Profile and History, Chase Austin Official website, Retrieved December 11, 2007
- ^ a b At 16, driver at diversity crossroad, St. Petersburg Times; June 17, 2006, Brant James; Retrieved December 11, 2007
- ^ NASCAR statistics, Retrieved December 10, 2007
- ^ Chase Austin and Rusty Wallace Racing make history at Memphis, October 27, 2007, Retrieved December 11, 2007
