Chase Austin

Chase Austin (born October 3, 1989) is an American professional racing driver. He is a former development driver with Hendrick Motorsports and Rusty Wallace Racing, racing in NASCAR's Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. He also competed in the Firestone Indy Lights series from 2011 to 2014.

Chase Austin
Austin at Nashville Superspeedway in 2007
Born (1989-10-03) October 3, 1989
Eudora, Kansas
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
6 races run over 3 years
Best finish89th (2009)
First race2007 Sam's Town 250 (Memphis)
Last race2010 Carfax 250 (Michigan)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
3 races run over 2 years
Best finish63rd (2009)
First race2009 NextEra Energy Resources 250 (Daytona)
Last race2010 VFW 200 (Michigan)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
Statistics current as of November 19, 2011.

Background

Austin started racing when he was 7, in an old worn out go kart he built with his father. He earned over 60 wins while racing 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 States' top teenaged drivers.[2]

NASCAR career

In late 2004, at age 14, Austin 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 2009, 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. Austin's 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]

Austin 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 XFINITY 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 left the team later in the season. He was announced as the driver of the No. 32 Trail Motorsport Chevrolet Silverado in 2009, but the team closed very early in the season. Chase Austin picked up a ride with Xxxtreme Motorsport to drive the #07 Chevrolet part-time. During the Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21, 2009, he crashed heavily with Kyle Busch and Reed Sorenson while dropping down the track following a punctured tire.

Austin ran a Camping World Truck and Nationwide race in 2010 for the newly formed United Racing Group with sponsorship from Walgreens and Forgotten Harvest.

Indy Lights and IndyCar

When unable to find a ride in NASCAR in 2011, Austin signed on with African American former IndyCar driver Willy T. Ribbs in association with Brooks Associates Racing to make his Firestone Indy Lights debut in the Firestone Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Austin also competed in the Freedom 100 in 2012.

In August 2012, it was announced that Austin would drive for A.J. Foyt Enterprises in the 2013 Indianapolis 500.[6] However, the second Foyt Indy 500 entry was ultimately driven by Conor Daly.

Personal life

Austin is the son of an African American father and a Caucasian mother.[3] He lives in Eudora, Kansas.

Racing record

American open–wheel racing results

(key)

Indy Lights

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Rank Points
2011 Willy T. Ribbs Racing
Brooks Associates Racing
STP ALA LBH INDY
9
MIL IOW
10
TOR EDM1 EDM2 TRO NHM BAL KTY LVS 23rd 42
2012 Juncos Racing STP ALA LBH INDY
10
DET MIL IOW
8
TOR EDM TRO BAL FON 17th 44
2013 Bryan Herta Autosport
Jeffery Mark Motorsports
STP
ALA
LBH
INDY
8
MIL
IOW
POC
TOR
MDO
BAL
HOU
FON
17th 24
2014 Belardi Auto Racing STP LBH ALA ALA IND IND INDY
11
POC TOR MDO MDO MIL SNM SNM 17th 1

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Nationwide Series

NASCAR Nationwide Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 NNSC Pts
2007 Rusty Wallace Racing 64 Chevy DAY CAL MXC LVS ATL BRI NSH TEX PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA DAY CHI GTY IRP CGV GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM
41
TEX PHO HOM 153rd 40
2009 Xxxtreme Motorsport 07 Chevy DAY CAL LVS BRI TEX NSH PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA DAY
37
CHI GTY IRP
32
IOW GLN MCH BRI
36
CGV ATL
29
RCH DOV KAN CAL CLT MEM TEX PHO 89th 255
58 HOM
DNQ
2010 DAY
DNQ
CAL LVS BRI NSH PHO TEX TAL RCH DAR DOV CLT NSH KEN ROA NHA DAY CHI GTY IRP IOW GLN 135th 58
Curb Racing 43 Dodge MCH
35
BRI CGV ATL RCH DOV KAN CAL CLT GTY TEX PHO HOM

Camping World Truck Series

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 NCWTC Pts
2009 Trail Motorsports 32 Chevy DAY
13
CAL
23
ATL MAR KAN
DNQ
CLT DOV TEX MCH MLW MEM KEN IRP NSH BRI CHI IOW GTW NHA LVS MAR TAL TEX PHO HOM 63rd 218
2010 United Racing Group 46 Dodge DAY ATL MAR NSH KAN DOV CLT TEX MCH
35
IOW GTY IRP POC NSH DAR BRI CHI KEN NHA LVS MAR TAL TEX PHO HOM 118th 58

Busch East Series

NASCAR Busch East Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 NBEC Pts Ref
2007 Rusty Wallace Racing 66 Dodge GRE
19
SBO
10
STA
8
NHA
32
TMP
25
NSH
11
ADI
7
LRP
15
MFD
17
NHA
30
DOV
6
15th 1322 [7]
64 ELK
DNQ
IOW
DNQ

ARCA Re/Max Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Re/Max Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 ARSC Pts Ref
2007 Rusty Wallace Racing 61 Dodge DAY USA NSH SLM KAN WIN KEN TOL IOW POC MCH BLN KEN POC NSH ISF MIL GTW DSF CHI SLM TAL
32
TOL 163rd 70 [8]
2008 Chevy DAY
DNQ
SLM IOW KAN CAR KEN TOL POC MCH CAY KEN BLN POC NSH ISF DSF CHI SLM NJE TAL TOL N/A 0 [9]

References

  1. Hendrick Motorsports Signs Chase Austin , Hendrick Motorsports, October 6, 2004; Retrieved December 11, 2007
  2. Chase Austin: Driver Profile and History Archived October 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Chase Austin Official website, Retrieved December 11, 2007
  3. At 16, driver at diversity crossroad, St. Petersburg Times; June 17, 2006, Brant James; Retrieved December 11, 2007
  4. NASCAR statistics, Retrieved December 10, 2007
  5. Chase Austin and Rusty Wallace Racing make history at Memphis Archived May 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, October 27, 2007, Retrieved December 11, 2007
  6. "Austin, AJ Teaming Up". SPEED Channel. Fox Sports. August 5, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-08-11. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
  7. "Chase Austin – 2007 NASCAR Busch East Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  8. "Chase Austin – 2007 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  9. "Chase Austin – 2008 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
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