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 (age 35) Eudora, Kansas
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
6 races run over 3 years
Best finish	89th (2009)
First race	2007 Sam's Town 250 (Memphis)
Last race	2010 Carfax 250 (Michigan)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
3 races run over 2 years
Best finish	63rd (2009)
First race	2009 NextEra Energy Resources 250 (Daytona)
Last race	2010 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	Ref
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	[7]
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	[8]
		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	[9]
	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	Ref
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	[10]
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	[11]

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	[12]
		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	[13]
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	[14]

References

1. Hendrick Motorsports Signs Chase Austin ^{[dead link]}, 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 Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
8. "Chase Austin – 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
9. "Chase Austin – 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
10. "Chase Austin – 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
11. "Chase Austin – 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
12. "Chase Austin – 2007 NASCAR Busch East Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
13. "Chase Austin – 2007 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
14. "Chase Austin – 2008 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 29, 2020.

External links

• Official website
• Chase Austin driver statistics at Racing-Reference