Truck no., team No. 33 (GMS Racing) Best finish 28th (2016) | 2016 position 28th | |
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Born December 29, 1998 (age 18)
Boston, Massachusetts ( 1998-12-29 ) Achievements Youngest pole winner in any of the top 3 divisions of NASCAR (Daytona)
Youngest winner in any of the top 3 divisions of NASCAR Last race 2017 Active Pest Control 200 (Atlanta) First win 2017 NextEra Energy Resources 250 (Daytona) First race Alpha Energy Solutions 250 Profiles | ||
Kaz Grala (GRAW-la; born December 29, 1998) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet Silverado for GMS Racing and part-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for Ben Kennedy Racing driving the No. 3 Toyota Camry. He is a high school Senior from Boston, Massachusetts and currently attends Worcester Academy.
Contents
- 2017 nascar trucks at daytona matt crafton blowover kaz grala wins
- Early career
- Stock car racing
- Other racing
- Personal life
- NASCAR
- Camping World Truck Series
- WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
- References
2017 nascar trucks at daytona matt crafton blowover kaz grala wins
Early career
Grala started racing go-karts at F1 Boston in Braintree, Massachusetts when he was four, and three years later, began racing competitively. When he was ten, he raced Bandoleros, winning the Summer Shootout Championship in 2011. That same year, he won the New York Legendstock and the Massachusetts Bandolero Outlaws state championships. In 2012, Grala won 15 races and the Winter Heat Championship at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Legend Car Pro Division.
Stock car racing
In 2013, Grala competed in the UARA-Stars Series, becoming the youngest winner in series history at Hickory Motor Speedway, followed by setting the record as the youngest driver to lead laps in the Myrtle Beach 400 at Myrtle Beach Speedway where he finished second to Lee Pulliam. The following year, he ran in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, where he became the youngest driver to compete in an International Motor Sports Association event. He also joined Turner Scott Motorsports to compete full-time in the K&N Pro Series East. At the age of 15, he was the youngest full-time driver in the series. During the year, he competed in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and won at Caraway Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. The next season, he joined Ben Kennedy Racing to race full-time in the K&N Pro Series East.
In 2016, Grala made his Camping World Truck Series debut at Martinsville for GMS Racing, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet. After a strong run, he finished 31st due to a tire failure on lap 93. Grala would get his first career top ten finish at Dover, finishing 10th. With Ben Kennedy joining the team, Grala moved over to the No. 24 truck to drive for the reminder of the season in select races. He joined GMS full-time for 2017, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet.
After avoiding all the crashes at Daytona, he won his first race at Daytona International Speedway from the pole. It was Grala's first win in NASCAR and essentially locked him into a spot in the Playoffs for the Truck Series in 2017.
Other racing
In 2016, Grala competed in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona for Change Racing alongside former Rolex 24 winners Spencer Pumpelly and Justin Marks, in addition to race newcomer Corey Lewis; at the age of 17, Grala was the youngest driver in the field. The team finished 52nd overall and 18th in the GTD class as a result of a mid-race crash.
Personal life
Grala's father Darius was a former sports car racer, competing in the 24 Hours of Daytona three times. Grala currently attends high school at Worcester Academy as a Senior. Grala is living in Westborough, Massachusetts but spends time in Mooresville, North Carolina.
NASCAR
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Camping World Truck Series
* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
(key)