Colin Braun, 20 years of age and driver of the #6 Ford, has never been short of driving talent. He started professionally road racing when he was 14, and at 17, was the youngest driver to stand on the podium at the Le Mans 24 Hours after co-driving a Ferrari to second in the GT class. Following his signing with Roush Fenway Racing for the 2008 season, Braun had a new art to learn: oval track. Contrary to popular public perception, there is more to NASCAR than just driving in one direction, and not every racer wannabe can do it with one eye closed.
Braun’s first season was marred by inconsistency in a year where he finished 13th in points while winning the Rookie of the Year award. He carried that inconsistency into 2009 until he took 3rd place at Texas on June 5, then placed 1st the next race at Michigan on June 13. Since his podium finish, Braun has been on a roll. The young driver currently sports six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes, and sits 6th overall in the points standings thanks to his 3rd-place finish this past weekend. For Braun, this season has been an educational one:
"I feel like I'm still learning a lot and still have a lot to learn as a driver. Having a veteran crew chief like Mike Beam is a huge help. He's taught me a lot and always knows what I'm looking for in my truck."
And it’s a good thing Braun is learning. Next season, team owner Jack Roush will be moving him to the Nationwide Series, which Braun has called “an awesome opportunity.”
Image courtesy of Getty Images.