NASCAR: Should underfunded teams such as BK Racing target young drivers?

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 10: Gray Gaulding, driver of the DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 10: Gray Gaulding, driver of the #23 Toyota, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 10, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

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RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 05: Ryan Truex, driver of the #83 Burger King Toyota (Photo by Rainier Ehrhardt/Getty Images) /

Ryan Truex (continued)

After a 2014 season during which Ryan Truex recorded only one top 20 finish in 23 races, his Cup Series career came to an end after a wrist injury had him replaced from BK Racing before the season’s end.

This left him, once again, with his career in jeopardy since he did not have a ride in the 2015 season.

In 2016, Hattori Racing Enterprises called him up and offered him a part-time ride in the Truck Series and followed it with a full-time offer for the 2017 season. He managed nine top 5 finishes and 17 top 10 finishes in 38 starts with Hattori Racing Enterprises over the course of those two seasons.

He tweeted this out earlier in the 2018 season after Hattori Racing Enterprises found victory lane with Brett Moffitt. He was asked by a fan how it felt to see someone else win with the team after he failed to do so in both of the previous two seasons.

It’s all good. They helped me get my career back on track, those guys deserve every bit of success they get this year https://t.co/lHyE8Bj6WL
— Ryan Truex (@Ryan_Truex) February 25, 2018

Truex now drives for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series and seems to have a stable foothold in his career, but at 26 years old, will he ever be able to make the name for himself that he could have if he hadn’t wasted his time riding around in 30th place with BK Racing?

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