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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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 16: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Gray Gaulding (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

Gray Gaulding

Currently, BK Racing is competing full-time in the Cup Series (from the back) with 20-year old Gray Gaulding. Gaulding started his career with one of the most desirable rides in racing with Krispy Kreme Donuts sponsoring him in every race of his young NASCAR career.

He started in the K&N Pro Series East driving for SS-Greenlight Racing and NTS Motorsports from in the 2013 season and the 2014 season, respectively. In those two seasons, he racked up seven top 5 finishes and 17 top 10 finishes in 30 starts.

These statistics were not outstanding, but for a young man with subpar equipment and a top-tier sponsor backing him, they were more than enough to warrant a further exploration of his career prospects.

Unfortunately, the 2014 season was the last season during which Gaulding would race a full-time NASCAR schedule until 2018.

He moved on from NTS Motorsports to run limited schedules for Red Horse Racing and Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series in 2015, where he showed enough promise to cause Roush Fenway Racing to sign him to a development driver contract. He competed in two races for RFR in the Xfinity Series in 2016, and he finished in 13th place in both.

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