Veteran Crew Chief Clinton Cram Returns to Lead Experienced Team

18-year-old Colin Garrett, driver of the No. 18 car for Hunt-Sellers Racing in last year’s K&N Pro Series East, will return to drive the car for Sam Hunt Racing in the 2019 season, the team announced today. Much of the 2018 team’s roster will also return for 2019, including veteran NASCAR Xfinity and K&N Crew Chief Clinton Cram, setting the foundation for an exciting and competitive season.

The South Boston, Virginia, native ran the No. 18 in twelve of the fourteen races for Hunt-Sellers Racing in the 2018 season, racking up 1 top five and 5 top ten finishes throughout the season. Despite not running the full season, he finished 10^th in overall points for the K&N Pro Series East.

“I’m excited to return to Sam Hunt Racing for the 2019 season. I wasn’t planning on running any NASCAR touring series races this year, but when I got the call I was super stoked,” Colin remarked. “We all worked together really well for my rookie campaign in 2018, so it should be interesting to see how it goes with the new environment with the team now. I can’t wait to unload in New Smyrna and get to work in my #18 Chevy SS!”

Sam Hunt, owner of Sam Hunt Racing, said “I’m really excited to have Colin back in the car in 2019. He had to learn a lot in a very short amount of time last year, so I’m excited to see what he can bring to the table now having some experience under his belt. It’s always fun to see drivers and younger kids mature into these roles – and Colin has a bright future. I hope to see him evolve into a leader of this group, as everyone at SHR is fully behind him this season.”

“I’m excited to see how Colin does in 2019. He’s developed a lot over the last couple of years and was really impressive in the last couple of Late Model races we ran last year. I think the K&N series helped a lot with that,” said Frank Deiny Jr., Garrett’s coach and spotter for 2019 and Crew Chief of his Late Model team, including for the 2017 championship season.

In 2017, just his third season of racing, Garrett was South Boston Speedway’s Limited Sportsman Division Champion and broke the track’s qualifying speed record twice during the season. He received the UNOH Youth Achievement Award in both 2016 and 2017, and was Rookie of the Year at SoBo in 2016. He also won two Pole Awards and one race in his Dominion Raceway Late Model Division debut in 2017, and won race 2 of the 2018 season at Dominion.

For business or sponsorship inquiries regarding Colin, contact him through his Partnership page or email [email protected]. For business or driver development inquiries regarding Sam Hunt Racing, contact [email protected].

Colin Garrett won two awards at the NASCAR Touring Series 2018 Banquet: K&N Pro Series East 10th in Points, and the Driver Achievement Award.

With him finishing 10th in points despite missing the first 2 races, we can’t help but wonder how he would have finished if he had raced them all!

Colin Garrett loved his days on the road this season as a rookie in the NASCAR K&N East Series, but he’s happy to be coming home on November 3, even if it means a little extra work.

Garrett will compete in both the Late Model Stock and the Super Late Model portions of the autosbynelson.com 250 CARS Response Energy Tour race at South Boston Speedway, which will take the green flag at 3 p.m. on November 3.

This time a year ago Garrett was celebrating South Boston’s Limited Sportsman championship, but early in 2018 he made the big jump to the K&N Series. Even though he missed the first race of the season, Garrett finished 10th in the final K&N East standings with one top-five and five top-10 finishes. The lone top five was a third in one of the twin 100-lappers at South Boston.

“It was a frustrating year, but a learning year,” said the 2017 Halifax High School graduate. “We were really fortunate to have the opportunity with Hunt-Sellers Racing. We were going to a lot of big tracks and learning the sensation of speed, learning how to manipulate the air. We got to go to all the tracks this year, so if we go back, I’ll be better.”

Garrett lives about 15 minutes from South Boston Speedway, and even though he’s toured the country racing this summer he may be most excited about that short ride from home next weekend.

“It’s kind of cool being at a different track each week, to get to drive different tracks and meet a lot of people. But it’s exciting to come back to my home track, to the track where I won my first race and where I won a championship,” said Garrett.

Garrett will be driving a Sellers Racing entry in the 125-lap Late Model race on November 3 and a Super Late Model prepared by Jamie Yelton and his Fathead Racing team. It is the same Super Late Model that current Cup regular Bubba Wallace won a race with at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2017.

Garrett tested the car at South Boston a week ago but the AutosbyNelson 250 will be his first Super Late Model start.

“In the K&N cars I got used to a lot of power with a big, heavy car, but getting into a light car with a lot of power, there’s a big difference,” said Garrett, who is sponsored by Propel GPS and EMRYS Properties. “The power isn’t a big deal; it’s how quickly everything happens. I’ve got to work on slowing my hands down.
“The K&N and Late Model cars, you have to whip them around they are so heavy, but the supers are so light and so specific, you can’t do that. It’s going to be interesting going back and forth. I’m going to have to adjust for sure.”

Garrett will be driving the same car in the Late Model portion of the event that he drove to a fifth-place finish in the season-end doubleheader at South Boston, one of only a handful of Late Model starts he had in 2018.

“I ended up wrecking it in the second race that night, but we’ve got it back together good,” said Garrett. “We were running second in the first race, overheated and I had to come in and wound up fifth. It’s going to be cooler for this race and the track is going to be grippier. It’ll fit my driving style a little better so I can attack a little more.”

The twin 125-lap races will determine the CARS Tour championship in each division. Gates open at noon with the Super Late Model race set to begin at 3 p.m. followed by the Late Model Stock race.

Adult tickets are $10 in advance until 5 p.m. on Friday, November 2 and $15 the day of the race. Children age 12 and under will be admitted free with a paying adult. Advance tickets may be purchased by calling 877.440.1540 or stopping by the track.

from SouthBostonSpeedway.com

Hunt-Sellers Racing driver Colin Garrett, wheelman of the No. 18 PropelGPS Toyota Camry, is focused and determined for the final two races of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 22 and Dover International Speedway on October 6.

Read more at Hunt-Sellers Racing: https://huntsellersracing.com/2018/09/20/garrett-gears-up-for-final-two-races-of-nknpse-season/

On Friday, July 27, Colin Garrett will make his eighth NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (KNPSE) career start in the Casey’s General Store 150 at Iowa Speedway in the No. 18 Propel GPS Toyota Camry with Hunt-Sellers Racing.

“I’m looking forward to getting on a new track, especially one that is as prestigious as Iowa,” the rookie driver said. “The track looks as if it will cater to my driving style more than most of the tracks we’ve run this season.”…

Read more at Hunt-Sellers Racing: https://huntsellersracing.com/2018/07/26/rookie-colin-garrett-confident-for-caseys-general-store-150-at-iowa-speedway/

On Saturday, July 14, Colin Garrett will strap in behind the wheel of the No. 18 Propel GPS Toyota Camry, making his sixth series start in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East during the King Cadillac GMC Throwback 100 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, Connecticut…

Read more at Hunt-Sellers Racing: https://huntsellersracing.com/2018/07/12/hsr-reveals-days-of-thunder-thompsonthrowback-scheme-to-kick-off-month-of-racing/

On Saturday, June 16, Colin Garrett will make his first career road-course start in the No. 18 Propel GPS Toyota Camry at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey where the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will host the JUSTDRIVE.com 125.

“I am really excited to run at New Jersey Motorsports Park this weekend,” the 17-year-old rookie driver said. “I’ve always wanted to run road course races over the years, so it’s really exciting I finally get to. I think it’ll be a great learning experience for me as well as everyone at HSR.”…

Read more at Hunt-Sellers Racing: https://huntsellersracing.com/2018/06/14/garrett-gears-up-for-first-career-road-course-start/

Colin finished 4th May 26, 2016 at South Boston Speedway in the Late Model Stock Car division.

Read full article at The Gazette Virginian

Read full article at Speedway Digest