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Chase AustinAmerican racing driver
Date of Birth: 03.10.1989
Country:  USA |
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Chase Austin Biography
Chase Austin is an American race car driver who is currently competing in the Firestone Indy Lights series. He was born on October 3, 1989, to an African-American father and a white mother. Austin resides in Mooresville, North Carolina, and also has a home in Eudora, Kansas, where his mother works.
Early Career
Austin started racing at the age of eight, initially on an old and beaten kart that he built with his father. As he grew older, he achieved over 60 victories in karting competitions from the late 90s to the early 2000s. In 2001, he participated in micro-sprint car races and won 16 competitions in two years. He then transitioned to full-sized sprint cars, off-road racing, and the latest models of cars designed for both asphalt and off-road tracks.
While racing in Kansas, Austin won over 100 races in karting, sprint cars, and stock cars. He also emerged victorious in the Future Dirt Track World Championship, surpassing numerous talented young drivers in the United States.
Professional Career
In late 2004, at the age of 14, Chase Austin signed a contract with Hendrick Motorsports and competed for their partner team, SS Racing, in the ASA Late Model Series. In 2005, he won two races, finished in the top five once, had six top-ten finishes, and secured a pole position.
However, Hendrick Motorsports closed its driver development program in 2006, leaving Austin searching for a new team. He briefly hoped to join STAR Motorsports, but the team failed to fulfill its financial obligations. With his family owning an auto repair shop and parts store, Austin was able to continue racing in various series while also serving as the mechanic manager at the family business.
In 2007, Austin participated in the Sam's Town 250 race at Memphis International Raceway as part of Rusty Wallace, Inc. team. Unfortunately, he finished 41st due to an accident. Despite this setback, Austin became the first African-American driver to start on an oval track in the NASCAR Busch Series (now known as the Nationwide Series) and the second African-American driver in the series' history.
Throughout his career, Austin competed in various NASCAR series, including the Grand National Division, Busch East Series, and ARCA. He also had plans to race in the Nationwide Series for RWI in 2008, but these plans were postponed, and he left the team at the end of the season.
In 2009, Austin was set to drive the No. 32 Chevrolet Silverado for Trail Motorsport in the Camping World Truck Series, but the team withdrew early in the season. He was involved in a significant accident during a Nationwide Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in August 2009, colliding with Kyle Busch and Reed Sorenson and spinning off the track after a tire puncture.
In 2010, Austin competed in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series for United Racing Group, sponsored by Walgreens and Forgotton Harvest. When he failed to secure a spot in NASCAR in 2011, Austin signed a contract with former race car driver Willy T. Ribbs and Brooks Associates Racing. He made his debut in the Firestone Indy Lights series, specifically in the Firestone Freedom 100 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In August 2012, it was announced that Austin would race in the Indianapolis 500 for A. J. Foyt Enterprises in 2013.
