Ryan Gifford, a 24-year old African-American stock car racer, will make his NASCAR national series debut at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 3, his first start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
The Winchester, Tenn., native will be in the #33 Menard’s/Rheem Chevy Camaro of Richard Childress Racing, a car already driven this year by the all-star likes of Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, and Camping World Truck Series title contender Ty Dillon, grandson of team owner Richard Childress.
A formal announcement was made on Wednesday afternoon. It’s a one-race deal aimed at gauging Gifford’s development and will be part of an Iowa doubleheader weekend. On Aug. 2, he will compete in the NASCAR K&N East Series (think Class AA baseball) event, where he is a full-time driver.
He’s currently fourth in the championship standings with a win at the Richmond International Raceway. That victory is what inspired Childress to give Gifford an opportunity in the Nationwide Series. Gifford’s relationship with Childress runs deeper than most.
He is also a race shop employee of former RCR vice president Mike Dillon, Childress’s son-in-law and father of Ty and Nationwide Series title hopeful Austin. Gifford moved in with the Dillon family in 2008, when as a teenager he came to North Carolina seeking a NASCAR ride.
In the years since he has driven for both Team Dillon and RCR in lower-level stock car series. It was Gifford’s prowess in a Dillon-prepared dirt late model that first earned a ride with RCR in the K&N East Series in ’09.
(ESPN)
