When people talk about Bowman Gray Stadium’s Sportsman division, they’re usually talking about drivers like Taylor Branch and Derek Stoltz – but Chase Hunt is has inserted himself in the discussion as well.
Hunt, 18, has scored two victories so far in 2015 and is very much in contention for the Sportsman division championship at the Madhouse. Hunt sits fifth in points, 42 points behind championship leader Taylor Branch.
“We’ve had luck on our side this year,” Hunt said. “It’s a tough track to race at. It’s a lot different than anywhere else. There’s a lot of drivers up there that have been there for a long time in the Sportsman division. They have all given us a run for our money this year.”
Prior to running in the Sportsman division, Hunt has raced Street Stocks at Bowman Gray and Limited Late Models at Caraway Speedway. Winning in the ultra-competitive Sportsman division at Bowman Gray is special for Hunt though – not just because of the competition but because of the history, tradition and the electric atmosphere that surrounds the Madhouse.
“It’s probably the most exciting rack you can win at,” Hunt stated. “Wins up there are better than anywhere else. There are so many people and so much history and so many cars, you’ve really accomplished something winning up there.”
Like most drivers, racing was in Hunt’s blood. His father, Todd, was a racer. Todd Hunt quit racing when Chase was young but Chase got into racing when he was eight years old. Now, 10 years later, Hunt finds himself in championship form at Bowman Gray Stadium as he looks to join a long and prestigious list of champions at NASCAR racing’s oldest weekly track.
