DENVER, NC :: Two years ago, a kid from Mississippi came to Lee Faulk racing having never been in a physical racecar other than a few dirt races at his home track. Now, that same kid, Tyler Hudson, is making plans to attend NASCAR Champions week in Charlotte and will be receiving championship accolades at Homestead-Miami Florida the day of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finale.
Hudson claimed the $10,000 NASCAR iRacing.com Series World Championship title last night at Homestead-Miami Speedway after a late-season run saw the underdog unseat the two-time and defending champion, Ray Alfalla. Hudson claimed the title on the strength of seven top-five finishes in 18 races, one win, and a series-high average finish of 8th. Bad luck on the part of Ray Alfalla helped Hudson close a 46 point gap in the last three races as Alfalla was taken out in accidents at both Kansas and Dover before the season finale at Homestead where an fuel economy strategy wasn’t enough to finish ahead of third-place finishing Hudson.
“I can’t believe it,” said Hudson, who owns and operates a regional delivery service for automotive businesses. “I knew Ray was on a strategy plan, so I thought I absolutely had to win the race. I drove my guts out racing with Nick (Ottinger) and, finally, in the race that mattered, I think we had the absolute best car on the track. Against Nick, that’s rare. That car was the class of the field and to have that in the race we needed it most is a testament to One Up Motorsports and what the guys can accomplish. It was a lot of work this week, and it paid off.”
Hudson is no stranger to success in NASCAR. In his first and only full season of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series competition, Hudson claimed a career best finish of third at Hickory Motor Speedway driving a truck for Lee Faulk Racing. He was also awarded “Rookie of the Year” honors from the speedway in 2011. Up until now, it was his only piece of NASCAR hardware.
For his championship, Hudson will pocket $10,000 and an awards package that includes a custom, personalized NASCAR championship ring. All of the awards will be bestowed on him during Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, the same weekend that the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will be decided.
“When Tyler came on board, we were able to get simulators for LFR, courtesy of iRacing, for all of our drivers to use,” said Michael Faulk of Lee Faulk Racing. “While we have fun racing each other at the shop, it really has helped all of our drivers master new tracks, new cars, and improve their driving skills. Tyler had superior car control when he came to us, all through his time on the sim. And to see him win this championship, that’s just awesome. And I’m thrilled we were able to be part of his driver development and we look forward to working with him more in the future.”
“My season with Lee and Michael and the group was over so quickly, but I had so much fun and learned a ton about racing that I was never able to experience until I was with them,” said Hudson. “It sounds crazy, but there’s a lot I was able to transfer from the sim to the real thing. And there were a few things from the real track I was able to transfer to the iRacing simulation, too, making me a better driver and a sharper competitor. I’d recommend every aspiring driver, even if it’s just a few races, to give Lee’s program a shot. It helped me to fulfil my dreams more than I ever realized, and it can do the same for them, too.”
Lee Faulk Racing is one of the top driver development programs for drivers looking to begin their racing careers or further them through the ranks. With programs from the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series all the way up to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, Lee Faulk Racing provides what it takes for drivers to maximize their potential at all levels. Other LFR drivers who have tasted success in recent years include Hudson’s teammate while at LFR, Pietro Fittipaldi, Justin Bolton from Greensburg, PA, North Carolinian Brayton Haws, Venezuelan ARCA driver Nelson Canache, former Camping World Truck Series driver Chrissy Wallace and many more.
