For most local short track racers the thoughts of getting behind the wheel for the 2019 season are still months away as winter progresses.
For Stafford Motor Speedway SK Light Modified division regular Bryan Narducci, the chance to turn laps will come rather quickly though.
And they will come at a speed the 18-year old has never experienced before.
Narducci, of Colchester, will test with the Our Motorsports ARCA team Friday and Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.
“I’m pretty excited,” Narducci said. “I definitely never imagined this would happen.”
Longtime Whelen Modified Tour driver Andy Seuss is the primary driver for the Our Motorsports ARCA team, which is owned by former Whelen Modified Tour team owner Chris Our.
Narducci said he’s unsure of what could come about from the test or if there could be a possibility that he could make a start for the team this year.
“I hope for something,” Narducci said. “You’re always hoping to do more stuff.”
Narducci finished second in the SK Light Modified standings with five wins as a rookie in the division at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2018. He will return to the division full-time in 2019. He also has SK Light Modified wins at Thompson Speedway and the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. He also made his Valenti Modified Racing Series debut in 2018.
Narducci won the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division III national championship in 2018 and was runner-up nationally in the NASCAR UNOH Youth Achievement Award standings.
Narducci, who has cerebral palsy, made the jump from go-karts to the Limited Late Model division at Stafford Speedway in 2016.
C.J. McLaughlin of Framingham, Mass. will also test with the team this weekend.
“Everyone on the Our Motorsports team has worked very hard to build a strong superspeedway team,” Seuss in a release. “We have only run a limited schedule, but that hard work has shown in just those few events. In the past four superspeedway races, we have two top five and three top ten finishes. We have proven that we can run right up there at the front of the pack and contend for victories. We will continue to chase that first victory while also trying to build the team for the future. I’m excited to have the opportunity to continue driving the #02 and I’m also excited to help grow this team off the track by welcoming C.J. and Bryan.”
I was under the impression that both NASCAR and ARCA required drivers to run some races on at least one of the bigger tracks before you could compete at Daytona and Talladega. Unless ARCA dropped that requirement in the past several years.
Three things get a kid with zero experience on a super speedway the opportunity to do something like this. An incredible network of support, charisma and faith in his skills.
Glad the CP thing was mentioned. Like most young men his age I’ll bet he’s a mass of hormones, insecurities and confusion about finding his way in life. I’m absolutely certain he wants to be the up and comer that people judge based on results and not the up and comer with CP. But it’s a big deal and an inspiration to a lot of kids facing the same challenges.
Give-em-hell Bryan but be really careful.
JMB I believe your right but he’s only testing probably on track alone, mot competing
Doug, are you Dr. Phil in disguise?
JMB, I myself was also approved for the test. Unfortunately due to a rule change that set back the small underfunded team (JP Racing) I was set to test for, I will not be in attendance.
I will say this, ARCA was very open to giving me the opportunity to test, however Joe Wells from ARCA made it very clear that all I could do at Daytona, was test. In order to compete in an actual Superspeedway event, he will likely be required to test at an intermediate track and then compete at an intermediate event before he can then go compete at a Superspeedway event due to experience level.
I will say I wish Bryan the best. He’s a damn good kid and hopefully has a bright future ahead.
No humphry I’m not. Just a dad that helped raise a child with CP and paid attention while he was growing up.
It is tough not to root for this kid. He is an exciting driver and doing it while dealing with a medical condition. Best of luck to him. Selfishly, I hope he sticks around the SK lights and moves into the SK’s for a few years before going on to bigger things.
CG, exactly and I agree. Experience is the best teacher.
JMD,I WAS also understand the impression that you had to have some intermediate experience to compete at a superspeedway. But I guess you can test, just not compete. Hope things go good for Brian, he’s a great kid