February 24, 2017
Daytona International Speedway
Racing history was rewritten by the youngest driver in the field
At 18 years, 1 month and 26 days old
Kaz Grala became the youngest NASCAR driver ever to win at Daytona
At 18 years, 1 month and 26 days old
Kaz Grala became the youngest NASCAR driver ever to win at Daytona
“This is definitely the biggest opportunity I’ve had in my career,” said Grala. “Running for a powerhouse team like RCR is a dream come true, and one I plan on making the most of. With only a limited number of races to make an impression, I’m ready to get to work and lay it all on the line.”
“It's going to be surreal driving such an iconic paint scheme up the high banks of Daytona. The history of BMW in our sport is so rich; there's no doubt we will have a lot to live up to this weekend. It's amazing to have this opportunity from a powerhouse manufacturer. We hope to make them proud on Friday when we take the green flag in their colors.”
“I'm pumped to get back on track at Daytona behind the wheel of an IMSA car,” Grala said. “I've had success there on both the road course and the oval, and it has easily become one of my favorite tracks in the country. Though I have competed in the Rolex 24 twice since then, I haven't driven in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in five years -- so I'm sure it will take a few laps to get readjusted to the car. Unlike my stock car, I'll be working with an anti-lock braking system, traction control, and advanced electronics all while paddle shifting, which totally changes the driving style needed to get the most out of the race car. I've known Aurora for years, and am eager to co-drive with her for the first time. We are going to have a blast going for that top spot.”
“It feels good to have finished out the season at Homestead and put a period on this really wild year. This season did not play out the way any of us expected it to, but this has been the most fun I’ve ever had racing in my entire life. I’m so happy that we’ve had so much success so quickly. I’m proud of this team and I’ve enjoyed working with each and every person on it. Hopefully we’ll be racing next season; we’re still looking for sponsorship, but so long as we are racing, I’m sure we will only get better. We didn’t have the run that we would have wanted this weekend, but we had new sponsor Hot Scream on the car, and we hope to continue that relationship into 2019. Overall, we have a lot of positives to look back on in 2018 and a lot to look forward to next season.”
“First of all, I’m really glad that we get to close out the season by welcoming Hot Scream to our team for the season finale. Homestead-Miami Speedway is unquestionably the most challenging track on the NASCAR schedule. The track surface tests the teams in ways that are entirely unique to Homestead, and has a way of separating the best cars and drivers from the rest of the pack. It's the perfect place to settle a championship, and the perfect place for FURY to showcase its capabilities while competing against the best teams in the sport. It's been over a month since our last race, and I haven't raced on an oval at all in four months. I'm more than ready to finally get back on track, especially at my all-time favorite intermediate track. This year has been a roller-coaster ride so far, and I can't thank everyone at FURY enough for sticking behind me and working so hard to have the success that we've had so quickly as a team. Hopefully we can end our wild 2018 season with the perfect finale race this weekend at Homestead.”