- The fun-filled season continues Monday night with “Christmas In July” at America’s Home for Racing, including the eighth round of Legends Car and Bandolero racing. Tickets for Monday’s exciting night of fun and racing are just $5 for adults, FREE if you bring a new, unwrapped toy; kids 12 and under are FREE.
CONCORD, N.C. (July 20, 2022) – VP Racing Fuel Semi-Pro Legend Car driver Byron Daley is getting his first taste of racing as a 30 year old, competing against drivers almost half his age at this year’s Cook Out Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway. But age, as the old adage goes, is just a number, and numbers are kind of his thing.
Growing up in New York, Daley remembers watching NASCAR on TV as a little boy and said he “vividly remembers telling his parents that he wants to race cars one day.” From then on, Daley has chased the idea of working in the motorsports industry.
“It’s crazy to see where I am now,” Daley said. “I never would have believed it growing up.”
A vehicle performance engineer for Richard Childress Racing, Daley works closely with tire models and the physics behind simulation racing. He pairs physics and math with RCR’s cars to test new setups ahead of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series races. “My goal is to always fix the problems ahead of time,” Daley said.
The 30-year-old isn’t a stranger to racing, as he competes in the iRacing eNASCAR Coca-Cola series. However, to better understand what the drivers experience behind the wheel, RCR signed Daley up to compete in the Cook Out Summer Shootout, his first-ever real world experience behind the wheel. It didn’t take long for him to realize how different simulated racing and the real deal were.
“The best example I can give you is the things you can do in a sim to save the car when it is out of control, you can’t quite get away with in real life because you are getting bounced around in there,” Daley said. “There are other forces you are dealing with and you can’t quite see straight when things are happening.”
Mondays and Tuesdays are big nights for Daley as he puts in a full day of work for RCR before heading to the quarter-mile at Charlotte Motor Speedway to practice and race under the speedway’s lights.
So far this summer, Daley has racked up two top-five finishes, including a career-best runner-up result on Tuesday during Round 7, but he is determined to take the checkered flag at the Cook Out Summer Shootout before the season is over.
Daley’s next chance for that first-ever win comes next week during Round 8 of the Cook Out Summer Shootout on Monday, July 25. In addition to a full slate of Legend Car and Bandolero racing, fans will enjoy a “Christmas in July” themed night of games and activities. Fans can get in for FREE when they bring a new, unwrapped gift with them to the gate. The toys will be donated to charity.
TICKETS:
The Cook Out Summer Shootout continues next week with back-to-back nights of racing on Monday, July 25, and Tuesday, July 26. On Monday, entry is $5 for adults and kids 12 and under are FREE. On Tuesday, all fans named Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Mary, Ruth, Esther or Sarah get in FREE as part of Faster Pastor night, which will also include the final school bus race of the summer, featuring area pastors. Entry for adults will be $10 and kids 12 and under are FREE. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, by calling 800-455-FANS or online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets.
KEEP TRACK:
Follow all the thrilling CookOut Summer Shootout action using the hashtag #WeCreateLegends. Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
-30-