7-29-2006 - Huntsville Times Racing champion no prom

Racing champion, 17, doesn't mind missing prom
Saturday, July 29, 2006
By MARK McCARTER
Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com
LEEDS - He's home-schooled, all the better to accommodate his travel and his career path. One would assume his best grades come in driver's ed.

Colin Braun, a 17-year-old from Ovalo, Texas, looks 14. He seems 34, with his poise, polish and intelligence. Imagine a conversation with a teenager which begins with him looking you in the eye, shaking your hand and lasts several minutes without employing the words "like" and "dude."

A month ago, Braun started second in the Brumos Porsche 250 race at Daytona, took it to the lead, then handed it over to teammate Jorg Bergmeister, who coaxed it on to a win. It made Braun - at 17 years, nine months and seven days - the youngest winner of a major North American auto race.

"He's the real deal," said a garage insider.

He is among the field for Sunday's Porsche 250, a Rolex Grand American sports car race at Barber Motorsports Park. (Green flag at 2 p.m. Lawn seating for spectators, with tickets available at the gate. For ticket details, maps and information, see www.barbermotorsports.com.)

"Obviously I'm really excited about (the win)," Braun said after Friday's practice at this elegant 2.38-mile track. "Being this young, it's a neat accomplishment to be the youngest winner in Grand-Am history. But I've been trying to win races since I was 5 years old. For me, it's less about the actual age and more that we got a win under our belts."

He started racing quarter-midgets on asphalt tracks, lured to the sport by his father, Jeff, a long-time racing engineer and now his crew chief.

"I grew up in the sport and being a young kid and a guy, I loved race cars, speed and all that," Braun said. "I got a car and, woooo! I started winning and had fun. You can't beat that."

He is the sort of wunderkind you see coming into NASCAR regularly and with great fanfare. Which isn't far from his mind. Sports cars are fun and all that, but "there are just not enough races in this series for me. I want to be busy, busy, busy."

Braun said "one of my dreams is to become a Nextel Cup champion. That's something I'm working hard acquiring."

Some NASCAR teams have talked with him, but at this stage, he is too young, by NASCAR rules.

This would be his senior year in a traditional high school. He said he doesn't regret the decision to race instead of attending a school, even with all the trappings of senior year.

"No senior prom? Oh, well," he said. "Senior race car driving, that's not a bad deal."