This weekend I had a chance to sit down with NASCAR Xfinity driver Kaz Grala. Last season he became the youngest driver ever to win a race at the Daytona International Speedway. Kaz now drives the #24 Ford for the JGL Racing Team. He finished 4th in Saturdays QQQ 300 at Daytona International Speedway.(Read our Race Report here: https://lastwordonmotorsport.com/2018/02/17/tyler-reddick-wins-powershare-qqq-300/ )
An Interview with Kaz Grala
Q. This track probably has some special meaning for you, winning here last season with the Camping World Truck Series. You are undefeated.
A. Yeah but I have now been defeated in qualifying but we are gonna try to keep our record intact for the race. We had a really bad qualifying run, starting way back. There’s a lot of laps to do that but we have to come back from 29th. I feel pretty good about the JGL racing Ford and we got a Roush alliance and they’ve helped us out a lot here.
Q. The Penske Fords looked very good in the Duels Thursday night. Do you think you’ll have plenty of drafting help in your race?
A. I hope so. We really had the car set up for the race as opposed to qualifying so I think we’ll be able to race to the front.
Q. Last season you raced in the Truck Series. How different do these cars drive?
A. I actually haven’t done any drafting yet with these cars so I really don’t know. When the race starts it will be my first experience with driving with other cars anywhere near me. It will be a challenge.
Q. As a racer, you get to visit some pretty awesome place, Daytona being one of them. Do you do any neat stuff while you’re here, maybe the beach?
A. I just love the Daytona area in general. I’ve done the Rolex24 the last two years. I’ve done the Arca race last year and I’ve done the truck race last year and I’ve even raced in the K&N Series at New Smyrna. So for me the better part of January and February I’ve spent in Daytona so its like my other home. I enjoy it here. It feels like a vacation until you get to the track and than it’s time to get to work. I know the area pretty well. I know the restaurants and I love the beach.
Q. If you weren’t a NASCAR driver what would you see yourself doing?
A. Right now I’d probably be in college for engineering which I still plan on doing even with the racing. I’ve had to put that on hold while I’m focusing full time on my NASCAR career. I plan on going to Georgia Tech to study Mechanical Enginerring, that’s where I’m accepted right now. I should be starting in the spring of next year.
Q. You and William Byron could share text books.
A. Yeah, he’s got it good doing the online stuff. Georgia Tech doesn’t offer their course online so I plan on actually living down there in a dorm. Before I actually make that decision I have to see how my NASCAR career goes.
Q. Jeff Gluck has a series of questions he asks. One of them is he asks what the drivers middle finger policy is. What is yours?
A. I have never been flipped off on the track and I have never flipped anybody off on the track. I have a pretty cool head out there. Cool calm and collected you could say. On the regular highway I’ve been flipped off a couple of times. I make some pretty tight calls there and I’ll be needing to do that later on today.
Thanks for reading. Listen to WTBQ Radio on Monday and Friday mornings at 8:45 as I join Frank, Taylor and the Morning Show gang to discuss the current happening in NASCAR. 1110AM, 93.5FM or online at WTBQ.com. Follow me on twitter @JimLaplante.
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