By Sarah Handy, Staff Writer
23-year old NASCAR driver Bayley Currey made his NASCAR Cup Series debut with Rick Ware Racing at Phoenix last Spring, a race in which he finished 31st on the board.
The Texas native is one of a number of drivers who has spent time in all of NASCAR’s top-three series but that hasn’t always been the case. Like many aspiring drivers, Currey started in go-karts at a young age and worked his way up the ranks.
“I started in karts when I was seven and ever since the first time, I sat in one I knew that racing was what I wanted to do. From there it was just a natural progression from karts to bandoleros to legend cars,” said Currey. “We traveled a lot with bandoleros and legends. Once I got out of those we mainly raced locally in the modified division in Texas, because at the time it was so expensive to travel. Once I got into late models, we were able to get some sponsorship and we could travel around the Southeast.”
After a few years of that, he was getting ready to hang his helmet up. Currey was in college at Texas State University majoring in Mechanical Engineering, he still is currently studying that same major in college. However, Currey has since transferred to UNC Charlotte.
However, opportunity came knocking on Currey’s door thanks to someone he use to race with.
“I really was getting ready to hang it up. Luckily, one of the guys I use to race legends cars with happened to know some people at Rick Ware Racing and got me with them. From there the NASCAR stuff starting rolling,” said Currey.
Bayley ran in all three of NASCAR’s top-three series at one point or another during the 2019 season with ten starts coming in the NASCAR Cup Series, 13 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and three starts in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.
Currey said the time spent in all three series this past season was ‘definitely advantageous’.
“When you’re competing against guys that have been doing this for years, getting all the laps I can at these places really helps out.”
Currey’s 2020 plans aren’t yet set in stone but he does plan on racing in all three series again, if the cards align.
“There is nothing set in stone yet, but I plan on trying to race some more Cup races with Rick Ware Racing and keep doing the same deal in the Truck Series and Xfinity Series just filling in where people need me,” said Currey.
With the Truck Series heading back to Richmond Raceway next season, the NASCAR Xfinity Series returning to Martinsville Speedway and the NASCAR Cup Series going night racing at the paperclip, Currey stated he would love to run all of those races if the opportunity came about.
“I would love to run all of them, whether I will or not is still up in the air. I have preliminary plans to run the Richmond truck race with a new team, but that’s it,” said Currey.
One track on the circuit in particular is a favorite for Currey and that’s his home track of Texas Motor Speedway, a track that’s been good to the young driver.
For instance, in Xfinity Series competition, Currey has made three starts at the mile and a half track and has yet to finish worse than 22nd
“It’s definitely is my favorite track out of all the mile and a half tracks. I know a lot of people don’t agree, but the way that it’s so flat in one and two and super banked in three and four makes for a really challenging place,” said Currey.
“You have to really pace yourself in one and two and charge three and four has hard as you can. I also enjoy the difficultly of passing there,” noted Currey. “You borderline have to move someone out of the way or at least pack air under someone’s bumper to pass and it pays off, if you know how to do that well. It also pays off if you know how to work it in front of someone to keep them behind you.”
In 2019, Currey’s career best finishes stacked up as such. In the Cup Series his best finish was 25th at Pocono Raceway in June. When it came to Xfinity Series competition his best result was 20th at his home track of Texas Motor Speedway and in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Currey brought home an overall career best in the series of sixth at Michigan in August.
As Currey embarks on his 2020 campaign he just wants the season to be better than his 2019 season was.
“The only goal I have for 2020 is just for it to be better than last season, run more races and get better finishes. I figured if I do that every year, eventually I’ll be winning races.”