Brad Coleman: Man on a Mission
by Arianne Hegeman, Girlsgarage.com
June 28, 2007
03:34 PM EDT
Imagine collecting a Busch Pole Award at Talladega Superspeedway, a victory over eight-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel at Kentucky, and a seventh-place finish in the 24 Hour Rolex all before the age of 19. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it?
Not for Brad Coleman.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s new kid on the block is not the average rookie. He has dedicated his entire youth to motorsports, attending online educational classes, traveling all over North America with LeMans Champion Price Cobb at the age of 12, and sacrificing typical teenage activities in order to be where he is today. Yet, Brad Coleman speaks of his experience without one ounce of regret. “At times it was difficult, taking classes online and trying to fit everything in. My parents encouraged me all the way. Just like any other guy in the garage, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my parents.”
Most kids would feel overwhelmed by such a schedule, but Coleman made the most of out of someone else believing in him. At the young age of 12, he began his intense training when he moved in with Price Cobb and worked around several professional drivers and race teams for an entire summer. The two met after Coleman competed in an indoor-karting event. Cobb spotted Coleman’s natural talent and helped built a solid foundation for his protégé. By the age of 14 and after spending two years under Cobb’s wing, Coleman became the youngest American driver to receive a professional open-wheel racing license. In 2004, he competed in the Pro Formula Mazda Series, trained in late model stock cars, and was named to the CDOC Pro Driving Team.
The time on the track and miles behind the wheel paid off. In 2005, Coleman set a world record in the Rolex 24 race at Daytona International Speedway by becoming a part of the youngest team in the history of the 24-hour competition. He and fellow teenage racers Colin Braun and Adrian Carrio, were chosen by The Racer’s Group owner Kevin Buckler. In an event where most teams are not even able to finish, the young team brought their Porsche 911 GT3 home in seventh place. “Running in the Rolex-24 is still high on my list of memories. That experience was unbelievable.”
If the Rolex was unbelievable, the recent phone call from Joe Gibbs Racing was icing on the cake. “I thought it was a prank call from one of my friends. I couldn’t believe it. I’m excited about the opportunity that Joe Gibbs Racing has given me.” Coleman is set to run seventeen races for Gibbs in the Busch Series 2007 season. That opportunity will set the pace for Coleman to make more of his dreams become a reality. “I want to get to the Cup series and run in the Daytona 500.”
As soon as he gets the chance to run at Martinsville Speedway, the event will complete a circle that began years ago when Coleman moved to Martinsville, Virginia in 2005, to train for the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series. He also completed his high school education at the Carlisle School during this time. He remembers what it was like to live close to the smallest track on the Nextel Cup Circuit. “I have never raced there; I could hear the cars out on the track from where I lived. I can’t wait to get out there someday.”
He certainly left his mark in the ARCA series in 2006 when he posted a win at Kentucky Speedway. The win did not come easily; he outraced eight-time ARCA Champion Frank Kimmel on two green-white-checkered restarts. The performance was memorable, and so was victory lane. Coleman’s celebration dubbed a new term within the ARCA division; the “Brad Coleman Bow” now refers to the manner in which Brad chose to celebrate his first victory in stock cars. “I wanted to thank the fans and thought the best way to do that was to turn to them and bow.” It may not be as flashy as the “Carl Edwards” flip or the “Tony Stewart Fence Climbing” but it makes sense. Coleman is as humble as he is gifted: despite his talent and amount of success.
Obvious to anyone who reads his biographical information, Brad Coleman would never shy away from any challenge on wheels. He would like to conquer the INDY 500 someday, but for now, he is more than content to make a name for himself in NASCAR. His pole at Talladega was proof positive that NASCAR fans will hear more from Brad Coleman.
The rest of the 2007 Busch Series schedule will feature Brad Coleman at the following races:
07.21.07 Busch Series 250 –Gateway International
07.28.07 Kroger 200 -O'Reilly Raceway Park
08.04.07 Busch Series Race Circuit- Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
08.11.07 Zippo 200- Watkins Glen International
08.18.07 Michigan 200 -Michigan International Speedway
08.24.07 Food City 250- Bristol Motor Speedway
09.22.07 Dover 200 -Dover International Speedway
10.27.07 Sam's Town- 250 Memphis Motorsports Park
11.10.07 Phoenix 200-Phoenix International Raceway
For more information on Brad Coleman, visit: www.bradcoleman.us
For comments on this article, email me at ahegeman@comcast.net.
