Scott Keyes
MM Sports Scene
Chad Finley, a 2010 St. Johns High School graduate, got his big break in 2009 when current NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and Michigan native Brad Keselowski contacted him to drive his BK Racing entry in the ARCA series.
In ’09, Finley had three top-10 finishes in three starts in ARCA and a second and a third place finish in two ASA starts.
Last season, Finley competed in six ARCA races, recording two top-five and three top-10 finishes.
Fast forward to 2011. Finley is currently competing in the JEGS/CRA All-Star Series, which is categorized as a template body Late Model Series. Finley currently sits second in points after finishing 10th in the July 16 Illiana 100 presented by JEGS.com at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, Indiana.
Finley is on pace to capture the first-ever JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Championship, but more importantly, he also is driving a select few races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for Team Rensi Motorsports.
“My current season has been one of my best years to date,” he said. “We have enjoyed much success in the JEGS/CRA All-Star Tour. We are currently second in points. We have had two podium finishes and have finished in the top 10 every race. The credit goes to my guys and new crew chief Jimmy D. Smith. They are the ones responsible for our success. They work extremely hard, week in and week out, to prepare great race cars; I’m just the guy that holds the steering wheel.”
Finley, the son of Jeff and Christine, made his NASCAR Nationwide debut in June at Michigan International Speedway, but unfortunately a practice crash forced him out of the race. Prior to the crash, the No. 25 Auto Value Ford was 17th on the speed chart.
“The opportunity at MIS was a great experience,” Finley said.
“Through Team Rensi and Auto Value Parts Stores, Airlift Company, and Raineater Wiper Blades we were able to make it possible. I hate that I wrecked the car during practice. We were actually up to 17th on the practice charts when that happened. Unfortunately it was our only car and we weren’t able to participate in the race. I’m really pumped up to get back behind the wheel at Chicago. The guys still have faith and me and as a driver that is all you can ask for. Hopefully we can come out of there with a top 15 finish.”
With the support of his whole family, Finley’s racing dreams are becoming reality. Here is what else the St. Johns native said during a recent interview with Mid-Michigan Sports Scene:
MMSS: What kind of preparation does a driver go through when making the transition from the small little bullrings to a two-mile track and beyond?
CF: The transition is a pretty big step and I feel like that is something that is misinterpreted. On a short track you’re going much slower and things happen at a slower rate. Whereas on a speedway, things happen much faster. Another aspect that is really different is the aerodynamics of a 1.5 track and beyond. The NASCAR Nationwide cars are shaped like a box in many ways, which means when they are on the track they punch a big hole in the air. When two cars are racing in a line the car following the one ahead of him gets really pushy and hard to turn because it loses downforce. Unfortunately this is why we see many NASCAR races with less passing. This makes us drivers move around on the racetrack and search for grip all the way from the white line to the wall.
MMSS: What was the first thing that came to your mind when you hit the asphalt for the first time at MIS?
CF: I treat MIS just like any other track. I come there to be successful and gain experience. It has a little more meaning than other races because of it being in my own back yard. Brad Keselowski has won there in Nationwide and I would love to do the same in front of the hometown crowd and in my sponsors’, Auto Value Parts Stores and Airlift Company’s, back yard.
MMSS: Talk a little bit about your short track experience around mid-Michigan and how that helped with your move into NASCAR.
CF: Growing up around a racing family in the mid-Michigan area was very vital to me. We are fortunate enough to have so many great racetracks within a hour from Lansing. Racing on the short tracks is something I have always had a love for. It taught me so much about racing side by side with people. Experience that you will always remember and carry with you. I still love racing short tracks around here to this day. I do it as often as I can with my own team, Chad Finley Racing (CFR), that I compete with in the JEGS/CRA All-Star Tour.
MMSS: Talk a little bit about your high school experience for a minute. What year did you graduate? What high school did you attend? Did you play any sports outside of racing?
CF: I graduated from Saint Johns in 2010. I actually took extra night classes my senior year so I could graduate early and go down to North Carolina to be with my old ARCA Racing team at Brad Keselowski Racing. I actually played football my freshman year at DeWitt High School and I really enjoyed that and wish I would’ve played it for more years, but ultimately I chose racing, and it seems to be working out pretty good for me.
MMSS: Anyone who follows racing knows that family is a huge influence, and your dad has had NASCAR experience in the past. How much of an influence has your dad been on your career? What kind of advice has he giving you through the years?
CF: Dad’s been huge to me growing up. We haven’t really had much money to race on since I started and he has taught me so much about finishing races and being there at the end. He has always stood by me and supported me even when I may have been wrong. He is also the first one to tell me when I mess up as well, but no kid growing up racing could have asked for a better dad then I have. I don’t think I will ever win as many races as he did or be as successful as he was and still is, but he is definitely my role model and a great one to have.
MMSS: Lastly, to where do you see yourself advancing in the coming seasons?
CF: We want to continue to be successful. We want to win at all costs. We show up every week to win the race. Our goal is to win the championship this season; it would mean a great deal to me and my team. Just need a little bit of luck.