Colin Braun returns to Grand Am racing
Braun burst onto the sports car racing scene in 2006 as a 17-year-old competing for Krohn Racing in the Rolex Grand Am Series. He and co-driver Jorg Bergmeister won the Daytona Prototype race at Barber that year.
Braun moved up after the 2007 season to drive for Jack Roush in NASCAR's Nationwide and Truck Series, scoring a truck win at Michigan in 2009.
But with sponsorships drying up all over racing, Braun has competed in only two truck races so far this season for Billy Ballew. So, at the ripe old age of 23, he is regrouping by heading back to Grand Am.
"It's a tough time," Braun said Monday on the first day of a two-day Grand Am test session. "Sponsorships are hard to come by."
Rather than try to land with a NASCAR team that isn't very competitive, Braun has chosen to drive a Daytona Prototype for Starworks Motorsports, the team he competed with in the Rolex 24 at Daytona this year.
"I want to be able to win races," he said, "whether it's NASCAR races or sports car races."
Although he hasn't competed in Grand Am cars much in the last few years "it's not like completely starting over."
Grand Am is introducing a redesigned Daytona Prototype next season, which is what is being tested at Barber. Teams from both Grand Am and the Continental Tire Series are participating.
Notably absent from the two-day session is Ganassi Racing and drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, who won the 2011 Daytona Prototype championship.