Morty Buckles facts for kids

Morty Buckles is an American race car driver. He was one of the first drivers in NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program. This program helps talented minority drivers get into racing. Before joining NASCAR, Morty raced at local and regional tracks.

In 2006, Morty had plans to race in the ARCA Racing Series and Sprint Cup Series. He was going to join a team owned by former NFL player Terance Mathis. However, this plan did not work out. Morty has a college degree in mechanical engineering. He also taught at the Richard Petty Driving Experience, which teaches people how to drive race cars.

Morty's Racing Journey

Starting in Go-Karts

Morty Buckles started racing go-karts when he was just six years old. He raced in the World Karting Association. In his first year, he won 22 races! Overall, he won 161 out of 252 races he started.

For much of his early career, Morty had to pay for his own racing. He often used equipment that was not the best. Still, he managed to compete well against local racing stars. Morty looks up to Wendell Scott Jr., who is the son of famous racer Wendell Scott.

From 1995 to 1998, Morty raced in the Sportsman and Late model divisions. He competed at a track called Lanier Raceplex. In 1999, he raced in seven PARTS Pro Truck events at Concord Speedway. He often finished in the top five. He even won an award for passing the most trucks in one race. In 2000, he went to the Skip Barber Racing School. He was the fastest driver in his class there.

Racing in NASCAR Weekly Series

In 2001, Morty Buckles drove a Pontiac Late model car. He raced in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series. His team was the Miller Racing Group, owned by Leonard W. Miller and his son Leonard T. Miller. Both owners were black.

Leonard T. Miller believed Morty had the talent to be "the next Dale Earnhardt." This meant he thought Morty could become a huge racing star. The team signed a deal with Dr. Pepper for sponsorship. This deal also involved Rev. Jesse Jackson and his group, Rainbow/PUSH. They helped support diversity in racing.

In July, Morty won a race at Coastal Plains Speedway. This was a very important win. He was the first black driver to win a NASCAR-sanctioned event since Wendell Scott's famous win. After his victory, Morty went to the winner's stand. He finished in the top ten in 80 percent of his races that year.

Testing for ARCA Racing

In December 2001, Morty Buckles tested an ARCA Racing Series car. He drove for Bobby Gerhart at Daytona International Speedway. He was the 19th fastest driver during that test session.

Drive for Diversity Program

In 2004, Morty Buckles was chosen for NASCAR's first Drive for Diversity class. This program helps bring more diverse drivers into racing. Morty drove the No. 54 National Guard Ford car. He raced in the Late model division of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series. He raced at two tracks in Virginia: Southampton Motor Speedway and Motor Mile Speedway.

Morty raced for Belnavis Racing. This team was owned by Sam Belnavis, who worked for Roush Racing. The team also got help from Travis Carter Motorsports. Morty had a great year, finishing in the top 10 in 15 out of 19 races. Later that year, Morty took part in a special tryout for Roush Racing.

Morty continued with the Drive for Diversity program in 2005. However, he later left the program. He felt that the equipment and support he received were not enough.

Victory Motorsports Team

In July 2005, Morty joined a new race team called Victory Motorsports. This team was started by former NFL wide receiver Terance Mathis. They planned for Morty to race in the Nextel Cup Series and ARCA Racing Series. An experienced Cup team, Morgan-McClure Motorsports, offered technical help.

During a test session in 2005, famous Cup driver Carl Edwards noticed Morty's skill. He wondered where Morty had been "hiding." Mathis and Morty had big plans for 2006. They hoped to race in many Cup and ARCA races. But these plans did not fully happen. Morty tried to qualify for one ARCA race but did not make it into the main event.

Morty's Family Life

Morty Buckles is married to Maria, who is also an engineer. They have three children: Jada, Jordan, and Justin.

Morty and his father are good friends with the Ragan family. This family includes former driver Ken Ragan and current Sprint Cup Series driver David Ragan. Both the Buckles and Ragan families are from Georgia. Their friendship goes back to the 1940s. Morty's grandfather worked as a mechanic for Ken Ragan's father's race team.