Morty Buckles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Morty Buckles
Nationality	American
Born	1971/1972 (age 53–54) Stone Mountain, Georgia
Years active	1995–2006
Last updated on: September 1, 2014.

Morty Buckles is an American race car driver. He is an African American who was part of NASCAR's first ever Drive for Diversity program. This program helps talented drivers from different backgrounds get into racing. Before joining NASCAR, Morty raced at local and regional tracks.

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

Morty's Racing Journey

Starting Out in Racing

Morty Buckles started racing go-karts when he was only 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 used older equipment but still raced well against local champions. He 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 car divisions. He competed at Lanier Raceplex. In 1999, he raced in seven PARTS Pro Truck events. He finished in the top 5 several times. He also won the "Hard Charger" 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 with Miller Group

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

Leonard T. Miller believed Morty had the talent to be "the next Dale Earnhardt." He felt Morty just needed more practice to be ready for the top Cup Series. In January, the team signed a one-year deal with Dr. Pepper. This sponsorship was a big help, possibly worth $100,000. Rev. Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow/PUSH group also helped with this deal.

In July, Morty won a race at Coastal Plains Speedway. This was a huge moment! He was the first black driver to win a NASCAR-sanctioned event since Wendell Scott's famous win many years before. After his victory, Morty went to the winner's stand. Some other racers showed their disagreement by waving "rebel flags" at him. Despite this, Morty kept winning. He finished in the top ten in 80 percent of his races that year.

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

NASCAR's Drive for Diversity

In 2004, Morty Buckles was chosen for NASCAR's first ever Drive for Diversity (D4D) program. 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 split his time between two tracks in Virginia.

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 did very well, finishing in the top 10 in 15 out of 19 races. Later that year, Morty took part in a special tryout for Roush Racing. People often called this tryout "The Gong Show."

Morty continued with the D4D program in 2005. However, he and some other drivers left the program. They felt they were limited by the cars and resources they were given.

Joining Victory Motorsports

In July 2005, Morty left the Diversity program. He joined a new race team called Victory Motorsports. This team was started by Terance Mathis, a former NFL wide receiver. Their plan was for Morty to race in the top Nextel Cup Series and ARCA Racing Series.

A well-known Cup team, Morgan-McClure Motorsports, offered technical help for the new No. 04 Chevrolet car. In a 2005 test at Kentucky Speedway, Cup driver Carl Edwards noticed Morty's great driving. He asked, "Where has this guy been hiding?"

Mathis and Morty, who was 34 at the time, had big plans for 2006. They hoped to race in 20 Cup races and 12 ARCA races. But these plans never fully happened. Morty tried to qualify for one ARCA race at Nashville Speedway, but he did not make it into the race.

Morty's Family Life

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

Morty and his father are good friends with former driver Ken Ragan and current Sprint Cup Series driver David Ragan. The Ragans are also from Georgia. The friendship between the Buckles and Ragan families goes way back to the 1940s. Morty Buckles' grandfather worked as a mechanic for Ken Ragan's father's race team.