Michael Ruttkamp, the 15-year-old Connecticut driver, faced similar problems in his home state, where the Department of Motor Vehicles governs racing eligibility. The state requires a driver's license to compete in any form of racing except go-karts, according to Michael's dad, Stephen. "And there's nothing you can do about that," says Stephen.
After Michael competed in go-karts for several years-winning everything in sight on a national level-the Ruttkamp family began making the five-hour trip to Greenwood Valley in central Pennsylvania when Michael was 11. He ran Sprints there, demonstrated driving talent, and competed in Sprints at tracks in New Hampshire and Massachusetts as well. He won at every level.
The Ruttkamps eventually aligned with Cary Agajanian and his company, Motorsports Management International, which also represents several Nextel Cup drivers. "You've got to have people on your side," says Stephen.
After getting experience in Hooters ProCup last summer, Michael plans to run that circuit or the ASA series this year. "Honestly, I take it a week at a time, God willing," says Stephen of his plans for Michael. "You take it a week at a time; you do your best. You work your hardest and have him keep going forward, but you also have to think two or three years ahead, and the goal right now is to have him in a Busch car when he's 18. I think that's feasible, but our main goal right now is money for next season [this season]. We have an ASA team ready to go, and we have a Hooters ProCup team ready to go."
Likewise, the Austin family, the Langs, and virtually every family with a racing prodigy faces the same dilemma-how to fund each successive step in the sport. With Chase Austin, the next steps are to gain experience on asphalt and find sponsorship.
"As with everything in racing, it's a matter of money," says Marianne Austin. "We currently are unsponsored-totally. Hopefully we can seek out a corporate sponsor to help him reach his potential, one that's willing to work with him to obtain their marketing goals when he's older. We're very interested in something like that. We're not going to close any door. Any seat we can get him into-dirt, asphalt, anything, anywhere in the United States-if we can get the money to get him there and put him in it, we'll do that."
Steve Grissom compares the dedication required in racing to that required in other youth sports. "It's like anything else kids can do growing up, whether it be football or basketball or whatever," says Grissom. "It takes a level of dedication."
The American Speed Association has long been a haven for young racers hoping to advance in stock car racing. ASA racing has been a stopover for the likes of Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Johnny Benson, Kenny Wallace, Tony Raines, Scott Wimmer, and others.
ASA's roots are on short-tracks in the Midwest, but the series also competes at tracks throughout the Southeast. The series may progress to competing on speedways, too, as an ASA test at Lowe's Motor Speedway last year was a step in that direction.
In recent years, the Hooters ProCup series has begun to carve a place alongside the ASA as a strong developmental series. Kenseth competed in Hooters when it was an upstart touring series, and Brian Vickers became the youngest winner ever in Hooters when he won twice and earned rookie of the year in 2000 as a 16-year-old.
The Hooters Series started as a short-track touring series in the Southeast and added a Northern Division to its Southern Division in 2001.
"The Hooters ProCup series wants to be known as a series for everybody and, yes, part of our niche is the young guys," says Tim Southers, director of public relations for Hooters. "It's a great place for them to come. We're lucky now that we have a lot of good short-track veterans who call this their home. Then there are guys like Brian Vickers and Michael Ruttkamp and some of the other young guys, like Regan Smith, Jon Wood, and others, who come here to get some experience. If we can fill that void, then we would love to be that stock car series for the young guys looking to move up and take the next step forward."