Catchfence

Kansas (BP)—NASCAR driver Brad Coleman is often referred to as one of the young guns of the sport, with good reason. At age 21, he finds himself back behind the wheel at Joe Gibbs Racing — one of the premier organizations in NASCAR — after a one-year absence.

In 2008, he started 24 of the 35 races in the Nationwide Series (the second highest series in the sport) for Baker Curb Racing and he finished 23rd in the overall standings. He also had the opportunity to do some testing for Hall of Fame Racing in the Sprint Cup Series (the highest series) in 2008. And he climbed into the car to start one race for Hall of Fame Racing, in Michigan.

He’s come a long way in a short amount of time.

When Coleman was 12, LeMans champion driver Price Cobb saw Coleman racing at an indoor karting center in Brad’s hometown of Houston, Texas, and Cobb knew that Coleman was going to be something special. He approached Coleman’s parents and offered Coleman the opportunity to live with his family for the summer and travel with him on the CART circuit. Coleman trained with Cobb and in 2002, during his rookie season, Coleman won nearly half of the karting races in which he competed.

- BP Sports