Catchfence

CONCORD, N.C. (July 5, 2010) – At age 15, Memphis, Tenn., native Logan Ruffin is already a victory contender in the USAR Pro Cup Series, but with less than a year on the circuit, the leader in the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year standings looks to his family and fellow driver J.P. Morgan for support.

“He’s been like a teammate to me. I can’t thank him enough,” Ruffin said about Morgan, a Charlotte, N.C., native, who sometimes grabs lunch with the teenager in addition to discussing racing’s technical side with him.

Since Ruffin made his USAR Pro Cup Series debut at Iowa Speedway last fall at age 14, Morgan has seen Ruffin improve tremendously week-to-week. He now sees Ruffin racing aggressively but clean, which is the way one gains respect.

“He’s gun-ho and hard on the throttle,” Morgan noted.

Morgan decided to take Ruffin under his wing after watching the young racer on-and-off the track.

“To see him excited to race, it gets me excited and helps me out,” Morgan commented.

Morgan’s advice for Ruffin is to “keep your mind focused and to stay dedicated to racing”. In five years, Morgan wants to see Ruffin competing in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series with Sprint Cup team owners eying him for a ride.

“If he comes back and thanks me, that makes me feel good. I just want to help,” Morgan said.

Ruffin’s debut at Iowa Speedway made the state-of-the-art, seventh-eighths-mile track his favorite, despite finishing 13th after his car smacked the wall and caught fire. Kevin Cywinski was Ruffin’s crew chief for that race and nothing has changed. Cywinski began racing at age 15 and possesses a good understanding of the issues his young driver faces.

Ruffin competed in only three USAR Pro Cup races last year before joining the series full-time this season. Running the limited schedule last year allowed Ruffin to become acquainted with his team and the tracks.

“It helped me learn the team and what I like,” Ruffin said about the abbreviated schedule.

Cywinksi is confident in Ruffin, noting he has matured and is more responsible as a driver.

“No matter what we throw at him, he has no problem doing it,” Cywinksi said. “The speed is in the car and in him.”

Since Ruffin began his racing career his family has always been at his side. It started with Ruffin, his dad and his uncle Dan working on his car in their garage.

“Their moral support has been a big deal,” said Ruffin, who signed with Turner Motorsports last year.

Earlier this year, the family decided to move closer to the North Carolina-based shop. They settled in Huntersville, a Charlotte bedroom community, because “there’s no better place for racing” than the Tar Heel state. Being closer to the shop eliminated the seven-hour commute between Mooresville, N.C., and Brentwood, Tenn., just outside Nashville where the family lived. Their new residence now affords Ruffin the opportunity to “try and do it all”. He believes it is important to know the mechanics of the car, as it will help him with his career.

With the season’s progression, Ruffin looks forward to the Sept. 11 race at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he once competed with ASA. Naturally, he’s “hoping for a win” at the fast, high-banked half-mile track.

To date, Rockingham Speedway has proven to be Ruffin’s most challenging track since he’s still learning to drive the bigger speedways and his team is learning what he likes on those facilities.

Moral support from both his immediate family and his racing family have helped Ruffin become the driver he is today. Heading into the season’s seventh race, Ruffin has three top-5s and is knocking on victory lane’s door. Ruffin enters the July 17 race at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., fourth in the driver standings.

The USAR Pro Cup Series, formerly Hooters Pro Cup, is owned by Interstate Investment Group (IIG) and is based in Concord, N.C. For more information on USARacing, visit www.usarprocup.com.

- USAR Pro Cup Series Press Release