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MORGANTOWN – Travis Braden was just a boy when he first experienced the thrill of racing, competing in a go kart series just an hour’s drive from his family’s farm behind Wheeling Park High School. Now a 22-year-old Super Late Model driver with three ARCA Racing Series races under his belt, Braden remembers the feeling as though it were yesterday.
“When a kid first starts out he’s usually slow and timid,” he said. “And that was me too. But one day it clicked. I started to beat other drivers and do decent at races. I finished fifth and I wanted to finish third. I’d finish second and I’d want to win.”
Of course when Braden did eventually win a race, it didn’t end there. He wanted to keep winning. And the 2012 Wheeling Park graduate has nurtured that competitive spirit to this day.
Braden is on the cusp of completing degrees in aerospace and mechanical engineering at West Virginia University. And he recently announced the 2016 ARCA races in which he’d like to compete, which includes events at Pocono Raceway, Iowa Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway among others. All are televised.
“At this point there are no guaranteed races in the series for us,” Braden said. “It costs a lot of money. And I don’t get to choose what I do. It’s who wants to support us, how much, and when. But we’re trying to do as many of those this year as we can.”
The Super Late Models series he’s raced through college is not televised, but highly competitive. Braden said most NASCAR drivers come up through the series and it’s not uncommon for superstar Kyle Busch to come back and race. But it was the 2015 season when Braden got his first taste of the next level.
“I did my first ARCA Racing Series races,” he said. “And those are to NASCAR what minor-league baseball is to the MLB. It’s that first stepping stone where you get the first taste of NASCAR-style cars.”
Braden spoke highly of his soon-to-be alma matter, which sponsors his championship Chevrolet through a unique “advertising partnership.” WVU is the first school to sponsor a private race team to his knowledge. Having the iconic Flying WV logo on the hood of his race car isn’t something he takes lightly.
“WVU is giving me the freedom to do this. If I’m racing somewhere and I hurt someone? Or if they catch me cussing on TV? I’m representing the state and the university. And there’s a lot of responsibility there. It’s an unprecedented thing doing what they’ve done.”
Braden said he’s had to limit his racing because he’s been so busy with coursework. And he’s looking forward to things “opening up” once he graduates.
ARCA races or not this season, Braden plans to continue driving Super Late Model for Platinum Motorsports to keep getting experience. And his degree should provide him an opportunity to become a NASCAR crew member if driving isn’t in the cards.
But Braden’s racing future is looking bright at the moment, and he’s clearly enjoying the ride. Not surprisingly the question he’s asked most is what it feels like to go so fast as he drives in excess of 200 mph in some races.
“It’s hard to explain,” he said. “It’s like playing any sport. You’re into it and you don’t realize the amazement of it. The few times you start paying attention, it’s really thrilling.”
Braden’s local sponsors include Matheson Gas, RememberTheMiners.org, Kolb Excavating, A-1 Towing, Sudsy’s Auto Spa, Stoney Hollow Tire, A.D. Baker Homes and Ken Schrader Racing. Any interested businesses can contact him at tdbraden@mix.wvu.edu.