Kris Wright

Kristofer Cole Wright (born July 17, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado for Young's Motorsports. He has also previously competed in sports car racing, open-wheel racing, the Euroformula Open Championship, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West. Wright is also the 2018 IMSA Prototype Challenge LMP3 class champion.

Kris Wright
BornKristofer Cole Wright
(1994-07-17) July 17, 1994
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
16 races run over 2 years
2022 position99th
Best finish93rd (2021)
First race2021 Super Start Batteries 188 (Daytona RC)
Last race2022 Xfinity Series Championship Race (Phoenix)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
35 races run over 4 years
Truck no., teamNo. 02 (Young's Motorsports)
2022 position30th
Best finish26th (2021)
First race2020 Sunoco 159 (Daytona RC)
Last race2023 Baptist Health 200 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
ARCA Menards Series career
13 races run over 3 years
ARCA no., teamNo. 15/55 (Venturini Motorsports)
Best finish22nd (2020)
First race2020 VizCom 200 (Michigan)
Last race2023 General Tire 100 (Watkins Glen)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 8 0
ARCA Menards Series East career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish44th (2020)
First race2020 Bush's Beans 200 (Bristol)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
ARCA Menards Series West career
3 races run over 1 year
Best finish14th (2020)
First race2020 ENEOS/Sunrise Ford Twin 30 Race #1 (Tooele)
Last race2020 Arizona Lottery 100 (Phoenix)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 2 0
Previous series
2020–2021
2020
2019
2019
2017–2018
2017
2017
2016
2015–2016		ARCA Menards Series
ARCA Menards Series West
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
BRDC British Formula 3 Championship
IMSA Prototype Challenge
U.S. F2000 National Championship
Pro Mazda Championship
Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge
Pirelli World Challenge
Championship titles
2018IMSA Prototype Challenge LMP3
Awards
2017IMSA Prototype Challenge Rookie of the Year
Statistics current as of February 17, 2023.

Racing career

Sports car racing

In 2015, he joined Kinetic Motorsports in the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car A class.[1] He recorded his first podium finish at Miller Motorsports Park where he finished third.[2]

In 2017, he raced in the IMSA Prototype Challenge with JDC MotorSports.[3] Wright, who described the prototype cars as "really easy to drive",[4] finished second in the Prototype Challenge standings with a win at Watkins Glen International and Rookie of the Year honors.[5][6] He signed with Extreme Speed Motorsports for the 2018 Prototype Challenge season, during which he scored race wins at Barber Motorsports Park and Virginia International Raceway, finished in podium range in all six events, and won the LMP3 class championship.[7]

Wright ran his first endurance and WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona, driving for Performance Tech Motorsports in the LMP2 class.[8] Joined by Kyle Masson, Robert Masson, and Cameron Cassels in the No. 38, Wright's team finished second in its class.[9]

Open-wheel racing

During the 2017 racing season, Wright entered the Road to Indy ladder beginning with the U.S. F2000 National Championship with John Cummiskey Racing.[3] He raced at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Barber, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course before moving to the Pro Mazda Championship in June with JDC. He contested the Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and Watkins Glen races, with a best finish of fifth at Watkins Glen.[10]

In 2019, he started racing in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship with Fortec Motorsports after testing with the team the previous year; Wright compared the car to the Pro Mazda vehicles, noting they were "very similar".[11] He finished the season 16th in points, last among drivers who ran the full schedule, with a best finish of fifth at Silverstone Circuit.[12][13]

Wright remained with Fortec as he moved to the Euroformula Open Championship in 2020, though the season's start was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[12][14]

Stock car racing

Wright's first starts in stock car racing took place during summer 2020. In June, he raced in the ARCA Menards Series West doubleheader at Utah Motorsports Campus, where he finished second and third.[15]

In August, he joined the GMS Racing organization, racing in the ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series on a part-time basis.[16] His debut with the team came on August 1 in the CARS Super Late Model Tour at Hickory Motor Speedway, where he finished 11th. His first ARCA and NASCAR Truck starts for GMS took place at Michigan International Speedway and the Daytona International Speedway road course, respectively.[17]

Wright joined Young's Motorsports for the full 2021 NASCAR Truck Series season, driving the No. 02;[18] he also debuted the team's ARCA program at the Daytona test in January.[19] After running the season opener, he also signed with NASCAR Xfinity Series team Sam Hunt Racing as a road course ringer.[20] Wright missed the Atlanta Motor Speedway race in March after testing positive for COVID-19.[21]

Wright's No. 44 truck at Sonoma Raceway in 2022

For 2022, Wright would be announced to drive the No. 44 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet full-time, but would later leave the team on August. However, Wright was announced to run the rest of the Xfinity Series season with Brandonbilt Motorsports from August onwards, only excluding three races which owner Brandon Brown himself will drive, and the car having sponsorship from FNB Corporation.

On February 8, 2023, it was announced that Wright would return to the same truck he drove in 2021, the No. 02 for Young's Motorsports and run full-time in the Truck Series in 2023.[22] After earning only three top twenty finishes in the first eleven races, Wright and the team would agree to part ways effective immediately before the race at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Personal life

Wright's father was also a racing driver, though he encouraged his son to play golf. After graduating from Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh in 2013, Wright was a member of IMG Academy and Robert Morris University's golf teams. He also qualified for the district championship of the Remax World Long Drive Championship in 2014, but came up short on his bid for the World Finals.[23]

Motorsports career results

U.S. F2000 National Championship
Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Rank Points
2017 Kaminsky Racing STP
14		 STP
15		 BAR
13		 BAR
19		 IMS
21		 IMS
17		 ROA ROA IOW TOR TOR MDO MDO WGL 25th 28

Pro Mazda Championship
Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points
2017 JDC MotorSports STP
 STP
 IMS
 IMS
 ROA
13		 ROA
9		 MDO
7		 MDO
8		 MDO
11		 GMP
 WGL
5		 WGL
8		 10th 95
2018 BN Racing STP
12		 STP
14		 BAR
13		 BAR
14		 IMS
10		 IMS
6		 LOR ROA ROA TOR
7		 TOR
5		 MDO
10		 MDO
10		 GMP POR POR 12th 110

Complete BRDC British Formula 3 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 DC Points
2019 Fortec Motorsports OUL
1
11		 OUL
2
Ret		 OUL
3
16		 SNE
1
15		 SNE
2
12		 SNE
3
10		 SIL1
1
13		 SIL1
2
17		 SIL1
3
18		 DON1
1
14		 DON1
2
13		 DON1
3
Ret		 SPA
1
16		 SPA
2
17		 SPA
3
15		 BRH
1
16		 BRH
2
Ret		 BRH
3
13		 SIL2
1
14		 SIL2
2
5		 SIL2
3
15		 DON2
1
15		 DON2
2
11		 DON2
3
14		 16th 126

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Xfinity Series
NASCAR Xfinity Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 NXSC Pts Ref
2021 Sam Hunt Racing 26 Toyota DAY DRC
18		 HOM LVS PHO ATL MAR TAL DAR DOV COA
32		 CLT MOH
32		 TEX NSH POC ROA
25		 ATL NHA GLN
17		 IRC
30		 MCH DAY DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL 93rd 01 [24]
Sam Hunt Racing with JD Motorsports 15 ROV
39		 TEX KAN MAR PHO
2022 Brandonbilt Motorsports 68 Chevy DAY CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH MAR TAL DOV DAR TEX CLT PIR NSH ROA ATL NHA POC IRC MCH GLN
34		 DAY DAR
36		 KAN
20		 BRI
25		 TEX TAL ROV
38		 LVS
24		 HOM
27		 MAR
26		 PHO
26		 99th 01 [25]

Craftsman Truck Series
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 NCTC Pts Ref
2020 GMS Racing 24 Chevy DAY LVS CLT ATL HOM POC KEN TEX KAN KAN MCH DRC
25		 DOV GTW DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL KAN TEX MAR PHO 66th 18 [26]
2021 Young's Motorsports 02 Chevy DAY
12		 DRC LVS
25		 ATL BRD RCH
35		 KAN
33		 DAR
39		 COA CLT
23		 TEX
22		 NSH
32		 POC
30		 KNX GLN GTW
18		 DAR
28		 BRI
36		 LVS
16		 TAL
36		 MAR
13		 PHO
32		 26th 166 [27]
2022 Niece Motorsports 44 Chevy DAY
19		 LVS
17		 ATL
21		 COA
15		 MAR
30		 BRD
33		 DAR
33		 KAN
25		 TEX
35		 CLT
19		 GTW
33		 SON
26		 KNX
28		 NSH
17		 MOH
25		 POC
27		 IRP
31		 RCH KAN BRI TAL HOM PHO 30th 195 [28]
2023 Young's Motorsports 02 Chevy DAY
22		 LVS
28		 ATL
15		 COA
21		 TEX
12		 BRD
32		 MAR
16		 KAN
28		 DAR
29		 NWS
22		 CLT
32		 GTW NSH MOH POC RCH IRP MLW KAN BRI TAL HOM PHO -* -* [29]

* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

ARCA Menards Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Menards Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 AMSC Pts Ref
2020 GMS Racing 21 Chevy DAY PHO TAL POC IRP KEN IOW KAN TOL TOL MCH
14		 DRC 22nd 193 [30]
Chad Bryant Racing 22 Chevy GTW
18		 L44
7		 TOL MEM
10		 ISF
12 BRI
15		 WIN KAN
7
2021 Rette Jones Racing 30 Ford DAY PHO TAL KAN TOL CLT MOH
8		 POC
24		 ELK BLN IOW WIN
8		 GLN
13		 MCH ISF MLW DSF BRI SLM KAN
6		 26th 161 [31]
2022 Cook Racing Technologies 42 Chevy DAY PHO TAL KAN CLT IOW BLN ELK MOH
6		 47th 75 [32]
Young's Motorsports 02 Chevy POC
8		 IRP MCH GLN ISF MLW DSF KAN BRI SLM TOL
2023 Venturini Motorsports 55 Toyota DAY PHO TAL KAN CLT BLN ELK MOH IOW POC MCH
11		 IRP 55th 72 [33]
15 GLN
6		 ISF MLW DSF KAN BRI SLM TOL

ARCA Menards Series East
ARCA Menards Series East results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 AMSEC Pts Ref
2020 Chad Bryant Racing 12 Chevy NSM TOL DOV TOL BRI
15		 FIF 44th 29 [34]

ARCA Menards Series West
ARCA Menards Series West results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 AMSWC Pts Ref
2020 JP Racing 7 Ford LVS MMP
2		 MMP
3		 IRW EVG DCS CNS LVS AAS KCR 14th 159 [35]
Chad Bryant Racing 22 Chevy PHO
18

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results

(key)(Races in bold indicate pole position. Races in italics indicate fastest race lap in class. Results are overall/class)

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rank Points
2019 Performance Tech Motorsports LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 DAY
2		 SEB MOH WGL MOS ELK LGA ATL 10th 32

References
  1. "Kia Racing Privateer Effort Expands To Three Full-Season Kia Forte Koup Entries In Touring Car For 2015 Pirelli World Challenge Season". Kia Motors America (Press release). PR Newswire. February 27, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  2. "Kia Racing Scores Thrilling Pirelli World Challenge Victory At Miller Motorsports Park". Kia Motors America (Press release). PR Newswire. August 24, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  3. "Wright in the thick of the action in two different series". U.S. F2000 National Championship. April 23, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  4. "Consistency The Key For IMSA Rookie Kris Wright". Speed Sport. August 28, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  5. Myrehn, Ryan (June 30, 2017). "Thompson Gives Norma First IMSA Win at Watkins Glen". Sportscar365. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  6. "GMS Racing adds Kris Wright to roster for Gander Trucks, ARCA debuts". GMS Racing (Press release). NASCAR. August 3, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  7. "IMSA season recap: Prototype Challenge". Autoweek. October 17, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  8. Sunday, Matt (January 25, 2019). "Wexford's Wright stoked for Daytona Rolex 24". DK Pittsburgh Sports. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  9. "Performance Tech Motorsports Finishes Second At Daytona". Performance Tech Motorsports. January 27, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  10. "Kristofer (Kris) Cole Wright". Kris Wright Motorsports. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  11. Sunday, Matt (April 19, 2019). "Wright's next road runs through England". DK Pittsburgh Sports. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  12. Wood, Elliot (February 5, 2020). "Fortec promotes Kris Wright to Euroformula line-up". Formula Scout. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  13. Hensby, Paul (February 5, 2020). "EuroFormula Open Move for Kris Wright as American Continues with Fortec Motorsports". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  14. Nguyen, Justin (August 3, 2020). "Kris Wright joins GMS Racing for NASCAR Truck debut on Daytona RC". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  15. Christley, Jason (June 28, 2020). "Utah Doubleheader Produces Pair of First-Time Winners". ARCA Menards Series. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  16. Haas, Jared (Aug 3, 2020). "Kris Wright Running for GMS at ARCA Michigan, Truck Daytona Races". www.frontstretch.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  17. "Kris Wright Set For Limited Schedule With GMS Racing". Speed Sport. August 3, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  18. "Kris Wright Joins Young's Motorsports Truck Program". Speed Sport. December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  19. "Young's Motorsports Adds ARCA Menards Series To Development Platform in 2021". Young's Motorsports. January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  20. Estrada, Chris (January 14, 2021). "Kris Wright lands Xfinity road course ride for Sam Hunt Racing". NBC Sports. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  21. Estrada, Chris (March 19, 2021). "Truck Series driver Kris Wright tests positive for COVID-19". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  22. Srigley, Joseph (February 8, 2023). "Kris Wright Returns to Young's Motorsports for 2023 Truck Series Season". TobyChristie.com.
  23. Franko, John (January 10, 2019). "Central Catholic grad claims racing title". Pittsburgh Catholic. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  24. "Kris Wright – 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  25. "Kris Wright – 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  26. "Kris Wright – 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  27. "Kris Wright – 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  28. "Kris Wright – 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  29. "Kris Wright – 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  30. "Kris Wright – 2020 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  31. "Kris Wright – 2021 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  32. "Kris Wright – 2022 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  33. "Kris Wright – 2023 ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  34. "Kris Wright – 2020 ARCA Menards Series East Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  35. "Kris Wright – 2020 ARCA Menards Series West Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
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