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NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series
TRUCKS: Braun Shifts Out Of Series
Former Roush Fenway development driver Colin Braun returning to sports cars...
Bob Pockrass  | http://www.scenedaily.com  |  Posted January 21, 2012   Charlotte, NC
Former Roush Fenway Racing driver Colin Braun will drive primarily in sports cars in 2012. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Former Roush Fenway Racing development driver Colin Braun will return to his sports-car racing roots by driving for Core Autosport in the American Le Mans Series for 2012.

The 23-year-old Braun spent three years in the Roush organization and showed potential when he finished fifth in the Camping World Truck Series during a 2009 season that included a win at Michigan. But Braun struggled in 2010 with five top-10 finishes in 24 Nationwide Series starts.

Roush Fenway Racing had nothing for him in 2011 and while under contract with Ford for the year, Braun competed in select sports-car events and only two NASCAR races, both truck events for team owner Billy Ballew.

Braun said he isn’t turning his back on NASCAR but went with his best opportunity for 2012. Jon Bennett, the team owner and co-driver for Core Autosport, finished second in the 2011 standings and the team won the championship in its division.

“I think we can win a lot of races and the championship,” Braun said. “It’s a really attractive, pretty cool [opportunity]. … I am definitely not closing the door on [NASCAR] stuff for 2012.

“This is my first priority and what I’m going to be doing full time, but if there are open weekends, I’d love to try to put some deals together to run a few races. I’m a race-car driver – I’m not necessarily a NASCAR driver or a sports-car driver.”

Braun said he felt that his ninth-place finish in the Michigan truck race last August showed he could still run well on ovals and in stock cars.

“After driving for Roush and having success there, I think a lot of people thought it would be it and that was the end of my NASCAR career,” Braun said. “It was great to be able to go drive for those guys and have a good solid run that I could put on my resume and show that given the right opportunity, I can be successful.”

Braun, the youngest-ever top-three finisher at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will drive next week in the Rolex 24 At Daytona for Krohn Racing, whom he drove for in 2011.

“It was tough [year], obviously,” Braun said of his limited racing opportunities in 2011. “I didn’t run the races that I wanted to and I it was a challenging year. I sat and watched a lot of races on TV that I felt like I should have been racing at.

“I had a great relationship with the folks at Ford. … It all comes down to putting the sponsorship stuff together and it’s not getting any easier out there.”

SceneDaily.com • John Wes Townley to drive truck for RAB Racing
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Bob Pockrass

SceneDaily.com

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