Non Silver Spoon Rich Family Drivers

[zach51]

Who are young drivers (say under 35) that have actually made their way up on their own, with maybe just some good & loyal sponsors (not a rich family) and a lot of hard work and driving skill? I see a lot of these silver spoon guys that aren't gritty and don't have to fight for it, and it makes me not a fan. A lot of these silver spoon kids DO have driving talent, but a lot of money can make mild talent look great. There is a lot of good equipment out there with guys in the car that have been racing for years and can't drive their way out of a wet paper sack.

[Centeroff]

T carp, JD, and Overton are 3 of a short list that come to mind

[WisWildManFan]

Immediately you would have to cross off any 2nd generation drivers. You need $$$ to be successful in any form of motorsports and anyone that had made their own money under the age of 35 would be too busy working to make that money they wouldn't have enough time to be successful racing. Not saying Hudson, bobby, or Devin can't drive but did they really make it on their own??

[t3r3e3]

Who are young drivers (say under 35) that have actually made their way up on their own, with maybe just some good & loyal sponsors (not a rich family) and a lot of hard work and driving skill? I see a lot of these silver spoon guys that aren't gritty and don't have to fight for it, and it makes me not a fan. A lot of these silver spoon kids DO have driving talent, but a lot of money can make mild talent look great. There is a lot of good equipment out there with guys in the car that have been racing for years and can't drive their way out of a wet paper sack.

Marlar, but he’s 39 I think. Overton and JD have been mentioned. On a regional level:

The Hawkins brothers might fit the bill. Out of the 2nd gen guys, underfunded guys like Carpenter, Zac Dohm and Tanner English make sense. People dog the guy on here, but Rusty Schlenk does a fair bit with not much.

[No_Weak_Links]

Chris Ferguson

[zyoung25]

Immediately you would have to cross off any 2nd generation drivers. You need $$$ to be successful in any form of motorsports and anyone that had made their own money under the age of 35 would be too busy working to make that money they wouldn't have enough time to be successful racing. Not saying Hudson, bobby, or Devin can't drive but did they really make it on their own??

I can't speak for Hudson and Bobby, Devin is not a silver spoon racer IMO. I think he got maybe one or two new cars when he was racing under his dad. One got junked at Eldora, and got replaced with the same mastersbilt he started his career in. I can remember countless times he would be sitting at home because he broke the only engine they had. He never got new stuff till he got hooked up with Pope. I feel like Devins results have put him where he is now, not daddy's money.

[Illtsate32]

It all depends on how you define making your way up on your own...

[WisWildManFan]

I can't speak for Hudson and Bobby, Devin is not a silver spoon racer IMO. I think he got maybe one or two new cars when he was racing under his dad. One got junked at Eldora, and got replaced with the same mastersbilt he started his career in. I can remember countless times he would be sitting at home because he broke the only engine they had. He never got new stuff till he got hooked up with Pope. I feel like Devins results have put him where he is now, not daddy's money.

He wouldn't be in any car if his last name wasn't Moran, guess that's more of the point I meant with 2nd generation drivers. His dad's knowledge and connections are far greater than someone outside of the sport. No different than lil E.

[zyoung25]

He wouldn't be in any car if his last name wasn't Moran, guess that's more of the point I meant with 2nd generation drivers. His dad's knowledge and connections are far greater than someone outside of the sport. No different than lil E.

If that's the case, why aren't the Wylie and Tristan in cars too? Cuz if you're going to look at it like that, the other brothers shouldn't have any problem landing a national tour ride.....right? All of the Earnhardt brothers made it to the top tier of NASCAR at some point or another, they just didn't make it as Dale Jr.

[PRCKartRacer9]

They all had a chance to drive. Devin just showed the most interest. Even his older brother gave it a shot

[pierceFAN]

Being a second generation driver has no relevance when it comes to being a silver spoon... you're talking about a sport that after equipment and one year of driving you can spend over million dollars they're going to be very few drivers that can foot the bill for that without some type of help.

[DirtRaceJunky]

I know he isn't running either of the late model tours (yet), but Ricky Thornton Jr. is a name that comes to mind. Kid makes a living driving his modified racing in Iowa & the midwest all summer long. Has great sponsors but no family big money to speak of. When put in decent equipment, the boy can definitely shoe a racecar. He qualified for a couple of the Wild West Shootout races with Casey Skyberg's WiSSOTA crate engine late model. Kid deserves to be in a big time late model ride. He would not disappoint.

[Mams]

Chris Ferguson

Just wondering but he now has toter, stacker & souvenir trailer. Does he have major sponsors? Who are they?

[zach51]

Another question I should have asked too is who all has one car and one good motor and can run (maybe not a full time national tour) but could give the big names a run for their money on most occasions. So often I hear in interviews or on broadcast where (and I'm being a little dramatic) the driver will say "Well we got a flat tire on the primary car, had to pull out the backup". And then they go out there kick arse. It wasn't that long ago that I don't think too many guys carried back-up cars, including Bloomer. Especially not back-up cars that were just as good as their primary and able to be unloaded and ready to race in 10 minutes.

[ThebigE]

Rusty Schlenk