Chris Gerchman Was Born into the World of Racing
- 31 Aug 2010
When asked how he got involved in racing Chris had to take a pause and consider. "I guess you could say I was born into it. Dad's been runnin' since he was 17, and I've been around it my whole life. I started in Legend's cars when I turned 14" says Gerchman.
A couple years later, he moved into the modified class, and as his successes progressed moved up to a modified where he currently runs with the Lucas Oil series. During the first race of this years' season, he destroyed his car due to what turned out be a pit error. They scrambled to get the car back together before race two, and succeeded. That scramble certainly paid off. He has won the last four out of five races, setting a record in his class for number of wins in a row by the same driver. He is sitting 2nd in points, and is only behind by four points with five more races to go. When discussing some of his favorite moments, Chris shared that he recently ran in a shootout race that did not include points, just dollars at his first race at the Toyota Speedway. He started at the back of the pack, and with three laps to go, had managed to move into 3rd place against two seasoned heavy hitters. One was racing at his home track, and won had 25 wins behind him. Twice he was close to making a final pass to take the lead, and twice the 1 & 2 leaders made moves that caused caution flags and restarts. He's pretty pumped about what could easily have been. When discussing what the future holds, Gerchman says "We have bought a Super Late, and are hoping to be ready by the end of the year for a test drive at the showdown race at Irwindale's Toyota Speedway, and maybe then move into some Camping World West type of racing." Long term, his goal is to continue to race professionally, paying his own way until he makes it to the top. Chris' confidence is well founded. He has already made a name for himself in a very short period of time. He was introduced to Bob Harris of K&N by a friend of a friend, and two years ago they became a product sponsor. "I absolutely love their products," says Chris. "They are the best in the business. I use their air & oil filters, as well as their breathers for the crank case. K&N is a true friend to the racer." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
