Tucker Richards on the Fast Track

December 31, 2019January 13, 2020 Paul Clark

Tucker Richards wants to be a NASCAR driver when he grows up.

The Paris School 3rd-grader is a third generation racer. His father, Dustin, competed for the Street Stock championship at Wilmot Raceway in 2018, and his grandfather, Frank, was a top competitor in the Spectator Stock class in the late 70’s and 80’s.

The 8-year-old finished as 2019 runner-up (in season points) at Leetzow Raceway in Fort Atkinson, competing against 10-year-olds in the JR-1 class. He also races at top tracks in Illinois and Missouri. His most memorable race was in week one of his 2017 rookie season, when he won both heat races, then took first in the feature race.

Bristol’s **Tucker Richards** (#13) leads the pack at Leetzow Raceway in Fort Atkinson. The 8-year-old races in the JR-1 class (10u).

Bristol’s **Dustin Richards** talks about the kart set-up with his 8-year-old son Tucker before an August heat race at Leetzow Raceway. Dustin has put his own racing career on the back-burner, so he is able to concentrate on Tucker’s racing development.

Paris School 3rd grader, **Tucker Richards**, throttles his #13 kart out of turn-4 at Leetzow Raceway in Fort Atkinson.

Family Mentors – **Tucker Richards** (right) studies the track, and the competition, with his grandfather, **Frank Richards**. Frank was a top competitor in the Spectator Stock class at Wilmot Speedway in the late 70’s and 80’s.

Bristol’s **Tucker Richards** (#13) takes advantage of another driver’s mistake and darts to the front of the pack at Leetzow Raceway in Fort Atkinson.

Is he really just a 3rd grader? **Tucker Richards** says his favorite teacher is **Mrs. Greeno** (Paris School), and his favorite subject is math.

**Tucker Richards** (#13) says he is confident racing with the lead, and that kart racing has taught him a lot about respect.

**Tucker Richards** says one area to improve is in explaining how the car is handling to his dad/ crew chief. He also says it feels special having his family with him on race days.

Other Tucker Richards Fast Facts:

Favorite Athlete= Kyle Busch
Winning = Exciting
Losing = Frustrating
2020 Goals = Season Points Champion
Favorite Movie = Cars 3
Favorite Cartoon = SpongeBob SquarePants
Favorite Teacher = Mrs. Greeno – Paris School
Favorite Subject = Math
Favorite Color = Green
Favorite Food = Pizza
Favorite Hobby = Hunting

His father, Dustin, says that Tucker is “stubborn” when it comes to trying new things, “but once he actually tries what I tell him, he picks it up fast, and remembers it.” He adds that one of his strengths are “his ability to drive the kart, even if it is not handling right .”

Richards plans to race several indoor kart races during the winter, then return to Leetzow Raceway in the spring. The team also plans to race in some bigger regional/national kart races in 2020.

The third-generation racer out of Bristol will race a top-of-the-line kart. And that kart will have a top-of-the-line pit crew, in his dad and grandfather. They are all-in.

Good Luck in 2020!

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