E TX racer makes debut in NASCAR truck series | People

An east Texas native who began kart racing when he was eight will show off his driving skills in one of NASCAR's top series.

New Boston, Texas native 26-year-old Ryan Lynch will race on Saturday, September 15 at Iowa Speedway in the Camping World Truck Series' American Ethanol 200. He'll #27 BlankHood.com Chevrolet owned by Rick Crawford Performance. 16-year truck series veteran Rick Crawford will work with Ryan in his truck series debut.

"A first truck series start is something you only do once, so we want to help Ryan get in some quality laps and have a chance to make a smooth transition into this series. He has plenty of talent and potential, and I look forward to working with Ryan at Iowa," Crawford said.

Ryan began racing karts on dirt and asphalt tracks when he was just eight. He later progressed to the IMCA series where he raced Modified and US Legends Series cars. For the last few years, he's raced the U.S. Super Truck Series, ARCA Series and NASCAR's K&N Pro Series.

"I can't thank Rick Crawford Performance and Tonya (McCallister) at MPM (McCallister Precision Marketing) enough for this awesome opportunity.  I am excited about the chance to race under the guidance of a legend such as Rick.  I have no doubt that with the team and equipment Rick has put together, I will be able to gain valuable experience and track time in my first start with the Camping World Truck Series,” Ryan said.

Qualifying begins at 5 p.m., with the race time set for 7:30 p.m. The race will air on SPEED Channel.

You can find out more about Ryan at www.ryanlynchracing.com.