ABOUT CHAD

Tennessee racer Chad Finchum is the latest driver to join the prestigious Rheem Team.  The teenager will be racing his #19 Rheem Chevy Impala at multiple Late Model events throughout the 2011 season.

However, to know the driver, one needs to travel back to the start of their career. 

For Finchum, the clock turns back nearly 10 years ago to 2002.  At the young age of seven, he started his racing career in Karting, honing his skills on dirt and asphalt tracks across the south, including in his home state of Tennessee.  A total of 31 career victories in his first season of racing showed Finchum knew how to get it done behind the wheel.

In the fall of 2006, Finchum advanced into the highly-competitive Bandolero series. After finishing third in points at the Winternationals (FL), Finchum went on to win multiple races across the south as well as winning the Bandolero Nationals at Kentucky Speedway (KY).

During the 2008 racing season, Finchum slammed his career into overdrive by winning races and championships all over the country in his #19 A-1 Finchum Heating and Cooling Bandolero.  The teenager claimed the Winter Heat and Summer Shootout championships at Lowe's Motor Speedway (NC), the Winternationals championship at Orlando Speedworld (FL), the Bandolero Nationals event at The Speedrome (IN), the Tennessee State Championship and the coveted 2008 INEX National Points title. 

After a few starts in the Pro Challenge Series, Finchum moved up to Legend Car racing at the end of 2008, running a full season in 2009 in the Young Lions division and a partial schedule in 2010 as a Pro.  During his Legends Car tenure, Finchum won a slew of races at some of the most prestigious tracks across the country against stiff competition.  Also, at the conclusion of the 2009 Summer Shootout Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway (NC), Finchum was awarded the Spirit of a Legend Award, which is given to one driver a year who best exemplifies the sportsmanship and family-friendly atmosphere at the racetrack that Legend Cars were developed to encourage.

Ready for a new challenge, Finchum strapped into a Late Model in the Limited Sportsman division in September, 2010, winning his first-ever event at Newport Speedway (TN) in just his second time out.

2011 is wide open for the teenager from Tennessee, who is looking to continue his climb through the ranks of racing by competing in multiple events during the season.