When it comes to NASCAR underdogs, few fit the bill better than Ryan Sieg and his No. 39 Chevrolet team in the Nationwide Series.
Sieg, who finished a NASCAR-career-best third last week in the Subway Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway and is in the running for a $100,000 bonus this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, drives for a team that has only five full-time employees, including him and crew chief Kevin “Cowboy” Starland.
The team operates out of Sieg’s father’s S&W Towing shop in Tucker, Ga., far from Charlotte, N.C., the home base of most NASCAR teams.
Ryan’s father, Rod Sieg, wants the best for his son, but he knows he has to watch the bottom line to remain on a circuit dominated by well-financed teams with connections to the Sprint Cup circuit’s elite teams.
The car his son used to push Kasey Kahne to victory at Daytona was an old Phoenix Racing car that was headed for the scrap yard before he bought it. Three others in the fleet are cars that were bought from Kyle Busch Motorsports after they were wrecked. Another came from JR Motorsports, again after a wreck.
The team buys the cars, repairs the damage underneath and reskins them with new sheet metal.
“I know the guys think I’m a cheapskate, but that’s the only way I can keep racing,” Rod Sieg said. “And I like having the shop at Tucker instead of in Charlotte so I can keep an eye on things. I watch it like a hawk.”
For his part, Ryan doesn’t mind being away from Charlotte, where most teams are located.
“Heck no,” he said. “It’s just five minutes from my house, and we’ve been able to run with the guys from Charlotte.”
Ryan Sieg won Late Model races around the Southeast early in his career, but running with the leaders on NASCAR’s No. 2 circuit is new to him.
For instance, after his first top-five finish, he wasn’t sure where to drive his car after the race. NASCAR has procedures for the top-five finishers after each event, so cars can be inspected and drivers interviewed.
“I guess I need to start paying more attention in the drivers meeting,” he said with a laugh.
He said he could learn to like being a front-runner, especially on a big stage such as Daytona.
“It was just an incredible night,” he said. “I love Daytona. I’ve been going there since I was a baby. It’s like a second home track to me.”
Sieg, 27, said he believes his strong run, and the positive comments about his driving from people such as Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr., could make a difference in his career.
“I think it’ll either help me get a full-time ride somewhere else or help us get a full-time sponsor here,” he said.
Sieg’s time in the spotlight will continue for at least a few more days. His Daytona finish put him in the running with three other drivers — Regan Smith, Ryan Reed and Jeremy Clements — for a $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Sieg said he believes he has at least an outside shot at the bonus, which will go to the highest finishing driver among those four.
“We’re taking our best car,” he said. “Regan probably has the best chance, but I think we can run in the top 15, and with some luck we could win it.”
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