INDIANAPOLIS — Sam Pierce Racing will field 14-year-old Colton Bettis at select Must See Racing Series pavement sprint car events throughout the Midwest over the summer.
Bettis will be under team principal Aaron Pierce’s AP Driver Development program.
The Florida-based teenager has enjoyed a remarkable 2024 season so far, winning the Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series opener at Auburndale (Fla.), finishing second in the first of two feature events at Showtime Speedway and winning the second 35-lapper on the same day.
He finished second a week later during the Dave Steele 125 and was crowned this year’s Dave Steele Sprint Car champion.
Last week he finished second to Joe Ligouri during the Children’s Dream Fund 50 at Citrus County Speedway, outrunning at stout field containing many seasoned veteran sprint car racers including Bobby Santos, Davey Hamilton Jr. and Brian Gerster to name a few.
Bettis’ average finishing position after the first five races? 1.33.
Indiana race fans will likely remember Bettis’ Midwest racing debut last year when he rolled into Anderson Speedway for the first time and won the USSA Kenyon Midget Car race by a straightaway, having never driven a midget car prior.
Bettis won the 2021 Showtime Speedway non-wing sprint car championship at the age of 12 to become the world’s youngest pavement sprint car champion.
“Colton is wise and mature well beyond his years. He has an extremely bright future in motorsports. We’re happy to have him on board and hope to have him with us for quite some time. I’d run him in the Little 500 this year if they would let him [due to his age],” said Pierce.
“I appreciate Must See Racing’s careful consideration of Colton’s unique skillset and situation and approving his competition license. I ran a ton of races with that group in the past and look forward to racing with them once again.”
Bettis will join rising star and current USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year Kaylee Bryson as an AP Driver Development teammate for 2024 as she chases both the USAC Silver Crown championship and a Trans-Am Series championship.