Friday, July 24, was a day of firsts for West Virginia University senior Travis Braden, who has spent much of his life behind the wheel of a race car.

The Wheeling native was making his first start in the ARCA Racing Series, a step up from the ARCA Championship Racing Association, where he has reigned as champion the past two years. The Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 Presented by Federated Car Care was also being broadcast live on network television, which was also a first for Braden.

But the biggest first came more than two hours later, when Braden powered his 01 Flying WV Chevrolet across the finish line, taking the checkered flag and his first win in the highly-competitive series.

“I knew we would have a great shot to run well, and possibly win if things really went our way,” said Braden, a dual major in mechanical and aerospace engineering. “But I honestly didn’t go in expecting to win. I think a top five was kind of my expectation. But it just came down to a great strategy by my crew chief and a fast car to seal the deal.”

Things didn’t go well for Braden early on as he missed a gear while shifting, putting the car a lap down.

“I was confident that we would get back on the lead lap but I didn’t think we’d ever have a shot at the win after that,” said Braden, who was able to keep himself the first car a lap down, which earned him a free pass onto the lead lap when a caution came at lap 50.

A bold move by his crew chief, Matt Weber, which Braden describes as “a very big gamble,” paid off.

“We took four fresh tires when no one else did, which gave us an advantage as we worked our way to the front,” Braden said. “But it was a very big gamble because if the caution would have come out again, everyone else could have gotten their tires and we would have had none left.”

The gamble paid off and Braden took the lead from William Byron, another first-time entrant in the series, at lap 180 and cruised to victory.

The battle between Braden and Byron had another interesting component: both were driving cars featuring their respective university’s logos. Byron’s car was sponsored by Liberty University, where he takes classes online.

As Braden climbed out of his car and was greeted by his race team, he experienced another first: he was at a loss for words.

“They asked me two quick questions and I didn’t know how to give thanks to my sponsors before the camera shut off,” laughed Braden. “Racing takes a large number of sponsorship and there will probably come a day when I will not be able to run the complete WVU scheme every race like I am now. So to get a win on national TV is very wild; and in our first start.

“Mountaineer nation is something special, and to me I felt like I was able to make them proud, just like they are with any other sport that we play and win,” Braden added. “It’s just very cool for me and I want to enjoy it and soak it in as long as I possibly can.”

Braden is exploring his options for the rest of the 2015 season and is hoping to run at least one or two more races on the ARCA Racing Series.

-WVU-

mcd/07/27/15

CONTACT: Mary C. Dillon, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
304.293.4086, Mary.Dillon@mail.wvu.edu

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