USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series
Story and photos © 2006 Dwight Drum
Web work by Gary Larsen

Shane Huffman
Driver, No. 88 stock car

"They come in here 15 years old with 10 years racing experience."

Shane Huffman exudes of confidence and humility. That's a hard combination to maintain in a fast paced motorsports world, but often Huffman simply speaks his mind and drives his heart past crucial lines into winner's circles. Huffman's character is what motivates sponsors to stand by him and team members to work for him. He never seems stressed. He is always a contender in the competitive Hooters Cup Series.

Zoomster.com has been fortunate to interview Huffman several times over the past two years and always we come away with quality words and energized moments. He explains his quest with smooth and honest responses and expects nothing more than what he can earn on racetracks. That adds up to instant respect for a seasoned competitor accustomed to top finishes.

The mathematics about Huffman adds to his frequent success and we were not surprised when J2Motorpsorts and owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently chose Huffman as their next driver. In character, Huffman sounds much like he was surprised by the selection.

That's real drive.

Huffman's drive recently earned him a promotion with J2 Motorsports US Navy No. 88 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series. This interview took place prior to Huffman's rise to the next step, but his responses here will be very much like the responses he will give the media in his new position. We congratulate Huffman and applaud his patience and resolve.

Time: Early 2006
Place: USA International Speedway, Lakeland, Fla.
Event: Hooters Pro Cup race

Dwight asked Shane Huffman:

"It's awesome, obviously. It's an awesome opportunity for me. I need to do everything we need to do to be very competitive right out of the gate. It's really on my team and myself to get the job done."

"Well I really thought my opportunity may have passed. Really I guess it goes to say you that you can never give up. I haven't ever so I'm glad to finally get an opportunity. It's going to be next season. I'm going to run a few races this year, but I just want to thank everybody out there in Junior Motorsports for believing in me. "

"We all kind of knew each other before last year, so we kind of buddied-up all along. It's just gotten better, really, the friendship and the camaraderie. Mark and I are going to be teammates next year in the Busch Series. That's going to be awesome. It's just a good deal all the way through."

"I always thought I wished I was half that good when I was 15 or 16 years old. I didn't even start racing until I was 15. It's really kind of awesome because they come in here 15 years old with 10 years racing experience. It's neat. There is a lot of good talent here with a guy like Trevor Bayne. I think it's going to be a tough year."

"A rich daddy would probably be the best advice I could give you. But if you don't have a rich daddy, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. A lot. It does either way. You got to really want it. You got to persevere. Put yourself around good people and be in the right situation. That's pretty much how it's been and how it's going down for me. One opportunity step leads to another and it's finally paying off. "

"There is really no way to describe it. I can remember the first time I ever ran a heavier car with a lot of horse power and how my head felt, you know, going into a corner and coming off a corner and going into the throttle. It's really a neat feeling, a lot of G-forces, a lot of side forces when you never had that kind of experience. Probably a high-speed roller coaster would be the best way to experience it. "

"I like to have a good time. I'm always looking to laugh and cut-up. I'm lucky. I get to enjoy what I do for a living. I like to be around people who like to have fun."