Column By: MIKE TRAVERSE / RPW – ACCORD, NY – At 14 years of age, Brayden Traver already has a ton of experience in racing.
Starting out with Karts at Oakland Valley, Brayden has progressed into Slingshots at Hamlin Speedway and Accord Speedway and now, he will be racing a Sportsman in 2024.
“We have moved up to Sportsman for 2024. The plan is to run Sportsman at Accord Speedway. If we find it too difficult to qualify, we may go to Afton Speedway to race in their Rookie Sportsman class,” Brayden said. “I want to get in as many laps as I can and get used to the new car.”
It has been the team’s plan to progress through the divisions since Brayden began racing.
“The plan was for a couple of years in the Slingshot, then try to go racing in a big car. We have an opportunity with Ed Burgess to race the Sportsman,” Brayden explained.
Brayden picked up the love of racing from his dad, an ardent fan of many years at Orange County and other tracks.
“I started going to races as far back as I can remember,” Brayden said. “It’s always something that I wanted to do myself.”
As he gets started with the Sportsman, Brayden says he wants to just get the feel of the car without trying to emulate any particular driver’s style.
“I’m going to go out and do my own thing. The biggest thing is to learn the car. And try to go fast.”
As a new racer to a Sportsman car, Brayden has a few goals for 2024 that he would like to achieve.
“I think making a bunch of features is a goal. Finishing towards the front and progressing throughout the year is what we are looking to do. We just want to make progress, step by step. That will make it a pretty successful season.”
Although he enjoys the friendships he makes at the track, the biggest thing he enjoys is the racing itself.
“I love being part of the racing community and the people around me The big thing that sticks out to me is the feeling of speed and the adrenaline that goes along with a great race,” Brayden said.
If you have followed Brayden’s team on Facebook, you would notice the great family support he gets from his mom and dad, Alisha and Bryan Traver. With the recent announcement of some racing at Orange County, Bryan is pleased to know that Brayden will have a chance to race on the historic Hard Clay oval, 28 miles to the southwest of Accord Speedway as the crow flies.
“Brayden has always had such a passion and drive for this sport is incredible. The one thing I’m most excited about is being able to live my dream of seeing him race at Middletown,” Bryan said. “And not knowing he would have that opportunity until a few days ago really has us looking forward to being there. Seeing his progression from the beginning, this was always the goal. To be here at this point is really cool and special.”
Sponsors on the 2X for 2024 include Burgess Enterprises, Lightning Auto and Truck, Mike Doty Racing, Accurate Collision, Hollywood Towing, Alpha Laundry Service, Vanduser Performance Carbs, Dana Power and Pole, Rip The Lip, Terry Motorsports and Carlough Motorsports.
Crew members include mom & dad Bryan, his sister, Pop and Ed Burgess.
It’s always great to see young drivers taking the step up and following along as they face the new challenges. The Brayden Traver team very much looks like they have it all together for a successful transition into Sportsman racing for 2024.
Good luck to the team!!