AT JUST 21 YEARS OLD, Scotty Kruck has already established a reputation as a driver and tuner in the world of small-tire index racing and grudge racing. Rising out of the Jr. Dragster ranks like many racers of his generation, Kruck has emerged as one of the most formidable contenders in the increasingly popular Lil Gangstas class.

Kruck raced Jr. Dragsters until he was 13, at which point he started driving his father’ s SS Camaro while his own’ 91 Camaro was in the works. He won the first race he entered in his dad’ s car, continuing a family tradition that began

long before Scotty came along. His maternal grandfather raced, his parents, Billy and Ginger, met at the racetrack, and Scotty was born into the lifestyle.“ I kind of had no other choice,” he says, laughing.“ Not that I’ d have wanted it any other way, but I’ ve been a part of racing since I was born.”

The Arkansas-based racer has competed in anything from no-time and grudge racing to index classes and heads-up shootouts. The Kruck family’ s stable includes six different cars, each with its own specialty. Kruck has learned to tune them all. Between his driving prowess and tuning abilities, Kruck has turned on more than a few win lights in the last year or so.

“ I actually won Small Tire Gangstas, the big race [ Tom Gunner and Michael Poland ] put on in Texas last year,” Kruck says.“ I’ ve raced for $ 40,000 or $ 50,000 grudge races and won

three Lil Gangstas races this year. I’ ve been pretty successful and thankful for my racing career.”

That success includes his most meaningful victory to date – winning the first-ever Bear Shit Only Lil Gangstas race during Big Jake’ s Southern No-Time Nationals at Xtreme Raceway Park. The invitational field was stacked with previous Lil Gangstas event winners, making it something of an all-star race for the burgeoning class.

“ That was probably the most exciting win,” says Kruck, who followed that win closely with a semifinal finish in the quicker of two 32-car Gangsta X fields at Donald Long’ s No Mercy 16 at South Georgia Motorsports Park.“ There were 32 winners in that race – 32 killers. So it was pretty awesome finding yourself in the winner’ s circle knowing you raced against guys like that.”

Off the track, Kruck and his father recently

launched a new venture together, Kruck Automotive, in Benton, Arkansas. Though they take on some performance projects like LS swaps, they largely work on daily drivers, performing work on brakes, transmissions, engines, and more.

“ It’ s been truly a blessing because it kind of took off,” Kruck says.“ It can definitely be a chore. It’ s just me and my dad and one employee, and he really helps when we’ re gone racing. We usually end up traveling down to Texas because the payouts are unmatched.”

With multiple cars in the family’ s arsenal, including his’ 91 Camaro known as“ Cain” and his dad’ s 5.30-index car, Kruck credits his family and friends for helping make their packed

schedule possible.“ It’ s been a process trying to race and run a business, but we’ re making it work,” he says.“ If it wasn’ t for my family and my girlfriend, running this stuff would be a lot more challenging. They’ re there every weekend.”

He’ s also sure to thank supporters like Nitrous Express, Prayer Plumbing, and CDS Motorsports, as well as the manufacturers behind the products he uses to race competitively: Neal Chance Racing Converters, Menscer Motorsports, Santhuff, Racepak, Naiser Racing Components, and M & M Transmission.

Moving forward, expect Kruck to continue running Lil Gangstas as the class expands beyond its origins at nitty-gritty Texas tracks to

dragstrips across the country. It’ s a tough place to race and it’ s only getting tougher, but that’ s what appeals to Kruck.

“ It’ s getting huge and we do pretty good at it,” he says of Lil Gangstas.“ But it’ s a real challenging class. You have to be on your game because it’ s getting to the point where when you go to a race and there’ s 60 cars, you might have five that are not close to the cap, but you’ ve got 55 that are straight killers and hard to beat.”

Even if that competition slows the roll Kruck has been on, he’ s not letting up any time soon.“ I’ ve been racing since I was four years old,” Kruck says.“ And I don’ t plan on stopping, unless God’ s got other plans for me.” – NATE VAN WAGNEN DI

PHOTO: MILISSA MARTINI