Future Stars: Freeman

Teenager getting feel for heavier stock cars in Busch East Series

Talk about not missing a beat.

The transition from adolescence to adulthood is never an easy one.

	John Freeman finished 13th in his first season competing in the Busch East Series.
	SERIES PAGE •   Busch East Series •   Regional racing

Neither is the move from legends cars or late models to the heavier, more powerful cars that race in NASCAR's Grand National division.

John Freeman, 19, of Huntersville, N.C., successfully made both transitions at the same time. In 2003, at age 16, he won the legends championship at Lowe's Motor Speedway, a few miles from his hometown. In 2004, he was LMS and North Carolina state thunder roadster champion.

When Freeman moved to late model stock cars in 2005, he won five poles and posted nine top-five finishes in NASCAR's Dodge Weekly Series at Concord (N.C.) Motorsports Park. Freeman, who is mature and articulate beyond his years, also was a finalist in the Red Bull Driver Search, a program designed to identify and cultivate young American drivers as they progress toward Formula 1 racing in Europe, a la Scott Speed.

Open-wheel competition, however, isn't the direction Freeman has chosen to follow. Driving the Supercuts/Family Dollar Dodge for Armando Fitz, he finished 13th in the Busch East Series, where he showed not only impressive speed, but also an astute feel for the handling of the cars.

Born on New Year's Day in 1987, Freeman is equally grounded in his outlook for the future.

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"We're really looking forward to pursuing the dream of racing as a career," said Freeman, the youngest driver to qualify for the Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway in October. "We've had a great year this year, gaining a lot of experience in the heavier Busch-style cars.

"I got hooked up with a great organization, and we're looking forward to hopefully renewing a relationship with them or pursuing any other great opportunities. To get to Nextel Cup would be our overall objective."

With the dissolution of NASCAR's AutoZone Elite Division next year, and the lowering of the eligibility age for Grand National participation to 16, the level of competition in the Busch East Series will escalate.

Freeman relishes the prospect.

"This is such a great series," he said. "It's going to grow so much next year. We're supposed to get a lot more great tracks. This series gives you the chance to run tracks like New Hampshire and Dover. No other series will really give you that type of experience for the buck.

"You can really travel with this series and gain a lot of experience, a lot of respect and a lot of exposure."

In Freeman's case, the exposure will come as naturally as his quickness on the track.