Harraka ready to balance life at racetrack, in college (cont'd)

His affinity for kart racing came one Christmas when his father put in front of him his first go-kart in 1996 when he was 7. Together, the father-and-son team traveled the country pulling down victories along the way.

"My dad and I would leave on Wednesday after school and drive all night to Iowa, Wisconsin, Florida, Illinois, Alabama and Canada, etc. so I could compete in the national races," he said.

Harraka's karting days led him to Lowe's Motor Speedway where the 15-year-old was befriended by track president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler. Wheeler encouraged the teen to jump into a Legends car and compete in the Summer Shootout.

Turns out, he won the shootout, which put him on the minds of NASCAR decision-makers heading up the Drive for Diversity program. Harraka is Syrian but speaks better Spanish than Arabic.

His drive switched gears to stock cars, so much so that he wanted to leave New Jersey for North Carolina in order to pursue internships with prestigious Sprint Cup teams such as Joe Gibbs Racing and Gillett Evernham Motorsports.

He did and finished his senior year in Mooresville, N.C., NASCAR's largest racing hub, with a 4.4 grade-point average.

Internships with the respective teams helped Harraka to realize his love for the business and mechanics of NASCAR, which rivaled his affection for being behind the wheel.

"I'm being offered the best of both worlds, with NASCAR racing and academically, and I'm going to get the most out of both. I know that I will have my work cut out for me and that it will be difficult, but I'm dedicated and determined to being successful at both," Harraka said.

Looking to the horizon, Harraka said he does not want to rush through the rungs of NASCAR simply to make a splash and then fade out of America's most competitive form of auto racing. He will run a full season of Late Models and assess his accomplishments mid-to-late season.

Harraka is content with mastering his craft before meeting a new challenge and he has yet to garner NASCAR's All-American championship trophy.

"My dad always told me it's better to be over-prepared than under-prepared because you only have one shot to make a first impression," he said.

More or less, Harraka is what one might call a parent's and a sponsor's dream; he is active in his North Carolina church and even enjoys spending time with his younger sisters.

Team owner McAnally said he never gives up, that's all.

"In all my years in racing, I've never met a more dedicated, harder-working kid than Paulie," McAnally said. "He's a very talented driver and a very bright kid and is great at working with his crew. This kid is going to make it all the way to the top in NASCAR, and I'm thrilled to have him drive for BMR."