Driver Profile:

Chad Chaffin’s journey in racing began in 1981, at the age of 13, in Nashville, when his father, Neil, helped him build a street stock car and compete at the Highland Rim Speedway.

A few years later, Chaffin began racing Late Models at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. By the early 1990’s, he had amassed an outstanding record at short tracks around the country, including a pair of track championships in 1993 and 1995.

In 1993, he made his first Busch Series start. Over the next few years, he flirted with the Busch Series, starting 10 races in 1993 and 1994.

No full-time rides came Chaffin's way, so he decided to build his own cars and try and make a few races in 1995 and 1996. This was not successful, however, and at a crossroads, he went back to the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and tried to get his career back on track.

One year after stepping away from the Busch Series, Chaffin got a big break.

On a recommendation from Bobby Hamilton, Joe Nemechek called him to drive his Busch Series car at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. This event opened a few eyes and Chaffin was on the rise again. He rejoined the Busch ranks in 1998.

During this same time, Chaffin built himself a NASCAR truck and began running a few races for his own team. Chaffin was competitive, and earned the nod to drive the No. 18 truck for Bobby Hamilton Racing.