Cousin of Jeff Gordon part of NASCAR Next class
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At age 17, James Bickford hasn't had to do much waiting for success in NASCAR's developmental ranks to come his way. But even his first taste of triumph in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West had an unintended test of his patience.
A first-time win would be memorable enough on its own merit, but oh, what the Victory Lane photos could have been. Shortly after Bickford flashed under the checkered flag first last July at State Line Speedway in Post Falls, Idaho, he felt a trickle of blood from his nose just before the post-race ceremonies were about to start.
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"As long as I'm in a race car, I'm happy"
-- James Bickford
"I don't know what it was from -- it was either yelling or I hit myself on something when I was getting out, but I had to wait inside the car," said Bickford, who also contended with the complicating matter of losing his voice. "People were like, 'What's going on?' I'm holding it and am just, 'I've got a bloody nose and I can't get out of the car right now.' We had to wait and everybody's standing around the car and they all have their cameras ready. That's a story a lot of people don't know.
"It was definitely very exciting. It was unbelievable, definitely one of the biggest wins I've had in my career so far. It was definitely an eye-opening experience, for sure."
Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, after another holding pattern that he described as "nerve-wracking," Bickford made another major step forward in his racing career as one of the 12 members unveiled for the NASCAR Next youth initiative. Again, the wait -- which spanned months after his initial application for the program -- was a tough one to take, but a gratifying one in the end.
"I knew everybody knew, but it was just waiting to see the e-mail whether I was in it or not," Bickford said of the long days that followed the committee's voting process. "When I got the e-mail, I was just so happy because this is just such a great opportunity to be a part of a program like this."
Bickford has already been afforded the luxury of plenty of great opportunities, including his top-flight ride in the K&N Pro Series West with the Bob Bruncati-owned No. 6 Ford team. But he also has a connection to stock-car royalty, owing to family ties with his cousin, Jeff Gordon.
Bickford's uncle is John Bickford, Gordon's stepfather and a guiding force behind the four-time NASCAR champion's racing career. While the younger Bickford says the bond with Gordon is a special one, he's also eager to make his name stand out on its own.
"Definitely carve my own niche," James Bickford said. "It's an asset in terms of advice. He's been to some of the tracks that we race at, like Phoenix and Sonoma, so when we go to those tracks, he's definitely a huge help with advice and connections, with him being able to introduce me to people that are important to my success. It definitely helps a ton."
Bickford is already balancing the rigors of his K&N racing schedule with online studies as a junior in high school, while delving into the realm of business ownership. His involvement as part of the NASCAR Next 2015-16 roster will only increase his obligations, but his visibility in the racing industry should take a similar spike.
And while the racing schedule is still in the early stages, well into the heart of springtime, Bickford said it's not too early to start thinking about 2016. A handful of his NASCAR Next classmates -- Cole Custer, Austin Hill and John Hunter Nemechek among them -- have already embarked on part-time duty in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the first rung of the national series ladder. A similar career arc would suit Bickford just fine.
"We're always searching," Bickford said. "Most likely, when we're putting efforts in, we're putting them toward next year. But if the opportunity arose, then I would be willing to step into a truck just like anybody else. Honestly, I'd be willing to race anything and everything. As long as I'm in a race car, I'm happy."