AUSTIN, Texas — Cameron Lawrence’s career is about to level up.
After racing professionally for 10 years, Lawrence will get a shot in NASCAR. The Austin resident will drive in the NASCAR Truck Series event at Circuit of the Americas on May 22.
“NASCAR is always something that if the opportunity came up, I'd love to do it,” said Lawrence. “As soon as they announced that they were coming to COTA, I’m lucky enough to have some clients that are big NASCAR fans that told me, we want you to do this. We want to make this happen.”
Lawrence won’t practice in the actual truck until the Friday before the race, because of NASCAR COVID-19 policies. His preparation has mostly been on his racing simulator at home.
COTA has been his home track since Lawrence and his wife, Morgan, moved to Austin in 2019.
“I’m leaning on my experience with the track and other cars that I've driven in the past that are similar,” Lawrence said. “I have no expectations, which it usually goes better that way.”
The 28-year-old grew up racing near Orlando, Florida, as a kid. He was pushed back into the sport by his father after scholarships for college baseball never manifested.
“We bought a little car and went and did little bit of racing. He quickly left me behind,” said Cameron’s father, Jay.
It’s been racing success ever since. Lawrence finished in the top three in his first professional race. He won two Trans-Am Series championships. He’s got wins at legendary tracks like Watkins Glen and Daytona, but Lawrence knows racing in NASCAR at COTA means more.
“Getting in the truck and sitting and waiting for them to give us the start your engines, it's gonna be a big moment,” Lawrence said.
It may be even bigger for dad.
“I've watched in racing lots of races, it's certainly going to be different,” said Jay Lawrence, who choked up when talking about his son’s opportunity. “Every race, I’m a ball of nerves up until he gets on the racetrack. As soon as the race starts, all I want to do is him to go a little bit faster, help push him along if I could.”
The love and support has been there since day one, as Cameron Lawrence now tries to handle the nerves that come with making your first NASCAR start in your own backyard.
“Most tracks you don't even get the chance to sleep in your own bed at night and be on track the same day, so it's a very unique opportunity,” Cameron Lawrence said. “Once we get rolling, that's when everything kind of goes away and you just get in that zone.”