Kris Wright
Kristofer Cole Wright (born July 17, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series, and part-time in the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West, driving the No. 15 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports. He has also previously competed in sports car racing, open-wheel racing, the Euroformula Open Championship, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Wright is also the 2018 IMSA Prototype Challenge LMP3 class champion.
Racing career
Sports car racing
In 2015, he joined Kinetic Motorsports in the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car A class. He recorded his first podium finish at Miller Motorsports Park where he finished third.
In 2017, he raced in the IMSA Prototype Challenge with JDC MotorSports. Wright, who described the prototype cars as "really easy to drive", finished second in the Prototype Challenge standings with a win at Watkins Glen International and Rookie of the Year honors. He signed with Extreme Speed Motorsports for the 2018 Prototype Challenge season, during which he scored race wins at Barber Motorsports Park and Virginia International Raceway, finished in podium range in all six events, and won the LMP3 class championship.
Wright ran his first endurance and WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona, driving for Performance Tech Motorsports in the LMP2 class. Joined by Kyle Masson, Robert Masson, and Cameron Cassels in the No. 38, Wright's team finished second in its class.
Open-wheel racing
During the 2017 racing season, Wright entered the Road to Indy ladder beginning with the U.S. F2000 National Championship with John Cummiskey Racing. He raced at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Barber, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course before moving to the Pro Mazda Championship in June with JDC. He contested the Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and Watkins Glen races, with a best finish of fifth at Watkins Glen.
In 2019, he started racing in the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship with Fortec Motorsports after testing with the team the previous year; Wright compared the car to the Pro Mazda vehicles, noting they were "very similar". He finished the season 16th in points, last among drivers who ran the full schedule, with a best finish of fifth at Silverstone Circuit.
Wright remained with Fortec as he moved to the Euroformula Open Championship in 2020, though the season's start was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stock car racing
Wright's first starts in stock car racing took place during summer 2020. In June, he raced in the ARCA Menards Series West doubleheader at Utah Motorsports Campus, where he finished second and third.
In August, he joined the GMS Racing organization, racing in the ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series on a part-time basis. His debut with the team came on August 1 in the CARS Super Late Model Tour at Hickory Motor Speedway, where he finished 11th. His first ARCA and NASCAR Truck starts for GMS took place at Michigan International Speedway and the Daytona International Speedway road course, respectively.
Wright joined Young's Motorsports for the full 2021 NASCAR Truck Series season, driving the No. 02; he also debuted the team's ARCA program at the Daytona test in January. After running the season opener, he also signed with NASCAR Xfinity Series team Sam Hunt Racing as a road course ringer. Wright missed the Atlanta Motor Speedway race in March after testing positive for COVID-19.
For 2022, Wright would be announced to drive the No. 44 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet full-time, but would later leave the team on August. However, Wright was announced to run the rest of the Xfinity Series season with Brandonbilt Motorsports from August onwards, only excluding three races which owner Brandon Brown himself will drive, and the car having sponsorship from FNB Corporation.
On February 8, 2023, it was announced that Wright would return to the same truck he drove in 2021, the No. 02 for Young's Motorsports and run full-time in the Truck Series in 2023. After earning only three top twenty finishes in the first eleven races, Wright and the team would agree to part ways effective immediately before the race at World Wide Technology Raceway.
On November 14, 2023, it was announced that Wright will run full-time in the ARCA Menards Series in 2024, driving the No. 15 Toyota for Venturini Motorsports.
Personal life
Wright's father was also a racing driver, though he encouraged his son to play golf. After graduating from Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh in 2013, Wright was a member of IMG Academy and Robert Morris University's golf teams. He also qualified for the district championship of the Remax World Long Drive Championship in 2014, but came up short on his bid for the World Finals.
Motorsports career results
American open–wheel racing results
U.S. F2000 National Championship
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Kaminsky Racing | STP 14 |
STP 15 |
BAR 13 |
BAR 19 |
IMS 21 |
IMS 17 |
ROA | ROA | IOW | TOR | TOR | MDO | MDO | WGL | 25th | 28 |
Pro Mazda Championship
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | JDC MotorSports | STP |
STP |
IMS |
IMS |
ROA 13 |
ROA 9 |
MDO 7 |
MDO 8 |
MDO 11 |
GMP |
WGL 5 |
WGL 8 |
10th | 95 | ||||
| 2018 | BN Racing | STP 12 |
STP 14 |
BAR 13 |
BAR 14 |
IMS 10 |
IMS 6 |
LOR | ROA | ROA | TOR 7 |
TOR 5 |
MDO 10 |
MDO 10 |
GMP | POR | POR | 12th | 110 |
Complete BRDC British Formula 3 Championship results
() (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Fortec Motorsports | OUL 1 11 |
OUL 2 Ret |
OUL 3 16 |
SNE 1 15 |
SNE 2 12 |
SNE 3 10 |
SIL1 1 13 |
SIL1 2 17 |
SIL1 3 18 |
DON1 1 14 |
DON1 2 13 |
DON1 3 Ret |
SPA 1 16 |
SPA 2 17 |
SPA 3 15 |
BRH 1 16 |
BRH 2 Ret |
BRH 3 13 |
SIL2 1 14 |
SIL2 2 5 |
SIL2 3 15 |
DON2 1 15 |
DON2 2 11 |
DON2 3 14 |
16th | 126 |
NASCAR
() (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Xfinity Series
| NASCAR Xfinity Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | NXSC | Pts | Ref | ||
| 2021 | Sam Hunt Racing | 26 | Toyota | DAY | DRC 18 |
HOM | LVS | PHO | ATL | MAR | TAL | DAR | DOV | COA 32 |
CLT | MOH 32 |
TEX | NSH | POC | ROA 25 |
ATL | NHA | GLN 17 |
IRC 30 |
MCH | DAY | DAR | RCH | BRI | LVS | TAL | 93rd | 01 | ||||||||
| Sam Hunt Racing with JD Motorsports | 15 | ROV 39 |
TEX | KAN | MAR | PHO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Brandonbilt Motorsports | 68 | Chevy | DAY | CAL | LVS | PHO | ATL | COA | RCH | MAR | TAL | DOV | DAR | TEX | CLT | PIR | NSH | ROA | ATL | NHA | POC | IRC | MCH | GLN 34 |
DAY | DAR 36 |
KAN 20 |
BRI 25 |
TEX | TAL | ROV 38 |
LVS 24 |
HOM 27 |
MAR 26 |
PHO 26 |
99th | 01 | |||
Craftsman Truck Series
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | NCTC | Pts | Ref |
| 2020 | GMS Racing | 24 | Chevy | DAY | LVS | CLT | ATL | HOM | POC | KEN | TEX | KAN | KAN | MCH | DRC 25 |
DOV | GTW | DAR | RCH | BRI | LVS | TAL | KAN | TEX | MAR | PHO | 66th | 18 | |
| 2021 | Young's Motorsports | 02 | Chevy | DAY 12 |
DRC | LVS 25 |
ATL | BRD | RCH 35 |
KAN 33 |
DAR 39 |
COA | CLT 23 |
TEX 22 |
NSH 32 |
POC 30 |
KNX | GLN | GTW 18 |
DAR 28 |
BRI 36 |
LVS 16 |
TAL 36 |
MAR 13 |
PHO 32 |
26th | 166 | ||
| 2022 | Niece Motorsports | 44 | Chevy | DAY 19 |
LVS 17 |
ATL 21 |
COA 15 |
MAR 30 |
BRD 33 |
DAR 33 |
KAN 25 |
TEX 35 |
CLT 19 |
GTW 33 |
SON 26 |
KNX 28 |
NSH 17 |
MOH 25 |
POC 27 |
IRP 31 |
RCH | KAN | BRI | TAL | HOM | PHO | 30th | 195 | |
| 2023 | Young's Motorsports | 02 | Chevy | DAY 22 |
LVS 28 |
ATL 15 |
COA 21 |
TEX 12 |
BRD 32 |
MAR 16 |
KAN 28 |
DAR 29 |
NWS 22 |
CLT 32 |
GTW | NSH | MOH | POC | RCH | IRP | MLW | KAN | BRI | TAL | HOM | PHO | 29th | 150 | |
* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points
ARCA Menards Series
() (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| ARCA Menards Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | AMSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2020 | GMS Racing | 21 | Chevy | DAY | PHO | TAL | POC | IRP | KEN | IOW | KAN | TOL | TOL | MCH 14 |
DRC | 22nd | 193 | |||||||||
| Chad Bryant Racing | 22 | Chevy | GTW 18 |
L44 7 |
TOL | MEM 10 |
ISF | |||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | BRI 15 |
WIN | KAN 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Rette Jones Racing | 30 | Ford | DAY | PHO | TAL | KAN | TOL | CLT | MOH 8 |
POC 24 |
ELK | BLN | IOW | WIN 8 |
GLN 13 |
MCH | ISF | MLW | DSF | BRI | SLM | KAN 6 |
26th | 161 | |
| 2022 | Cook Racing Technologies | 42 | Chevy | DAY | PHO | TAL | KAN | CLT | IOW | BLN | ELK | MOH 6 |
47th | 75 | ||||||||||||
| Young's Motorsports | 02 | Chevy | POC 8 |
IRP | MCH | GLN | ISF | MLW | DSF | KAN | BRI | SLM | TOL | |||||||||||||
| 2023 | Venturini Motorsports | 55 | Toyota | DAY | PHO | TAL | KAN | CLT | BLN | ELK | MOH | IOW | POC | MCH 11 |
IRP | 55th | 72 | |||||||||
| 15 | GLN 6 |
ISF | MLW | DSF | KAN | BRI | SLM | TOL | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | DAY | PHO | TAL | DOV | KAN | CLT | IOW | MOH | BLN | IRP | SLM | ELK | MCH | ISF | MLW | DSF | GLN | BRI | KAN | TOL | ||||||
ARCA Menards Series East
| ARCA Menards Series East results | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | AMSEC | Pts | Ref |
| 2020 | Chad Bryant Racing | 12 | Chevy | NSM | TOL | DOV | TOL | BRI 15 |
FIF | 44th | 29 | |||
| 2024 | Venturini Motorsports | 15 | Toyota | FIF | DOV | NSV | FRS | IOW | IRP | MLW | BRI | |||
ARCA Menards Series West
| ARCA Menards Series West results | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | AMSWC | Pts | Ref |
| 2020 | JP Racing | 7 | Ford | LVS | MMP 2 |
MMP 3 |
IRW | EVG | DCS | CNS | LVS | AAS | KCR | 14th | 109 | |||
| Chad Bryant Racing | 22 | Chevy | PHO 18 |
|||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Venturini Motorsports | 55 | Toyota | PHO | IRW | KCR | PIR | SON | IRW | SHA | EVG | AAS | LVS | MAD | PHO 22 |
66th | 22 | |
| 2024 | 15 | PHO | IRW | KER | PIR | SON | IRW | SHA | TRI | MAD | AAS | KER | PHO | |||||
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results
()(Races in bold indicate pole position. Races in italics indicate fastest race lap in class. Results are overall/class)
| Year | Entrant | Class | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Performance Tech Motorsports | LMP2 | Oreca 07 | Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 | DAY 2 |
SEB | MOH | WGL | MOS | ELK | LGA | ATL | 10th | 32 |