By Lyndal Scranton - Wheatland, MO (February 11, 2016) - Education is important to Andy Bryant. That rings true both in the classroom and on the race track.
"My parents (Michael and Dawn Bryant) take huge pride in my academic success," said Bryant, a 16-year-old honor-roll student at Fort Scott High School in southeast Kansas. "They make sure that's a priority for me."
Behind the wheel of his modified, Bryant also make straight-As in 2015. Before he turned legal driving age in October, Bryant won the United States Racing Association B-Mod National Championship - the youngest to ever win a USRA national title.
One of his 17 victories came in the Lucas Oil Speedway Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod division, where he wound up third behind Mike Striegel and Kris Jackson in the track points chase. Overall, Bryant had 39 top-five finishes in 66 starts.
Talk about a busy year. The high school sophomore, whose first B Mod victory came as a 13-year-old at nearby Humboldt Speedway in 2013, Bryant raced at 15 different speedways in five states in 2015.
It was a breakthrough season in terms of consistency or, as Bryant called it, "Repeating our success."
"The year before we had success, but weren't able to keep it rolling," he said. "There would be quite a time frame between our wins."
Part of the dirt-track education was visiting a wide variety of tracks including Lucas, Humboldt and Lakeside Speedway.
"The more tracks you go to, the more people you race against and the better competition you'll find in doing that," Bryant said. "We've raced at a lot of good places. Wheatland was really one of the better ones because they were almost guaranteed car count and the track was different between every race."
Included in his win total were five Holley Iron Man Series triumphs.
"I would describe the season as very successful, but that's what we were pushing for," Bryant said. "That was a goal of ours from early in the season and we were able to accomplish" the championship.
Bryant will be aiming for a repeat when the new season begins in a few weeks. First up is the Battle at the Bullring at Humboldt, March 10-12 and the King of America there March 31-April 2.
The first visit to Lucas Oil Speedway is set for April 16, when the Budweiser Weekly Championship Series begins.
Until school's out in May, the classroom will continue to demand more of Bryant's attention than the race shop.
"Andy's academic success is our No. 1 priority with racing being a close second," Michael Bryant told RacinDirt.com last fall. "Andy does an amazing job of balancing his school work and his racing responsibilities."
Bryant's sponsor list is long and includes: Phoenix Race Chassis, Yeoman Race Engines, Dave Hill Motorsports, Dirt Track Specialist, Camarillo Construction, Atnip Enterprises, Dynamic Drivelines, Keyser, Integra Shocks, Aero Wheels, Landrum Springs, Schoenfeld Headers, ProPan, Cummings and Son Excavation and Extreme Vinyl.
"My parents (Michael and Dawn Bryant) take huge pride in my academic success," said Bryant, a 16-year-old honor-roll student at Fort Scott High School in southeast Kansas. "They make sure that's a priority for me."
Behind the wheel of his modified, Bryant also make straight-As in 2015. Before he turned legal driving age in October, Bryant won the United States Racing Association B-Mod National Championship - the youngest to ever win a USRA national title.
One of his 17 victories came in the Lucas Oil Speedway Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod division, where he wound up third behind Mike Striegel and Kris Jackson in the track points chase. Overall, Bryant had 39 top-five finishes in 66 starts.
Talk about a busy year. The high school sophomore, whose first B Mod victory came as a 13-year-old at nearby Humboldt Speedway in 2013, Bryant raced at 15 different speedways in five states in 2015.
It was a breakthrough season in terms of consistency or, as Bryant called it, "Repeating our success."
"The year before we had success, but weren't able to keep it rolling," he said. "There would be quite a time frame between our wins."
Part of the dirt-track education was visiting a wide variety of tracks including Lucas, Humboldt and Lakeside Speedway.
"The more tracks you go to, the more people you race against and the better competition you'll find in doing that," Bryant said. "We've raced at a lot of good places. Wheatland was really one of the better ones because they were almost guaranteed car count and the track was different between every race."
Included in his win total were five Holley Iron Man Series triumphs.
"I would describe the season as very successful, but that's what we were pushing for," Bryant said. "That was a goal of ours from early in the season and we were able to accomplish" the championship.
Bryant will be aiming for a repeat when the new season begins in a few weeks. First up is the Battle at the Bullring at Humboldt, March 10-12 and the King of America there March 31-April 2.
The first visit to Lucas Oil Speedway is set for April 16, when the Budweiser Weekly Championship Series begins.
Until school's out in May, the classroom will continue to demand more of Bryant's attention than the race shop.
"Andy's academic success is our No. 1 priority with racing being a close second," Michael Bryant told RacinDirt.com last fall. "Andy does an amazing job of balancing his school work and his racing responsibilities."
Bryant's sponsor list is long and includes: Phoenix Race Chassis, Yeoman Race Engines, Dave Hill Motorsports, Dirt Track Specialist, Camarillo Construction, Atnip Enterprises, Dynamic Drivelines, Keyser, Integra Shocks, Aero Wheels, Landrum Springs, Schoenfeld Headers, ProPan, Cummings and Son Excavation and Extreme Vinyl.
