Eric Gunderson
I think I met Eric the first time he drove Legends at Toyota Speedway. He was a nice kid. A bit quiet at first. But, boy how that changed when he was interviewed in Victory Lane. And Victory Lane is a place Eric Gunderson rarely misses.
I was blown away by his polish on the microphone when thanking his sponsors and recapping a race. Most kids Eric's age can barely remember to thank a sponsor after the excitement of a win - much less sound like a cultivated pro. I guess when you win as much as Eric, you do get a lot of practice!
Eric has an obviously dedicated father and a really cool mom. His mom comes from a field of endeavor about as far from stock car racing as you can get, but on Saturdays she works her way through the pits handing out flyers and brochures and talking up her son's sponsors. That's a pretty great racing mom and something sponsors should notice.
This is one kid to keep an eye on. No doubt some cup team is gonna grab him up for development.