Nate Stacy moves to Volvo for Touring Car campaign in Pirelli World Challenge

Finishing second in a championship in your first season of professional racing would be a pretty remarkable achievement.

It’s even more remarkable when you’re only 14 years old when you do it.

Nate Stacy drove a Ford Fiesta in the TCB class in the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge and scored one win and six other podium finishes. However, he decided to move up to the TC class with a new car.

Making the decision about which class and which car to drive weren’t easy ones for Nate and his father, Mike.

“Nate was ready to move up the PWC ladder and into a faster class. We really felt that TC was the best choice [with] a lot of competition in TC for 2015,” the elder Stacy said.

Picking the right machine

Nate said that he looked at a Kia, a Ford and a Porsche, but ultimately it was a Volvo C30R that he and his dad chose to campaign in 2015.

“We started looking at cars. When we were given the opportunity to test the Volvos, we took advantage. The cars were so well developed by 3R [Racing] and K-Pax. It really became obvious to us that this was a great fit and would give us a chance to build on the success of last season and again compete for a Championship,” Mike said.

Nate tested the Volvo and was impressed with its drivability. 

“I felt it was so balanced and didn't have the typical FWD torque steer. It is just one of the most responsive cars I have driven. And the support from 3R really made it an easy decision,” Stacy said.

Faster speeds mean more partners

Moving up in class requires more partnerships and the Stacy family has partnered with a charity, Folds of Honor.  FoH is a charity founded in Oklahoma that gives scholarships to families of soldiers killed in the services, and Mike talks about how the team will partner with them at the races.

"We will be creating several avenues for people to get involved in supporting the cause. We will also be hosting several recipient families at races this season,” the younger Stacy said.

After turning 15 years old, Nate is still too young for a learner’s permit in some states, but that won’t stop him from going for it at the season-opening round of the 2015 Pirelli World Challenge at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on March 6-8.