Australian Driver Owen Kelly Pilots No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota at Inaugural Ohio Event

This week the No. 54 Monster Energy seat will see for the second time this year 36-year-old Owen Kelly in the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) winning Camry. Kelly, an Australian V8 Supercar driver, along with the eight-time 2013 JGR winners, look forward to week 22 running the Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200, the first NASCAR Nationwide Series event at the 2.258-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington.

Despite the team’s disappointing lap-one accident and subsequent 24th-place finish last week at Watkins Glen (N.Y) International, the Monster Energy team and owner J.D. Gibbs maintain first place in the series’ Owner’s Championship. This week they look to extend that lead with the help of Kelly, who is eager to continue momentum started with this team in Elkhart Lake’s (Wisc.) Road America, in June, where he qualified second, led eight laps and despite running out of gas early in the race finished sixth.

From Tasmania, Australia, Kelly is a known professional race car driver who started his circuit racing career in Targa Road Rally with Formula Ford Racing for three seasons, then progressed to V8 Supercars in 2000. From there he has raced in Super Touring, V8 Supercars and NASCAR Grand Am Rolex Sports Cars and Late Models. Late in the 2007 V8 Supercar season he was picked up as a full-time driver for Paul Morris Motorsport replacing Fabian Coulthard.

In 2008, Kelly raced an asphalt late model, for Dale Earnhardt Jr., at Motormile Speedway in Radford, VA. He wanted to pursue a career in NASCAR and hoped to move up the ladder while securing the necessary experience. In June 2010, Kelly made his NASCAR debut in the Nationwide Series, driving for Baker Curb Racing at the Road America road course, where he started ninth and finished fifth.

In 2011, Kelly prepared the race winning Road America car of Marcos Ambrose and Richard Petty Motorsports. Last year Kelly piloted the No. 54 Monster Energy Camry for Kyle Busch during practice and qualifying sessions in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the famed Circuit Gilles Villeneuve track. Since then he’s raced six times in Australian V8 Supercars and in a New Zealand V8 SuperTourers racing series and has focused time on his athletic training to be sure he was in the best physical condition for his next NASCAR opportunity.

KBM PR