Mayweather’s NASCAR dream has been more than three years in the making, with plenty of rumors swirling that he’ll be in autos full-time for the 2021 season.
But it wasn’t until this year’s edition of the Great American Race in Florida that the former boxing giant got a car into the mix.
Mayweather revealed: “I love fast cars and love to compete. I know NASCAR will not be easy, but anything easy is not worth doing for me.
“With that being said, this move into auto racing seems like a perfect fit for the Mayweather brand.”
‘It’s a HOT TIME FOR NASCAR’
Chosen as pilot number 50 – a number chosen due to Money’s incredible 50-0 undefeated boxing record – was Kaz Grala, 23.
Born in 1998, Boston-born Grala is of Polish descent and started playing go-karts at the age of 4.
When he was 10 years old, he started driving the Bandoleros, winning the 2011 summer penalty shootout championship.
In her teens, Grala split her time between high school at Worcester Academy and breaking tons of records across the line.
Grala remains the youngest driver ever to win a UARA-Stars race, beating the checkered field at the Hickory Motor Speedway at the age of 14.
And his father Darius is also a racer, with Pole a three-time 24 Hours of Daytona champion.
‘FLOYD IS HERE TO WIN’
You could say Kaz always looked destined for NASCAR, as the then-teenager launched the Pinty Series in 2016.
A year later, Grala joined GMS Racing full-time and went on to rewrite the record books.
Aboard their Chevrolet No33, his monster performance at the Daytona 250 saw him become the youngest NASCAR driver ever to win both poles and then win at the famous track.
Grala had a place waiting for him at Georgia Tech to study engineering but he postponed his place to focus solely on racing.
He revealed when joining Money Team: “It’s an honor to be behind the wheel for Floyd Mayweather’s entry into NASCAR.
“It’s been a really exciting time in our sport as it globalizes and reaches new audiences.
“I know Floyd is here to win, and I absolutely feel that everyone involved in this program has the potential to make that happen.
“We knew it was going to take some time for us to grow together as a new organization, but I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of building this team from the start. “
Despite currently being a part-time racer for Money’s new team, Grala can be said to have impressed even when Mayweather’s Daytona dreams didn’t come true.
Grala was in exceptional form as the team progressed through the qualifiers in a dramatic fashion.
But on lap 40 of the February show, disaster almost struck when he lost both the rear wheel and the rear tire.
Even for a seasoned driver with more than a decade of experience, this incident left Grala terrified in the cockpit.
He revealed: “Oh, it was horrible. I mean, everything was fine and then it wasn’t really quick.
“At one point, I couldn’t take my hands off the wheel because I felt like ‘oh we’re destroying’ and stood outside the wall.
“In that moment, I didn’t think we were going to finish the race.”
‘I DON’T HAVE TO HAVE MORE’
You can expect Mayweather to come back bigger and better soon, with reports that he wants to compete in at least fifteen races.
And after his heroic fight in Florida, you can expect Grala to be in Mayweather’s scheme for a long time.
The rider isn’t sure when the Money Team will be up and running next, but has hinted that his next Cup Series gig could be at Circuit of the Americas on March 27.
He revealed, “I don’t know exactly [when Team Money racing again].
“I’ve heard rumors about being able to participate in COTA in the whole team. Maybe that will be the next tournament we participate in.
“I hope so, I love that place. Hopefully you’ll see us here a few times this year.”
Mayweather is estimated to have made $1.2 billion over the course of his career and has a 2022 net worth of $450 million.
From: Clare Fora Daily Nation Today.com
