Ryan Conrad Looks to Carry First Year Crate Success from 2020 right into 2021 Season

What started out for Ryan Conrad as just trying out his Uncle’s backup 602 Crate entry at a test session quickly turned into an unexpected full out move into the Crate Modified class for the 15 year old during the 2020 season.  Ryan went from just figuring out a Crate car for the first time at a track rental test session to a 6^th place finish in his first competitive 602 Crate outing at the Brett Deyo Short Track Super Series season opener.  Ryan then started running the new Crate class at Big Diamond Speedway and took the early points lead and later in the season secured a new car owner who was able to updated his 2009 Crate to a 2014 Bicknell chassis. Ryan also finished 2^nd in the Big Diamond 602 Crate season points only 46 points behind Cody Manmiller.

Ryan has had a lot of help & support along the way from his mom and dad who welcomed and embraced what started out as just hanging out at the shop with his racecar Uncle Doug Snyder and quickly turned into going to the race track and racing with his Uncle.  Uncle Doug quickly became Ryan’s car owner, crew chief and driving coach when the six year old Ryan got in his first kit car. And for Ryan and Uncle Doug the rest is now history; as the two have been a racing team for nearly ten years now.  By the end of the 2020 Ryan had an offer to drive for a new car owner Doug Williams while remaining racing teammates with his Uncle Doug.

Ryan recalled “I started hanging out with my Uncle Doug at the race shop when I was 5 and by 6 years old I was racing Kit Karts.  I raced in a bunch of Kart classes, in a alot of different cars and at over a dozen different tracks with my Uncle Doug before I turned 12 years old.  With the help of Dean Metzger I was able to win 8 Kart races at Snydersville and also get a win at Motorama.  All along the way my Uncle was showing me how to setup, maintain and drive the cars he put me in.  I moved out of the Karts around 13 years old and raced Slingshots at the most competitive tracks in the area but kind of struggled a bit with the slingshot racing.”

Ryan stated “Then I moved to 600 micros and started racing in the same class with my Uncle Doug.  We continued to go to the most competitive races & tracks in the 600 micro class and run up against the likes of Kunsman, Spence, White and Strada and many others. In light of the stiff competition; I was doing OK and running mid pack but it was starting to get expensive to trying to stay up front with the best in the 600 micro class.”

Ryan continued “So my Uncle found a 602 Crate car and decided he would try 602 Crate racing.   He really liked the Crate car and found it be more affordable and fun than 600 micro racing.   The next thing I know he has a 602 crate backup car and asks me if I want to try it out at a pre-season track rental test session at Big Diamond.  I had to convince my mom that I was ready to drive a Crate and honestly I was a bit intimidated by the thought of driving the crate car but I wanted to see what it would like to be in a big car.  By the end of the test session I was completely comfortable with the Crate car and with Uncle Doug’s coaching I was turning lap times just as quick as my Uncle by the end of the day.  I was really surprised how the 602 Crate fit my style of driving much better than the 600 micros.   I really have to thank my Uncle Doug for sticking me in so many different classes and types of cars over the years.  He has put me in well over a dozen different cars and I can’t say enough about how much his trust and faith in me driving his cars all these years means to me; not to mention everything he teaches me about maintenance, setup and driving race cars.”

“With only one test session in the Crate under my belt we loaded up and went to our first race of the 2020 season drove down to the Short Track Super Series Opener at Cherokee Speedway in South Carolina.  I qualified for the redraw in my first Crate heat race and drew 6th for the feature.  I spun out during the feature and had to go to the back of the field but was able to work my way back through the field and stay out of trouble to finish 5^th in my first 602 Crate feature race!  I really like how the Crate drives off the right side and it’s just perfect match with my driving style.  I get more comfortable in the car and the Crate class every time out with the car.  I was really happy with being able to finish 2^nd in the 602 Crate points at Big Diamond Speedway in my first season of Crate racing.  We were able to get 5 top five finishes and 3 top 10 finishes in 12 starts and a 3^rd place finish in the Coalcracker.”

The successful season and driving style of Ryan didn’t go unnoticed; and by the end of August Doug Williams offered Ryan the driver seat in his newly purchased 2014 Bicknell 5X entry.  Ryan noted “This was just amazing to have Mr. Williams offer me to drive his car and be able to upgrade from a 2009 to a 2014 before the end of the season.  Mr. Williams’ car is a sister car to my Uncle’s car so we can exchange setup information between our two team cars.  It is a dream come true to have a car owner like Mr. Williams and to also still be teammates with my Uncle Doug.”

Ryan stated “ My 2021 plans are to run Big Diamond weekly; travel to all the Short Track Super Series races in the South and also do some specials at Bridgeport and Grandview.  Mr. Williams 2014 Bicknell will be our weekly car at Big Diamond. We will be using the number 327 on a yellow and blue paint scheme and should debut at the Big Diamond opener on April 2.   We also have another 2014 Bicknell that will be my traveling car for the Short Track Super Series and the backup car for Uncle Doug.”

“My goals for 2021 are to step forward one more spot in the Big Diamond point standings and win the 2021 Big Diamond 602 Crate championship.  It’s going to be a much longer and challenging season than last year’s Covid-19 shorten season; but we hope to just pick up where we left off last year and continue with consistent weekly top 10 runs at Big Diamond.  I also looked forwarded to getting my first 602 Crate win during the 2021 season.”

“I have to thank a lot of people who have made all this happen for me.  I like to thank my new car owner Doug Williams; my Uncle Doug who has been racing by my side providing cars and racing guidance for ten years and to my parents who I couldn’t do any of this without them.”    

2021 is going to be a much longer and challenging season for Ryan Conrad; but a strong 2020 rookie season along with continuing team support will provide a solid foundation for a successful season and give Ryan a shot at the 2021 Big Diamond Crate Points championship and grabbing a feature win or two along the way.