The key ingredient to success on race day is the driver.  At the age of 23, Dustin Storm has been called one of the hottest up-and-coming drivers in the Atlantic Seaboard Region.

Dustin’s entrance into the world of racing was foreshadowed by the dirt-racing career of his father, Kenny Storm.  Having grown up around racing, it was a natural progression for Dustin to make the transition to becoming a racer himself at the age of 13.  After three years of go-kart racing, Dustin amassed 47 wins, and qualified to compete in the World Championship several times.

In 1997, Dustin made the move to the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, running a Late Model Stock Car (LMSC) at Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Virginia.  The late model division is the premier series at Old Dominion, and the jump from a 175-pound go-kart to a 3,100-pound, 340 horsepower late model stock car was a major step.

Despite the steep learning curve he faced, Dustin transitioned smoothly between the two completely different types of racecars and during his debut season he gained valuable experience.  Dustin finished 13th in the final point standings amid a competitive field of older, experienced drivers.

During the 1998 season, Dustin compiled five top-five finishes and found his way to victory lane for the first time in a late model.  The increased consistency of his season resulted in an 11th place finish in the point standings.  Dustin was also the 1998 recipient of the Metropolitan Auto Racing Fans Club (MARF) Horizon and Most Improved Driver Awards, given to up-and-coming drivers displaying natural talent, sportsmanship and future potential in racing.

Throughout the 1999 season, the team was dogged with engine troubles.  Despite the setback, Dustin managed to rack up more top-five and top-ten finishes than his past two seasons combined.  He finished sixth in the points and was honored with the 1999 Sportsmanship Award.

In 2000, engine troubles continued to plague the young driver.  However, the team worked through the problems and in his fourth season in the LMSC division, Dustin managed to finish fourth in points.

Spectators and the press declared the 2000 season as the turning point in his racing career.  Dustin’s continuous improvement garnered him the MARF Special Driver Award. The award is given to drivers who exhibit driving expertise, technique, experience, sportsmanship on and off the track and the desire to win in the eyes of their racing peers and track officials.  Dustin won the 2000 Hooters of Manassas Championship and began to develop quite a large fan base.

The 2001 LMSC season at Old Dominion showed the true promise of the young driver.  With a new engine program, Dustin started off the season by racking up a few top-five finishes.  Showing a high level of determination and skill, he rocketed through the summer and fall, earning a remarkable nine feature wins.  In addition to the numerous wins, Dustin was consistent throughout the season and as a result, he won the 2001 Old Dominion Speedway Late Model Stock Car Championship.  His phenomenal season at ODS also placed him second in the Atlantic Seaboard Region Championship.

The Atlantic Seaboard Region is one of ten regions that comprise the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series. Drivers competing at eligible tracks nationwide each season have the opportunity to compete for regional and national recognition, as well as over $1.7 million in posted awards, the highest posted awards for any short-track racing series. The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series competition index system rewards excellence in competition at your home track, while comparing your performance against drivers competing throughout your region and, ultimately, throughout the United States.

The Atlantic Seaboard Region is comprised of nine tracks in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.  Dustin’s second place finish in this region made him one of the top drivers in a region that is known as a hotbed of highly talented drivers.

During the amazing 2001 season, Dustin’s increasing popularity was visible each week with the progressively longer lines of fans, young and old, that waited for a chance to speak to the talented driver and receive an autographed photo of his car.

Old Dominion Speedway race fans also voted Dustin the Program Dynamics, Inc. Most Popular Late Model Stock Car Driver for the 2001 season.

The 2002 season was somewhat disappointing after the spectacular 2001 season.  Dustin chose to forgo his 4th place point standing at Old Dominion Speedway and miss the last race of the season so that he could attempt to run in the Taco Bell 300 at Martinsville Speedway that weekend.  He also lost the lead in the Hooters points by missing the last night of racing at Old Dominion; however, he did make the race at Martinsville.  He qualified 13th out of 135 cars that were entered (42 cars get to start the race) and finished the race in 8th position.  Considering he had to race down pit row on the 2nd lap of the race to avoid a wreck and had to restart the race in the last position; he felt he had a good finish.

Dustin’s commitment to racing is evidenced by the continual improvement throughout his career, and his skill is confirmed by the awards and honors bestowed upon him by the racing community.

Copyright 2004 Dustin Storm Racing  ::  Send Questions or Comments to mail@dustinstorm.com