Years Racing: 11 years driving 25+ years in racing
Job: Fabricator at Grand American Race Cars
1. How did you get into racing?
AG: I was pretty much born into racing. My Dad Frank Grill built his first racecar before I was born and it’s all I’ve ever really known.
2. What would you be doing if you were not driving a race car?
AG: I would just be building and working on race cars at Grand American Race Cars.
3. People who have inspired you the most while you have raced?
AG: Ronnie Sanders helped me out a lot when I first got started, but I think my Dad keeps me inspired to keep on driving. He is almost 73 and he is still as passionate about racing as he was when I was a kid.
4. What is the biggest obstacle you are facing in your quest to succeed in racing?
AG: Just finding the time to work on my own cars so we can go race.
5. What driver are you a fan of?
AG: I’ve always been a Jeff Gordon fan. Not really sure why. Maybe because he was the first young guy to have a lot of success in Cup!
6. Out of all the race cars you have driven, which one was your favorite and why?
AG: I would have to say my favorite was a Perimeter Chassis car that I ran for about 4 years as a Pro Late Model. I think I won like 20 races in it and thats’ the most of any car I’ve had.
7. Pick one : CD player, I pod, 8-Track or Record player, and who do you listen to?
AG: CD player. I’m a little to old for the Ipod thing. I listen to mainly classic rock. Pretty much any of it.
8. What have you been doing during the off season?
AG: Been super busy building new cars and repairing wrecks. Not too much time for anything else.
9. Is there any other type of race car that you’d like to drive that you haven’t yet?
AG: I think I would like to try and Winged Sprint Car. I think that would be a pretty good rush.
10. Your best and worst moment in racing?
AG: Winning the Snowball Derby for the first time in 2007. Wrecking trying to qualify for the World Crown 300 in 2006.
11. Any local legends that you admired while coming up in Short Track Racing?
AG: Neil Bonnett, Davey Allison. I think because they both drove for my Dad at one time or another. Neil drove for him quite a bit in the early 1980’s.
12. What motivates you to be the best in your racing division?
AG: Just the drive to be the best. Being a good race car driver to me is having an idea how to make your car better if it’s not as well as driving it well.
13. Favorite smell at the track : race gas or burning rubber?
AG: Race Gas I guess. Not really crazy about either.
14. What’s the funniest thing you have ever seen on the race track?
AG: A certain someone getting mad at me because he came across my nose and wrecked himself. He then got out and threw his helmet at my car. That was a good chuckle once the smoke had cleared.
15. What local driver do you have the most respect for and why?
AG: Any of the lower division racers. As expensive as it is to do anything anymore and they still find a way to get their car and themselves to the race track!
16. Do you have another sport you enjoy to watch or participate in?
AG: I love watching college football. A little too old to participate anymore, but I played my fair share in my younger days.
17. What’s more important … racing for points or racing for the win?
AG: Racing for the win to me. If you win there is no way someone will score more points.
18. Your favorite track and why?
AG: Montgomery has always been my favorite. I like them all, but I have always enjoyed racing down there.
19. Which describes you best: calculating driver or kamikaze driver?
AG: According to who you ask I guess. I like to be up front if my car is able. That being said I feel like the safest place on the race track is in the lead or close to.
20. Last Lap, you’re in a side by side dash for the win… who would you want to beat and why?
AG: Anyone pretty much. I guess Bubba Pollard would be the guy though. We have had probably 4-6 races to where the last lap decided the race and I think he may be one up on me.
I would like to thank my Sponsors: Dubz Thermal Products, Hedman Husler Hedders, Penske Racing Shocks, Landrum Springs, RW Race Engines.
Thanks Augie, for providing us with this information, and if anyone else would like to be featured here please contact me at ShortTrackTalk@gmail.com
Jason Mayhan
Coach Football and Baseball ,Race and Build Race Cars, Sell Racing Parts and Work 24/7!
