Bryan Ortiz: Promising Racing Career from Puerto Rico to NASCAR

Bryan Ortiz, driver of the #4 L&M Ethanol Toyota, prepares for practice in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Casey's General Store 150 at Iowa Speedway on June 7, 2013  Photo - Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Bryan Ortiz, driver of the #4 L&M Ethanol Toyota, prepares for practice in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Casey’s General Store 150 at Iowa Speedway on June 7, 2013
Photo – Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Bryan Ortiz, a Puerto Rico native, is with Rev Racing and part of NASCAR‘s Drive for Diversity program for the third consecutive year in 2013.

Ortiz made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East début at Bristol Motor Speedway in March 2012 and finished the season fifth in the overall standings and second in rookie points on the strength of nine top-ten finishes across the 14-race season. Ortiz was a three-time winner of the Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award and the season-long Coca-Cola Move of the Race Award.

Ortiz was selected In 2011, for the NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Program and joined the Rev Racing team as one of the Whelen All-American drivers and gradually moved up to drive in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

Bryan Ortiz, started racing karts in 2002 and won the Yamaha Junior Karting title as a rookie and was an avid snow skier as a youth and was involved in power boat racing in his early teens. He also earned back-to back Formula Renault championships in 2004 and 2005.

Continuing to enhance his racing resume, Ortiz competed in the Koni Challenge from 2007-09 and had a Rolex Grand-Am appearance in 2009 and 2012. Ortiz is still a part-time competitor in the Grand-Am road racing series.

Ortiz finished second in the Sunoco National Tour Standings in 2010 driving for Sterling Marlin and BD Racing. Also in his first season with Rev Racing in 2010, he recorded 11 top-tens in 16 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model starts.

More recently, Ortiz finished third in the inaugural UNOH Battle at the Beach in NASCAR’s K&N Pro Series feature at Daytona earlier this year. With nine starts in NASCAR’s Pro Series East this season, Bryan Ortiz has four top-tens and is now ranked 14th in the series’ point standings. Ortiz is also designated as one of the NASCAR drivers 25 and under to watch in 2013 by FoxSports.com

Bryan Ortiz is our next guest on Fan4Racing Fan2Fan NASCAR-NHRA Talk, Monday, August 12th at 8:35pm ET.  To interact with Bryan Ortiz during our LIVE broadcast Q&A segment, call 347-996-5176.

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