Austin Dyne Tasting Race Track Success

Austin Dyne saw firsthand how hard work and diligence can be rewarded in auto racing. He was in victory lane after Dan Wheldon made an unlikely run to the finish line in this year's Indianapolis 500.

Dyne, a 19-year-old from Malibu, is on his own path to auto racing stardom, driving stock cars at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.

He took a break from his career to join his father Colin Dyne, the CEO of William Rast, at the Indianapolis 500 in May. William Rast was the primary sponsor on the car driven by Wheldon and owned by Bryan Herta Autosport.

Wheldon and Herta teamed up to beat the heavy hitters of the Izod IndyCar Series and win the Indy 500. Wheldon passed JR Hildebrand on the last turn of the last lap of the race. Hildebrand spun out and slammed into the turn 4 wall. His car disintegrated and slid across the finish line in second place.

Wheldon, running a conservative pace behind Hildebrand, passed for the lead and won the race. It was the second Indy 500 win of Wheldon's career and it was the first for Herta, an IndyCar series veteran who drove for Chip Ganassi and Michael Andretti before becoming a team owner.

"He's been a great help," Dyne said. "Bryan's been a great mentor to me."

The winner of the Indy 500 drinks from a milk jug after the race. Dyne took a sip from the same jug and got a taste of what it is like to win one of the most famous races in the world.

Dyne is racing in the S2 and NASCAR Late Model stock car divisions at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. He is in his first year of racing stock cars after stints in go-karts and the Skip Barber Racing Series. Dyne said making the switch from open-wheel race cars to stock cars has been challenging.

"It was quite a big jump," Dyne said. "The cars are about 1,500 pounds heavier. Everything is a lot slower. After a few weekends, we got the hang of it. It's taught me a lot about the series and the cars. It made me a better driver. It also helped me when I made my transition into the late model, which is a lot faster, and you got to be a lot more smooth than in the S2."

Dyne started in the S2 stock car class and posted three top-five finishes in the first five races of the season. He is in fourth place in the standings after six races.

He started racing a late model stock car for High Point Racing midway through the season. He is coming off his best finish of the season, seventh-place, on July 23. He has posted three top-10 finishes in seven late model races.

Devin Ostenheimer, his teammate at High Point Racing, has been racing in the S2 and late model stock car divisions at Irwindale. Both drivers have been learning how to transition between the two cars and adjust their approaches between races.

"When you go from one car to another, it's an extreme difference,
said Ostenheimer, a 17-year-old from Morgan Hill in Northern California. "Just totally different driving styles from week to week. It takes some talent. We both adjusted pretty well, up there in the top five. It's been a fun season, a big learning curve. Next season, we should be able to come out here to Toyota Speedway and sort of dominate. This year is about learning and paying dues for both of us."

Dyne added, "We've learned a lot. Just got to keep your nose clean. These cars, you got to do a lot of your passing near the beginning of the race. It's a little different than the open-wheel stuff."

Dyne's next race is an S2 stock car contest on Saturday. Gates open at 4 p.m. Autographs are offered at 5:45 pm and racing starts at 7 p.m. Go here for more information.