Quick on the track, Tyler Tanner has proven to be a quick study in the seat for MB Motorsports as the young Auburn driver gets up to speed for his Oct. 29 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series premiere at Martinsville, Va.
After a recent test session at I-44 Speedway at Lebanon, Mo., team owner Mike Mittler came away impressed with the 20-year-old driver.
“The session went very well. We were focused on getting Tyler acclimated to the truck and the difference between it and the other cars he has driven,” Mittler said. “Tyler came up to speed very quickly and gave us great feedback on how the truck handled.”
Tanner, an Auburn High graduate and engineering student at Arizona State University, is the son of Northwest circuit standout Kelly Tanner.
The younger Tanner delivered a strong season in regional stock car racing, scoring seven pole positions, and three victories and eight top-three finishes in his EF-65 Hand Cleaner-sponsored late model Chevrolet at Rochester’s South Sound Speedway.
Mittler and Tanner Motorsports are preparing Tanner for the NASCAR Truck Series. Mittler has served NASCAR as a perpetual driver development program, having helped launch the careers of Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski, Regan Smith, Justin Algaier and others.
Tanner welcomes the opportunity.
“What a great learning experience,” Tanner said of his first time in the Ford F-150. “Some things carry over from one kind of race car to another, and you can apply that knowledge when you get behind the wheel of something new. Beyond those things, though, it is a whole new experience and I tried to absorb as much as I could in the time we had available.
“Being able to work with Mike and learn from him is great,” Tanner added. “Not only is he, obviously, extremely knowledgeable, but he has a great way of explaining things so you understand the concepts and how to apply them on the track.”
Tanner is a prodigy.
“We have known Tyler for many years and have watched him progress,” Mittler said. “We feel now is the right time for him to start in the truck, so keep your eye on this young man.”
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For more information on MB Motorsports, visit www.mbracing.net.
For more information on Tyler Tanner and Tanner Motorsports, visit www.tylertanner.com.