Taylorsville’s Bumgarner Named Rookie Of Year

The Bumgarner family has been involved in racing for three generations. What started with Mike Bumgarner was later passed down to his sons, Kevin and Keith Bumgarner.

Now the youngest member of the Bumgarner family, Keith’s son Michael Bumgarner, is starting to blaze his own trail.

Racing full-time in the Late Model Stock Car class at Hickory Motor Speedway this year for the first time, Michael put together a strong season that allowed him to earn the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Rookie of the Year presented by Jostens.

The reigning Limited Late Model champion at Hickory Motor Speedway competed in 29 events throughout the 2023 season, primarily at Hickory in addition to a few visits to South Carolina’s Florence Motor Speedway.

His campaign included one victory at Hickory, his first in a Late Model Stock Car, as well as 21 top fives and 28 top 10s. He finished the season at Hickory ranked second in the track championship standings to champion Kade Brown.

Those strong numbers allowed Bumgarner from Taylorsville, North Carolina, to lay claim to the Weekly Series Rookie of the Year honors by 28 points ahead of Nevada’s Jaron Giannini. Bumgarner also secured NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I Southeast Region Rookie of the Year honors, besting Georgia’s Lanie Buice by 50 points.

Story: nascar.com