On the surface, Marc Davis looks like any other teenager. He wears beat-up, black skate shoes with mismatched laces--one white and one black. Combined with his voice--which moves rapidly, but still manages to drawl--you'd think that this 18-year-old is as laidback as it gets. But he can fit more miles in an hour than most people, and his results in a race car reveal another, more competitive, side of his personality.

Marc is a college freshman who has quickly honed his skills behind the wheel, becoming one of NASCAR's fresh faces of success. Now he finds himself in close pursuit of a driver's seat at NASCAR's highest levels.

Marc became a wheeled wonder as a little kid growing up in Maryland. He started racing BMX bikes at six years old, and by eight was second in the nation and first on the East Coast. He was so good that his dad and manager, Harry Davis, says, "His skills had developed so he was doing double and triple jumps. I considered that to be a little too dangerous."

Harry asked Marc to pick a different, safer sport. "Obviously, when you're in BMX racing you're going to be into motocross as well, and my mom kind of vetoed the motocross," Marc says. That led Marc to make the leap from two wheels to four. He landed in the seat of a Quarter Midget car--essentially a go-cart with a roll bar. The roll bar took away the danger--"with the BMX bikes there's no roll cage around you and there's not all the padding"--and banished most of the lingering fear.

Once he was behind the wheel, Marc became hooked on the speed and adrenaline, and car racing became his passion.

Marc currently races in three NASCAR series--Nationwide, Camping World Truck, Camping World East--and the non-NASCAR, but essential, ARCA Series. Basically he's in NASCAR's minor leagues, and moving through the East Series, to ARCA, Nationwide and Truck Series, and hopefully to the Sprint Cup. Following a pattern he established on his way from Quarter Midgets to NASCAR cars, Marc is now making the transition to the faster Truck Series and Nationwide Series.

Marc made his Truck debut at Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis, Missouri on September 6th. Just as St. Louis was the gateway to the American West, the Gateway race opened the door to the upper echelons of American stock car racing. In fall 2008, Marc entered the Nationwide Series.

"Everything gets judged off of performance--the better you run, the more races you've won, doesn't matter who it is, you get to go on to the next division," Marc says. "I'd say two years until Sprint Cup full-time." If you can win, you get the keys to the kingdom of the big-time NASCAR teams.

Marc's pursuit of racing isn't a one-man show. His team provides him with the finances, the expertise and the crew that allow him to drive successfully. "When you get the race team, more than anything, it just gives you the confidence that you can go out and perform well, win races and win championships," Marc says.

In the Nationwide and East Series, Marc sometimes drives for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). JGR picked up Marc when he was racing Late Model cars at age 15. "It went from my 18-race Late Model schedule to a 6-year contract," Marc says. "It's definitely worked out to our advantage." With just a family-run operation, Marc raced competitively, but the probability for sustained success was lower. "If I wrecked the car, we might be done for two weeks," Marc says, whereas on a larger team, there are cars in the shop to fall back on.

Having team sponsorship helps separate success from failure. "It's the whole package. You can take an awesome driver and put him in a horrible car and he'll finish 20th--you take a horrible driver and put him in an awesome car, he'll finish 10th," Marc says.

Part of putting the whole package together is driving for multiple teams. In addition to JGR, Marc has raced for Randy Moss Motorsports in the Truck Series and Fitz Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. Stock car racing is a sport of teams, sponsors, and negotiations. It takes all three to make the money balance.

The per-team cost to race in the East Series each season is up to $1 million, the Truck Series is $4 million, the Nationwide Series is $5 million to $7 million, and the Sprint Cup is $15 million to $30 million, according to Harry.

Without sponsors and teams, an individual driver couldn't do it. "It's one of those deals where, when you're coming through the ranks, you've got to really go for them and find sponsors," Marc says. "You definitely have to go out and sell yourself." Marc is sponsored by Howard University's radio station WHUR and by BOB-CAT. They help foot the bill for a sport in which a car costs $150,000 or more, one event can burn up $18,800 worth of tires, and before drivers hop in the car they put on $4,000 worth of gear.

On top of sponsorship, Marc is paid a salary by the teams he drives for. "Generally, the contract is a fixed salary that's negotiated--a percentage of the winnings, and a percentage of the merchandise sales" go to the driver, Harry says.

But Marc isn't just a driver looking for a salary and sponsorship. He's also started a career outside of the driver's seat.

Marc heads up Marc Davis Motorsports with his dad. Initially Marc was the only driver, but by 2008 they had 18-year-old Jessica Green driving a FASTKids Truck, 18-year-old Sam McAuley driving a limited Late Model car, and four kids ranging in age from 8 to 16 driving Bandolero cars.

"As day-to-day operations go, we have other people in charge," Marc says. "But we own all the cars personally. And then we have a lot to do with how the team operates." Marc grew up racing these vehicles with little more than his dad and himself making up the team. Providing the equipment and team backing for others is Marc's way of creating a better opportunity for them.

Marc has come a long way since Harry was his mechanic and they were racing souped-up go-carts. "He's given me… an edge, and without him I'd be lost," Marc says. "To be honest with you, he's really pulled me through some of the big stuff, and he's been right there going along and making sure I'm in the right place at the right time."

Even off the racetrack, Harry makes sure Marc is headed in the right direction. He encouraged Marc to enroll in the University of Maryland's online program in fall 2008. "What I tell him all the time, and I'd tell any teenager, or any athlete: make your money in your sport, the college degree allows you to keep it," Harry says.

Marc's pursuing a marketing degree, so that when his racing days are over he can find a place on the business side of the track. "Marc's not always going to be a race car driver, so he has to prepare for whatever the big picture's going to bring… It makes him a more well-rounded and knowledgeable person," Harry says.

Despite the responsibility of school, racing at the highest levels, and portraying an image for sponsors, Marc's still the guy wearing the shoes with mismatched laces. "I'm the same way at the racetrack as I am outside. I like to have fun and be serious as well, but still be able to joke around with the guys." Marc says. This attitude, tempered with a competitive backbone, has Marc right on the cusp of NASCAR stardom.

Sources:

espn.com; miamiherald.com; joegibbsracing.com; nascar.com; arcaracing.com; randymossmotorsports.com; gatewayinternationalraceway.com; nps.gov; quartermidgets.com; 600racing.com; umd.edu; nascarmedia.com; marcdavismotorsports.com