Meet the Driver: Austin Grover

As we continue to introduce you to our drivers, this edition we sat down with Austin "Wags" Grover.

Thank you for taking the time to sit down with us here today. We’ve known each other a long time and I’m thrilled to have you back with us at TNR. Not a lot of people know this, but you actually were the first person to get me interested in graphic design back in the day. You taught me how to use a program called “GIMP” and the rest was history, so let me thank you once again GIMP master.

Q: There’s a good mix of new and old in our league; so for those who don’t know your history, would you care to explain why some of us still call you “Wags”?

A: Man, the TNR guys are the only ones I will allow to call me that anymore. It was an old nickname from a different last name I had when I was younger. When I first joined TNR, we were doing business out of a vBoards forum, so that was my username and it kind of stuck!

Q: What was your reaction when you heard that TNR was coming back as an online racing league?

A: I got a Facebook message from Garrett. I had just started running iRacing again the week beforehand. I was ecstatic. It was like a blast from the past at the perfect time. When I hopped on to the Discord they had set up and saw all the names that I hadn't seen in years, man, it felt like a family reunion.

Q: Do you recall how you got started in TNR? Do you have a favorite memory from the NR2003 days?

A: I don't actually recall how I got my start, but probably my favorite memory would have to be from a race at Bristol. Mike Tellier and I duked it out for laps; and coming to the checkers, we tangled and basically wrecked it across the line for like 4th place. I think he may still have the picture floating around.

Q: A lot of time has passed between our time as a NR2003 league and now, so what has life had in store for you since the last time we all got together?

A: Well, I worked retail for about 10 more years after the TNR days ended, but now I paint tractor parts for John Deere and Case.

Q: The entry list for Charlotte shows that you are being sponsored by AMD/Sony. Could you tell us a little bit about your involvement with those brands?

A: AMD and Sony have been awesome partners to work with. I'm a huge gamer, so having the opportunity to team up with companies that are the best for gaming is exciting. We'll have a couple races with Sony's PlayStation brand on the hood, but a majority are going to feature AMD and the Ryzen processors.

Q: Last question: What would you say your expectations are for this initial 8-race season in the #83 Chevrolet?

A: To be honest, I want to be competitive. I'm not expecting to go out and dominate the tracks. However, I hope to give some of the guys a run for their money at a few of the races as well. I know we've got a good group behind us that's hungry to get some strong finishes.