One of the brightest and most successful young minds in stock car racing came from a most unlikely place.
Background
Marty Gaunt, newly named General Manager for Team Red Bull, was born in London, England, and grew up just outside of Toronto, Ont., Canada. But he found motorsports was in his blood at an early age - and success wasn’t far behind.
Born Sept. 3, 1965, Gaunt began racing in 1978 as a crew member for his then 17-year-old brother John. The two were the terror of the late model stocks around southern Ontario, working their way t the front in virtually every race they entered. Gaunt tried his hand at driving himself at the age of 17, and didn’t do too badly. His first race was a 200-lap Enduro. And he won it. Not only did that prove his driving abilities, Gaunt also proved his talent for building cars that could last and his uncanny organizational skills.
Canadian driving legend and CASCAR champion Peter Gibbons recognized Gaunt’s mechanical and organizational skills, hiring him as crew chief and team manager for this CASCAR stock car racing team in 1992. CASCAR recognized those abilities too, naming Gaunt Mechanic of The Year in 1993 - the organization’s highest honor for a team member.
Gibbons, after being counseled by Gaunt, began running ARCA the following season, and Gaunt again served as crew chief and team manager. The following year, Gibbons moved his entire operation to North Carolina - insisting he would go only if Gaunt agreed to join him - and began running limited NASCAR® Busch Grand National schedule.
NASCAR’s Winston Cup Series called in late 1996 and Gibbons reluctantly urged his team manager to take advantage of the call. Michael Kranefuss, head of Kranefuss-Haas Racing with driver Jeremy Mayfield, brought Gaunt into his team as team manager, shortly thereafter to be named general manager of the team.
In 1998, Kranefuss teamed up with racing legend Roger Penske to form Penske-Kranefuss Racing. Gaunt lead the #12 Winston Cup entry to its first victory in 1998 and stayed on board with the Penske team until January of 2001.
With five years of Winston Cup management, Gaunt turned his attention to the NASCAR Busch Series. As General Manager of MK Racing he helped lead driver, Elton Sawyer, to a fifth place finish in the Championship point standings.
In 2004, Gaunt took on another dual role as Part-Owner and General Manager of Red Horse Racing, which secured its first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win in just its second full-time season in 2005 at Memphis Motorsports Park.
Next up for Gaunt is a return to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series with an entirely new challenge ─ a new team owner (Red Bull) with a new manufacturer (Toyota) to the premier American motorsport series. No one is better prepared than Gaunt.
Mary Gaunt
