NASCAR is generously sprinkled with young talents. In fact, some of the greatest Cup Series stars started their journies at a fairly young age. Kyle Busch kicked off his career in the sport at age 17 in 2002, and by age 20 in 2005, won his first Cup race at Auto Club Speedway. Then Joey Logano was the youngest to win a Cup race – he won a New Hampshire Cup race in 2009 merely at the age of 19. However, Joe Gibbs’ latest recruit may break all these records.
NASCAR made a mighty announcement ahead of the 2025 Cup Series season. Instead of Anheuser-Busch, Cook Out will be the title sponsor of the season-opening Clash race. But the restaurant chain has another piece of good news to share, although it is leaving fans baffled.
Joe Gibbs opening the gates for a young stud
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Cook Out’s presence in NASCAR is growing steadily. Based in the Winston-Salem area since 1989, the special burgers of Cook Out have reached 340 locations across 10 states. Presently, is the entitlement partner for the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway and Richmond Raceway. The same goes for the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, where it also serves as the Official Quick Service Restaurant. However, in addition to his company’s growth, co-owner Jeremy Reaves will also see his own son progressing in the world of stock car racing. And Joe Gibbs is helping him.
While getting to know about Cook Out’s involvement with the Clash race, we learned about another update. Joe Gibbs Racing recently signed 14-year-old Max Reaves, Jeremy Reaves’ son, to a development deal. Being the grandson of Cook Out CEO Morris Reaves, Max will be fittingly placed behind the wheel of the No. 18 Cook Out Toyota in ARCA Menards Series East events this year. What makes the matter more jaw-dropping is the young speedster’s age, as a NASCAR insider revealed. “JGR’s ARCA program will now have Max Reaves piloting the #18 Cook Out Toyota full time in the East division this season, Reaves will be the first ARCA driver to run who was born in the 2010s (Jan 7, 2010).”
JGR’s ARCA program will now have Max Reaves piloting the #18 Cook Out Toyota full time in the East division this season, Reaves will be the first ARCA driver to run who was born in the 2010s (Jan 7, 2010)
Along with FT East, Reaves is expected to follow a similar schedule to…
— Colby Evans (@StartAndParkCar) January 2, 2025
Do not be fooled by his age, though. Joe Gibbs’ latest pick has many tricks up his sleeve. Back in July 2023, a 13-year-old Reaves drove his No. 88 Legend car to a dominant victory in the UNC Charlotte Young Lions feature. He began the race from the pole and steered clear of several cautions to win. Then Reaves was a major threat to 2014 Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick’s son Keelan. The latter won two races at the Cook Out Summer Shootout in Charlotte, but Max Reaves hounded him all through the final laps. Clearly, Max shows great potential to excel in his new routine: “Along with FT East, Reaves is expected to follow a similar schedule to Sawalich and run the ARCA Main division races that his age allows him to run in the #18 as well.”
Yet fans were taken aback by one thing – his tender years.
NASCAR community’s jaws drop at youngster
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Well, the youngster trend is real in NASCAR. 18-year-old Connor Zilisch probably stands at its forefront. The Trackhouse Racing stud won 24 Hours of Daytona at 17 and picked up a Watkins Glen victory on his Xfinity Series debut. Similarly, Brent Crews was the youngest winner in the formidable TA2 series at 16 years of age. So Joe Gibbs’ latest recruit left one fan feeling insecure: “Love seeing people successful get gradually younger and younger whilst I get older and older. Really gets the old self-esteem.” Another fan had a hilarious take, referring to how comparing oneself to these young prodigies can naturally hit you. “Neat, I was wondering why my knees were hurting today.”
Despite being the son of a prominent NASCAR sponsor, Max Reaves has plenty to prove his mettle with. He is a three-time winner in the Young Lions Division. Keelan Harvick, even after defeating Reaves, tipped his hat to his rival’s talent and admitted to feeling nervous. One fan acknowledged Reaves’ massive potential while shedding a tear about his age: “2024 Carolina Pro Late Model Series champion. Won races across Legends, Pro Late Models, and Late Model Stocks in 2024. Makes me feel like Old fuckin’ Yeller, and I’m 21.” Another fan tried to change the perspective, but ended up getting more embarrassed. “It’s only January 7, a couple days earlier and he would’ve been born in the 2000s! Coping here”
A NASCAR fan from an even older generation now entered the chat. They were from a time when Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, and Matt Kenseth were ‘young’. Now all have retired from NASCAR and spend time with their families. So this fan was left flabbergasted at Joe Gibbs’ 14-year-old racer. “I first started feeling old when the “young guns” from when I was growing up, guys like Dale Jr, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon started retiring. I feel even older now that a kid who was born the same year I graduated high school is in ARCA. Now get off my lawn!”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Evidently, Max Reaves is whipping up a storm about his age. If he can perform excellently, a bigger storm may be scheduled this year.