By Mike Schmaltz

Travis Gregg '00 is redefining the phrase "fast tracker" among Miami University alumni by pursuing a career in the high-speed, high-stakes world of Indy Car racing.

"I love speed. I love to go fast," Gregg said of his high-powered pursuit.

"People ask me what it's like to go 190 mph. There really is no comparison to the speed, but maybe to the feeling. It feels almost like a roller coaster when G-forces act on your body and tracks are rough and bumpy. Things come at you a lot quicker going that fast, especially when cars are alongside of you."

The 28-year-old came to Oxford from nearby Camden, Ohio, on a wrestling scholarship in 1996, but racing has been part of his life since childhood thanks to his father, Gary.

"My father was a go-kart racer, and my family started a go-kart track in Camden in the 1960s," Gregg said. "When I was about 7 years old, my dad put me in a go-kart. I was eager and anxious to get in because my older brother, Jason, was racing, and I wanted to be right there behind him."

After developing solid fundamentals on his family's track, Gregg started competing in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) road course races and United States Auto Club (USAC) races on dirt oval tracks in high-powered Sprint Cars that resemble dune buggies.

He occasionally raced in college while balancing his athletic and academic schedules. After graduating in 2000, he set out to enter the Indy Racing League Indy Pro Series, a circuit specifically created to aid aspiring drivers.

Gregg first handled one of the 450-horsepower, open-cockpit cars at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in December 2003.

"Sam Schmidt Motorsports has test rides where you pay a fee and have the chance to drive a car," Gregg recalled. "I wanted to get some experience and see what it was like. It turned out I enjoyed it and I was pretty quick. It all came together the next year when I drove three races for Sam."

He made an impact in his first race with the team eight months later at Kentucky Speedway. Gregg earned the top starting spot, the pole position, after circling the 1.5-mile paved oval track in less than 28 seconds at more than 190 mph. The performance set a series track record that still stands. He continued his strong debut by leading 57 of 67 race laps and finishing fifth.

"It felt like a dream," Gregg remembered. "Kentucky marked my first time racing on asphalt since 2000. I was trying to get a feel for the car, not wreck, have fun, and learn a lot. I didn't expect to start out on the pole and lead 57 laps. I wasn't going to let the opportunity slip away. If I could've won the race, I would've."

He went on to qualify second for his next two races and finish 13th at Chicagoland Speedway and second at Texas Motor Speedway. His solid showings in three events that season earned him a chance to remain with the team for the 2005 campaign and compete in 14 races with a fully sponsored car at the most prestigious motorsports facilities in the United States, including the fabled Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

He collected three wins, six pole positions, and a third-place finish in the final series standings in his first full season. Gregg then encountered the cruel side of the racing business when he learned his team had lost sponsorship funding for his car and would not enter it in series competition this season.

"I wasn't really that disappointed because the 2004 series champion had just sat out the season. I had last season's sponsorship through Sam Schmidt, but there really aren't paid rides in the Indy Pro Series. You have to come up with some money. My dad owns Barnet's trucking company, and he's been able to support a lot of my racing. We just didn't come up with enough money to continue racing this season and didn't want to place all of our eggs in one basket again."

Undaunted by the setback, Gregg is currently working in account service with his family business while continuing to search for another chance to advance to the top-tier IndyCar Series and achieve his ultimate goal of racing in the Indianapolis 500.

"I'm going to continue to pursue Indy Pro and IndyCar series opportunities, and maybe something will transpire. I'll do whatever it takes to be successful — training, focus, hard work."

Should his opportunity not materialize, the recently engaged Miamian plans to put his finance degree to work in his family's business.

"I don't think I'll ever be done racing, but my time frame for actively pursuing big-time racing is five years because there are a lot of other things I want to do, and I don't want to waste time in life."

Although keeping his "big picture" in focus, Gregg still can't quite shake the allure of Indy car competition.

"I race for many different reasons. The competition and love for the sport are a couple, but the most important reason is speed. The heart-pounding adrenaline rush I get going side by side inches apart from my competitors at speeds near 200 mph is unbelievable."

Learn more about Travis Gregg '00 at www.travisgregg.com.

Mike Schmaltz is a Cincinnati-based public relations consultant and freelance journalist.

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