Brayton Laster Bio
Brayton Laster (born August 28, 2002), nicknamed “the Pizza Man,” is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed full-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 0 and 06 for Wayne Peterson Racing. Laster is known for his colorful personality, his self-described obsession with pizza, and a racing journey that began on small Indiana ovals before reaching the national stage.
A graduate of Liberty University, Laster has built his identity as a hard-working underdog who started in go-karts and progressed through several stock car divisions. He earned early recognition as the 2018 Rookie of the Year at Brownstown Speedway and later made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2022.
Early Life and Background
Brayton Laster was born on August 28, 2002, in Greenwood, Indiana, a city just south of Indianapolis with a deep tradition in American auto racing. Growing up near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway gave him early exposure to the sport, and he began racing go-karts at the age of eight at the Indianapolis Speedrome. The short track became a formative training ground, where he learned the basics of stock car handling and race craft.
Four years after his karting start, Laster moved up to racing Ford Thunderbirds and other types of stock cars, often in equipment described by his father, Dane, as a “Frankenstein-esque vehicle.” Despite the humble machinery, those years taught him to work on his cars and extract speed wherever possible. His father has said that the makeshift equipment forced Brayton to “drive his heart out” and develop a strong mechanical understanding of race cars.
Laster is famously nicknamed “The Pizza Man.” According to Laster, the obsession with pizza began at the Indianapolis Speedrome, which sold pizza for concessions. The love of the food soon became part of his identity, and he frequently wore pizza-themed clothing in middle school, where teachers helped cement the nickname. That nickname has since followed him into his professional racing career.
Path to NASCAR
Laster’s path toward NASCAR moved through regional short tracks in Indiana and the ARCA Menards Series ladder. In 2018, he earned the Rookie of the Year award at Brownstown Speedway in the Super Late Model division, a result that signaled his arrival as a young talent worth watching. He has also kept the No. 13 along with green paint on his cars, choices he has openly described as a humorous challenge to common racing superstitions that label those elements as bad luck.
His national-series debut came in 2022, when he entered the ARCA Menards Series Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona International Speedway with Mullins Racing, finishing a strong 13th in his first start. Later that year, on April 28, 2022, it was announced that he would make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the Clean Harbors 150 at Knoxville with Reaume Brothers Racing. Those early opportunities helped establish Laster on the national motorsports map.
Brayton Laster Career
Early Career (2018–2021)
Laster’s most important early break came at Brownstown Speedway in 2018, where he captured the Super Late Model Rookie of the Year award. The season confirmed that his progression from go-karts to stock cars was producing real results on a competitive regional stage. Throughout this period, he continued to race in Indiana while learning to prepare his own equipment.
These developmental years were marked by long hours and modest budgets, with his family playing a central role in supporting his career. The experience of running underfunded cars forced Laster to develop strong mechanical skills and a deep understanding of race strategy, qualities that would later help him adapt quickly when he moved into bigger national-series opportunities.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2022–2024)
Laster made his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2022 in the Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona International Speedway, driving the No. 03 for Mullins Racing and finishing 13th. He returned to the 03 car for the 2023 Daytona season-opener, finishing 27th, before joining Fast Track Racing at Charlotte, where he finished 19th. Later in 2023, he drove the No. 31 for Rise Motorsports in three races, recording top-ten finishes in all three events.
On January 2, 2024, it was announced that Laster would join TC Motorsports for the Daytona season-opener in the No. 91. Plans later shifted, and he drove the No. 95 for MAN Motorsports in a partnership with TC Motorsports, ultimately failing to qualify. He went on to make seven additional starts in 2024 with Fast Track Racing, Rise Motorsports, and Wayne Peterson Racing, with a best finish of ninth at Salem Speedway. On October 30, 2024, it was announced that he would run full-time in the ARCA Menards Series in 2025 with Wayne Peterson Racing, where he earned one top-ten finish and ended the year eighth in the point standings.
Craftsman Truck Series Debut (2022)
On April 28, 2022, it was announced that Laster would make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the Clean Harbors 150 at Knoxville with Reaume Brothers Racing. He started 31st and finished 27th, completing the race and gaining valuable experience at one of the country’s most respected dirt venues. The start marked his first official appearance in a NASCAR national series.
Wayne Peterson Racing Era (2024–Present)
Laster’s move toward a full-time ride gained momentum when he joined Wayne Peterson Racing for select ARCA Menards Series events in 2024. On October 30, 2024, the team confirmed that he would run the full 2025 ARCA Menards Series schedule behind the wheel of the No. 0 and 06. The expanded program gave him his first opportunity to compete week in and week out at the national level.
Across his 2025 season, Laster earned one top-ten finish and finished eighth in the ARCA Menards Series point standings, a steady result for a young driver still building experience. He has continued to develop his race craft through consistent seat time, and his partnership with Wayne Peterson Racing has provided a stable platform for the next phase of his career.
Driving Style and Strengths
Laster is known for a scrappy, resilient driving style shaped by years of racing in older equipment. His background on short ovals has made him comfortable in tight, side-by-side racing, and he has shown the ability to finish races and capitalize on attrition, particularly in his top-ten runs with Rise Motorsports. His mechanical knowledge, gained from working on his own cars, also helps him communicate clearly with his team and adjust to changing track conditions.
Notable Races and Milestones
His 13th-place debut in the 2022 Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona remains a career highlight, as does his three-race streak of top-ten ARCA finishes with Rise Motorsports in 2023. His best ARCA result to date is a ninth-place finish at Salem Speedway in 2024, and his first Craftsman Truck Series start at Knoxville in 2022 marked his arrival on a NASCAR national stage.
Brayton Laster Career Wins
Brayton Laster’s professional record features consistent top finishes rather than a long list of victories. His most notable result remains the 2018 Brownstown Speedway Super Late Model Rookie of the Year award, and he has built a résumé built on reliability and steady improvement across regional and national competition.
ARCA Menards Series Highlights
Through his ARCA Menards Series career, Laster has produced one top-ten finish during his 2025 full-time campaign with Wayne Peterson Racing, finishing eighth in the final point standings. He has also recorded multiple top-ten finishes with Rise Motorsports in 2023 and a best result of ninth at Salem Speedway in 2024. His first ARCA start at Daytona in 2022, where he finished 13th, set the tone for his national-series career.
Other Wins and Performances
In addition to his ARCA work, Laster has competed in the ARCA Menards Series East and West. He made his East debut in 2023 at the Music City 200 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, finishing 14th after a fuel pressure issue, and later ran combination races at Iowa Speedway and Indianapolis Raceway Park. In 2024, he made his ARCA Menards Series West debut in the General Tire 150 at Phoenix, starting 35th before retiring after seventeen laps.
Brayton Laster Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Laster’s father, Dane Laster, has played a central role in his racing journey, supporting his son both emotionally and mechanically. Dane has been credited with keeping Brayton racing through the early years, even when the equipment was outdated or mismatched, and has openly spoken about the challenges of fielding a race team on a limited budget.
Personal Life
Laster studied business at Liberty University as an online student, balancing his education with his racing schedule. Outside of racing, he continues to embrace his “Pizza Man” identity, a brand built around his well-known love of pizza that began at the Indianapolis Speedrome and has since become a signature part of his public persona.
2025 Season Performance
Brayton Laster’s 2025 season represented his first full-time campaign in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 0 and 06 for Wayne Peterson Racing. The season was confirmed on October 30, 2024, and gave him the opportunity to gain valuable experience running a complete national-series schedule for the first time. He recorded one top-ten finish and closed the year eighth in the final point standings, a steady result for a developing driver.
The campaign also marked a step forward in his partnership with Wayne Peterson Racing, a team that has long been known for offering opportunities to emerging talent. By working consistently with a single organization, Laster has been able to focus on improving his race craft, building relationships with his crew, and learning the rhythm of a long ARCA season.
Beyond his 2025 schedule, Laster is set to attempt the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals with Zach Boden Racing, a major step into one of the most prestigious dirt events in the country. The move signals his intent to expand his racing resume across multiple disciplines while continuing to develop as a versatile stock car and open-wheel talent.