Dawson Cram Bio
Dawson Kevin Cram (born September 12, 2001) is an American professional stock car racing driver, mechanic, and team owner. He has competed part-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the ARCA Menards Series. He is also noted for becoming the youngest team owner in NASCAR history at the age of 16.
Early Life and Background
Dawson Kevin Cram was born on September 12, 2001, in San Diego, California, though he has also been associated with Ballantyne, North Carolina, where much of his racing development took place. He grew up in a family with deep ties to motorsports, and that environment shaped his early interest in racing.
In 2007, at the age of five, Cram started racing Mini Dwarf cars in his hometown of San Diego, California. He later moved to Mooresville, North Carolina, where he transitioned into the INEX Bandolero Series. After winning thirteen times in Bandoleros, he moved to legend cars in 2014. By 2017, his racing slate included starts in legend cars, Super Trucks, and late models in the Whelen All-American Series.
Path to NASCAR
From 2017 to 2021, Cram raced under his own team, Cram Racing Enterprises, which he co-owned with his family. In 2017, at just 16 years old, he was reported to be the youngest team owner in NASCAR history. His father, Kevin Cram, is a former crew chief in all three NASCAR national series, and his uncle, Clinton Cram, is also a crew chief who led Dawson’s first Truck attempt.
His early exposure to multiple racing disciplines and family mentorship helped him progress toward NASCAR’s national touring series. In 2020, he balanced driving duties with work as a mechanic for the No. 6 NASCAR Xfinity Series team of JD Motorsports, while also running Truck races for Long Motorsports and Reaume Brothers Racing. He later purchased Long Motorsports and continued the No. 41 under the Cram Racing Enterprises banner for the remainder of the 2020 Truck season.
Dawson Cram Career
Early Career (2017-2018)
On October 24, 2017, Cram was announced as the driver of the No. 11 truck for Cram Racing Enterprises at Martinsville Speedway in the Texas Roadhouse 200. A blown engine during practice ended the weekend, forcing the team to withdraw before the race.
Cram returned to Martinsville in the spring of 2018, driving for Beaver Motorsports. In his first race with live pit stops, he accidentally hit a crew member on his first stop and finished seventeenth on the lead lap. His third Martinsville attempt was a joint effort between Cram Racing Enterprises and Copp Motorsports, where he finished 24th, and he also ran the next race at ISM Raceway in the No. 83.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2018-2025)
Cram made his Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway in 2018. His best Truck Series finish was 30th, recorded in 2021. He returned to Trucks on a part-time basis in subsequent seasons, including a 2023 entry with G2G Racing at Darlington, where the team was later penalized 25 owner points for an outdated window net.
His Truck Series schedule has been intermittent, with entries across Beaver Motorsports, Cram Racing Enterprises, Long Motorsports, Reaume Brothers Racing, and Mike Harmon Racing. His most recent Truck Series start came at the 2025 MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Breakthrough (2021-2024)
Cram made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in July 2021 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Mike Harmon Racing. In 2022, he attempted the September Darlington race with Emerling-Gase Motorsports in the No. 35, qualifying and finishing 30th. He also attempted two races in the Mike Harmon Racing No. 47 but failed to qualify, and later drove the MBM Motorsports No. 13 at Phoenix, where he finished 31st.
In 2023, Cram ran the majority of the Xfinity Series season in the No. 74 for CHK Racing (formerly Mike Harmon Racing), though he and the team failed to qualify for the majority of their attempts. Following a Charlotte race in May, Cram and the team lost 10 driver and owner points due to an air duct violation, briefly giving him a negative point total in the standings. He also ran the SS-Green Light Racing No. 07 at Martinsville and the Alpha Prime Racing No. 44 at Darlington that year.
On December 6, 2023, Cram announced plans to run full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024, driving the No. 4 for JD Motorsports. After four races, his schedule was scaled back to part-time. JD Motorsports filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in April 2024 and laid off several employees. Starting at Pocono, Cram returned to Mike Harmon Racing in the No. 74, crashing on Lap 1 and finishing 38th. On September 10, 2024, it was announced that he would drive the No. 92 for DGM Racing for five races beginning at Kansas.
Mike Harmon Racing Era (2024-Present)
Following JD Motorsports’ bankruptcy, Cram returned to Mike Harmon Racing in the No. 74 for the remainder of 2024. At Pocono, he qualified after JD Motorsports withdrew their No. 6 entry, marking the first race MHR had qualified for all year. He continued part-time with the team into 2025, driving the No. 74.
He has also been linked to Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen, where he has driven the No. 35 entry. His recent schedule has combined part-time O’Reilly Auto Parts Series efforts with Truck Series starts, reflecting the freelance nature of his current racing program.
Driving Style and Strengths
Cram has shown versatility across short tracks, intermediate ovals, and superspeedways, drawing on years of experience in Bandoleros, legend cars, Super Trucks, and late models. His mechanical background, including serving as a mechanic for JD Motorsports, gives him an unusual understanding of car setup. He has also demonstrated adaptability by moving between teams and car numbers while keeping his career active across multiple national series.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among his signature moments, Cram became the youngest team owner in NASCAR history at 16 years old while running Cram Racing Enterprises. He also became one of the few drivers in NASCAR history to hold a negative point total in a national series standings, a distinction he reached during the 2023 Xfinity Series season after an air duct violation at Charlotte.
Dawson Cram Career Wins
Dawson Cram has not recorded a national-series victory across the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, or the ARCA Menards Series. His career has been built on part-time opportunities, mechanical work, and team ownership rather than wins at the national level.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Highlights
Cram’s first O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start came at the 2021 Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His best series finish is 46th, recorded in 2023. He has yet to score a top-ten or pole position in the series.
Other Wins & Perfromances
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Cram’s best finish is 30th (2021), and his 2025 position was listed as 105th. In the ARCA Menards Series, his best finish is 62nd, set in 2020. He has, however, posted thirteen career wins in the INEX Bandolero Series, an early accomplishment that helped launch his move into stock car racing.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dawson Cram Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Cram comes from a family with deep ties to NASCAR. His father, Kevin Cram, is a former crew chief in all three NASCAR national series, and his uncle, Clinton Cram, is also a crew chief who led Dawson’s first Truck attempt. The family also co-owned Cram Racing Enterprises, which competed across the Truck Series and other events.
Personal Life
Cram was born in San Diego, California, and later moved to Mooresville, North Carolina, a hub of NASCAR activity. Beyond his documented family connections to the sport, limited verified public information is available about his personal life.
2025 Season Performance
In 2025, Dawson Cram has continued a part-time schedule with Mike Harmon Racing, driving the No. 74 in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. His 2025 position in the standings was listed as 59th, and his most recent O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race was the United Rentals Driven to Serve 250 at San Diego. He has also been entered in the No. 35 for Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen during the season.
On the Truck Series side, his 2025 position was listed as 105th, with his most recent start coming at the MillerTech Battery 200 at Pocono. As a part-time entrant, his 2025 campaign has focused on completing races and building consistency rather than contending for wins.
Looking ahead, Cram’s program is expected to remain part-time as he balances driving duties with his continued work as a mechanic and team owner. His mix of family-backed racing operations and partner teams leaves open the possibility of expanded entries later in the 2025 season or in 2026.
