Kole Raz Bio
Kole Raz (born March 13, 2003) is an American professional stock car racing driver from Lake Oswego, Oregon. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 76 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for AM Racing, and part-time in the ARCA Menards Series with the same team. Raz has worked his way up through regional late model competition into NASCAR’s national development ladder, building a reputation as a steady short-track talent.
Early Life and Background
Kole Raz was born on March 13, 2003, in Lake Oswego, Oregon, a community in the Portland metropolitan area with a long history of producing competitive drivers. He grew up in the Pacific Northwest, a region known for its strong short-track and late model racing scene, which gave him early and frequent exposure to stock car competition. Public information about his formal education is limited, and he has kept his family life outside of racing largely private.
Raz grew up around cars through his family’s connection to the West Series. His older brother, Gracin Raz, competed in the West Series, then known as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, from 2014 to 2017, giving Kole a front-row view of the path from regional racing to NASCAR’s development ranks. This family connection to the sport helped shape his early interest in stock car racing and set the stage for his own career on similar tracks.
Path to NASCAR
Before reaching NASCAR, Raz built his résumé in several prominent regional touring series across the western and southern United States. He raced in the Northwest Super Late Model Series, the Budweiser Crown Series, the ASA Southern Super Series, and the SRL Spears Southwest Tour Series, gaining experience on a wide variety of track types. His strongest results came in the SRL Spears Southwest Tour Series, where he finished fifth in the 2021 standings and recorded seven top-ten finishes, a campaign that established him as a driver ready to move to a national stage.
Raz’s transition into NASCAR’s development ladder began in 2023 when he made his ARCA Menards Series West debut at Shasta Speedway with Jerry Pitts Racing, driving the No. 5 Toyota. He qualified fifth and finished third in that first start, immediately demonstrating competitive pace. He followed it up with another third-place run at Evergreen Speedway, confirming that his regional success could translate to the ARCA level and setting up his move into national NASCAR competition.
Kole Raz Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Raz’s most notable early success came in the SRL Spears Southwest Tour Series, where he ran a consistent 2021 season that ended with a fifth-place finish in the final standings. The year featured seven top-ten finishes across the schedule, showing the kind of lap-after-lap consistency that touring series demand. These results helped him attract attention from teams operating at the next level of the NASCAR ladder.
Through 2022, Raz continued to hone his craft in regional super late model competition, logging additional seat time on tracks across the West Coast and Southwest. His work in this period built the foundation for his 2023 ARCA opportunity and gave him the race craft needed to compete against more experienced drivers.
ARCA Menards Series West Breakthrough (2023–2024)
Raz made his ARCA Menards Series West debut in 2023 at Shasta Speedway with Jerry Pitts Racing in the No. 5 Toyota. After running inside the top ten in practice, he qualified fifth and brought home a third-place finish behind Trevor Huddleston and Sean Hingorani. He backed that up with another podium at Evergreen Speedway, qualifying fourth and finishing third behind Tyler Reif and Hingorani, giving him two podiums in his first two ARCA West starts.
In 2024, Raz returned to Jerry Pitts Racing at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway, once again behind the wheel of the No. 5 Toyota. That race produced the breakthrough moment of his young career, as he captured his first ARCA West victory in the event. The win marked his transition from a regional prospect into a series winner and elevated his profile within the NASCAR development community.
AM Racing Era (2025–Present)
On September 1, 2025, it was announced that Raz would make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway with AM Racing, driving a second entry, the No. 76 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. The move represented his first national NASCAR start and paired him with an established team in the Xfinity garage. He also continued to compete part-time in the ARCA Menards Series with AM Racing, giving him a busy late-2025 schedule across both series.
Driving Style and Strengths
Raz has shown a strength on short tracks and intermediate-sized ovals, the types of facilities that make up most of the West Series and ARCA West schedules. His regional results suggest a driver who is consistent over long runs and capable of capitalizing on late-race opportunities, traits that translate well to stock car racing at higher levels.
Notable Races and Milestones
His first ARCA West win at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in 2024 stands as the defining result of his career to date. His debut Xfinity Series start at World Wide Technology Raceway in 2025 marked his arrival in one of NASCAR’s three national series and signaled the next phase of his career.
Kole Raz Career Wins
Kole Raz has recorded at least one victory across his stock car racing career, with his most notable win coming in the ARCA Menards Series West in 2024.
ARCA Menards Series West Highlights
Raz’s first ARCA West victory came in 2024 at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway, driving the No. 5 Toyota for Jerry Pitts Racing. The win was the highlight of his early ARCA career and confirmed his standing as a rising talent in the West Series. Earlier in his ARCA West tenure, he recorded two consecutive third-place finishes in 2023 at Shasta Speedway and Evergreen Speedway, results that helped establish him as a consistent podium threat.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his ARCA West win, Raz’s strongest regional result came in the SRL Spears Southwest Tour Series, where he finished fifth in the 2021 standings with seven top-ten finishes. That campaign laid the groundwork for his move into NASCAR’s development ladder and remains one of the statistical benchmarks of his early career.
Kole Raz Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Racing runs in the Raz family. Kole is the younger brother of Gracin Raz, who competed in the West Series, then known as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, from 2014 to 2017. Watching his older brother compete on the West Series circuit helped shape Kole’s path into the sport and gave him a clear example of what it takes to reach NASCAR’s development ranks.
Personal Life
Raz was raised in the Lake Oswego, Oregon, area and has kept most details of his personal life outside of racing private. Public information about his relationships, education, and off-track interests is limited.
2025 Season Performance
Raz’s 2025 campaign was defined by his move into the NASCAR Xfinity Series with AM Racing. The announcement on September 1, 2025, confirmed that he would pilot a second AM Racing entry, the No. 76 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, at World Wide Technology Raceway, marking his national-series debut. The opportunity placed him in a Ford-backed program and gave him a chance to prove himself on a larger stage.
Alongside his Xfinity effort, Raz continued to compete part-time in the ARCA Menards Series with AM Racing, splitting his season between the two series. The combination gave him valuable seat time across different cars and track types, a key part of any young driver’s development. With limited public detail on his full 2025 results, his late-season Xfinity debut stood as the headline moment of the year.
Looking ahead, the 2025 Xfinity debut sets the stage for Raz’s next chapter, with more national-series experience expected as he builds a working relationship with his AM Racing team. Continued progression in ARCA and potential additional Xfinity starts will be key storylines to watch as he works to establish himself at the national NASCAR level.
