Devon Rouse and his racing journey are nothing short of surreal. From starting kart racing at the young age of just three to strongly competing in NASCAR, it has been some ride for the Burlington-born driver. Recently, in an Exclusive Interview with EssentiallySports, Rouse shared some intrinsic details about his recent past and his upcoming future.
While the 25-year-old has had his set of challenges so far, he isn’t shying away from dreaming big. In fact, Rouse has an exciting schedule lined up for the 2024 season.
2024 could turn out to be a pivotal year for Devon Rouse
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Slowly but steadily, Devon Rouse has become a well-known figure in the motorsports arena. Although he has been seen a lot in sprint car racing, his stock car racing career is progressing at a decent pace now. Rouse was popularly seen driving the #43 car for Reaume Brothers Racing in 2021 and 2022 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
It has been a memorable ride, from dirt to stock car racing. Had Rouse not met a Truck Series crew member in 2019, it is difficult to say if he could have been seen in the NASCAR world as frequently. Having said that, it took him time before he finally got his chance to try out in a Truck Series race.
Due to unforeseen circumstances I will not be racing the @NASCAR_Trucks at @BMSupdates.. I appreciate everyone’s support and understanding. As hard as it is to hear, it’s significantly more difficult to post and have to make this decision. 😔
— Devon Rouse (@MrRouse16) March 9, 2021
In his Exclusive with EssentiallySports, Devon Rouse talked about how he tested a truck at Myrtle Beach Speedway in 2020 before planning to run the Eldora Dirt Derby at Eldora Speedway. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the race was canceled. His second chance came at the Pinty’s Dirt Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, but even that plan was aborted because of sponsorship and personal issues.
Finally, it was at Knoxville Raceway in 2021 that Rouse made his debut. It’s safe to say he didn’t miss his chance to impress, as he finished 18th despite starting in the 39th position. Not only that, but by doing so, he became the first openly LGBTQ driver to finish inside the top 20.
The what could have been another top 20 at @knoxvilleraces.. was running p22 after starting p33 and started experiencing mechanical issues ending our night early at p30. Disappointing for my guys, my sponsors, my fans, and myself 😔 hope to see y’all back on track soon pic.twitter.com/Eraca1EBdp
— Devon Rouse (@MrRouse16) June 19, 2022
Having said that, last year wasn’t an easy one for Rouse. Speaking in an Exclusive Interview with EssentiallySports, he explained why. He said, “Last year was the least amount of racing I have ever done in my entire life since I started. So that was a hard thing for me to swallow, the minimum amount of racing I did. That was a hard period of time struggling to find funding for what little I had.”
However, there’s only positive news coming this year for Rouse’s fans. The NASCAR driver confirmed that he’ll be doing significantly more racing this year than he did in 2023. While Rouse didn’t disclose the specific details of the races, he gave some very reassuring information.
READ MORE – EXCLUSIVE: Devon Rouse Hopes to Open Doors to Integrate the LGBTQ+ Community in NASCAR
Rouse further added, “I’ll be running some ARCA races in the ARCA Menard Series. I’ll also be running Sprint Car races, USAC major races, Extreme races, etc. So a lot of different types of racing and a lot of different areas to just keep continuing my resume.” This is certainly big news, especially with his ARCA plans back in motion. However, Rouse is wary of one specific thing among all these plans.
Rouse is excited about his stock car future, despite being an outsider
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It is no secret that Devon Rouse has spent the majority of his racing career on dirt tracks. Making the transition to stock car racing was never going to be an easy job. With Rouse now expected to be back in the ARCA Menards Series and other NASCAR races, the youngster couldn’t help but feel conscious about the competition.
In his EssentiallySports Exclusive, Devon Rouse highlighted some underlying facts. Since most of the drivers in the ARCA, Truck, Xfinity, and Cup Series have a lot of experience, he feels it is challenging for him to compete. While that is understandable, Rouse believes that simulation only helps to a certain level.
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I can spill on here because there isn’t many followers.. I’m very excited to be running @DAYTONA this coming weekend!! Not only a career changing moment for me, but also going in as the only open LGBTQ @NASCAR Athlete/Driver! Let’s go turn some dreams into reality! 🏁 https://t.co/p0Jy9qiYAG
— Devon Rouse (@MrRouse16) January 12, 2021
It is indeed a totally different game when on the tracks. While there is truth to Rouse’s statements, it is also true that he possesses the skills to make it big. On his day off, he is more than capable of outsmarting most drivers on the tracks. More importantly, Rouse also confirmed the presence of primary sponsors for his different racing ventures in 2024.
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However, it remains to be seen how Devon Rouse has his schedule lined up this year. Hoping that he will be sharing the details very soon, it only makes it more interesting for his fans to stay tuned for more updates.