Cole Trickle

Grew up... with a deadbeat for a Dad. He got Cole into open-wheel car racing. When Cole started to win races, his Dad used his name to promote the stolen yachts he sold. But thankfully his Dad doesn't do that anymore. He's in jail.

Living... in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he's training to race on the NASCAR circuit. Harry Hogge, who lost his last driver in a crash, is helping Cole transition from open wheels to stock cars. Hogge said he's going to give him an engine low to the ground with an extra-big oil pan that'll cut the wind underneath him. He said when it gets primed, painted and weighed, Cole’s going to be ready to roll.

Profession... racecar driver. Cole loves the power he feels when he is driving – to know that he can control something that's out of control. There’s no rush like it in the world for him.

Relationship Status... involved with Claire, a neurologist he met after he got into a crash during a practice session. Cole thinks it's a little strange to date someone who's actually seen his brain, but they're going to give it a go.

Challenge... competing against more experienced drivers who want to nail him to the wall. And Cole’s concussion is starting to affect his vision. With his injuries, Claire says he shouldn't be on the racetrack. But as he says, "I'm more afraid of being nothing than I am of being hurt." Cole has a chip on his shoulder as big as a tire. Sometimes it helps him, but sometimes it causes him to take dangerous chances. But in Cole’s line of work, you can’t play it safe.

Personality... cocky and ambitious, but a bit naïve. Luckily, he has some good mentors to guide him – Hogge and Claire. He’ll need all the help he can get to be a factor in the Daytona 500, the Super Bowl of stock-car racing.