At just 24 years old, Tony Rost is no stranger to finding Victory Lane and putting on an exciting show for the fans. He hails from Utica, Nebraska, a town of less than 900 people located in the southeastern part of the state. Tony is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Physical Therapy at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
Tony’s racing career began when he was 9 years old. Too young to race a full-size car, he competed in go karts and raced at small dirt tracks close to home. At 14, the minimum age to compete in a full-size race car, Tony got behind the wheel and found success at several dirt tracks across the state of Nebraska. Throughout high school and his early college years, the young driver continued to move up to faster and more competitive racing series.
Tony had an extremely successful year in 2013 when he competed in the NASCAR Sport Modified National Championship. In 24 total races, Tony found Victory Lane a staggering 14 times! He led the nation in wins yet came up just 1 point short of winning the NASCAR Division III National Championship. In 2014, Tony made the big transition from sport modifieds to sprint cars.
Tony made the decision to stay close to home during the 2014 season and compete at tracks in Nebraska, Missouri, and Iowa. He added numerous quality wing and non-wing finishes to his resume. With only a handful of laps under his belt, he shattered the track record during a qualifying race at Eagle Raceway. He became the first driver to break a 13 second lap time.
2015 was an exciting season for Tony Rost Motorsports. Tony competed in ASCS National Sprint Car Tour races, Nebraska Sprint Series races, USAC National Sprint Tour races, and WAR Series races. This combination of wing and non-wing racing increased Tony's versatility and provided a wide range of driving experiences all over the United States
Following the 2015 season, a big decision had to be made. Tony graduated from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, and got accepted to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. At this point in his life, the prudent choice was obvious and Tony decided to hang up the steering wheel and put 100% of his time and energy toward his education. The passion for racing is still burning strong and he plans to be back on the track in the future. This time away from racing will be a valuable time to learn, plan, and work towards building a solid foundation and a bright future both on and off the track.
In 2019, Tony founded Catalyst Autosport with the goal of building a racing brand that serves to elevate the sport of sprint car racing and create accessibility for future generations of racers.
360 Point Standing by Year:
2024 - 8th, 2023 - 8th, 2022 - 9th