Introducing Kaulig Racing’s #10 hauler driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series

For our previous ‘Five minutes with’ interview, we introduced Jordan Anderson Racing’s popular hauler driver, James ‘Cubbie’ Wallace. If you missed it, you can read our interview with James here.

We’re staying in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for this story. However, we’re heading around 40 miles east to Kaulig Racing’s race shop in Lexington, North Carolina. There, we find Mike Melton, one of Kaulig Racing’s hauler drivers for its three full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series entries in 2021.

Mike, more commonly known as ‘Magic’, is a mainstay in North American motorsport, having driven his first race hauler for the Ruolo Brothers just after the turn of the millennium. This season, he steered the #10 Kaulig Racing hauler carrying the Chevrolet Camaro stock cars of second-generation racer from Halifax, Virginia, Jeb Burton.

Jeb Burton and the #10 team placed 10th in the standings when the chequered flag dropped on the season finale at Phoenix, and Mike played a crucial role in a season that saw Jeb record his first win in the second-tier series at Talladega and record 16 top-10 finishes.

We caught up with Mike just before a crucial playoffs race at Texas Motor Speedway last month, and he was all too happy to share his experience in the NASCAR roadshow.

Trucks at Tracks: G’Day, Mike! Can you tell us a bit about your early life?

Mike Melton: “I was born in Oakland, California, but I grew up in Forest Hill, Louisiana. I got my love of racing from my dad, who took me to a dirt track race when I was around 12 years old.”

TaT: How did you get into motorsport?

MM: “I moved to North Carolina and went to a pit crew school. That's how I got my foot in the door. The first hauler I drove was a 2000 piece for the Roulo Brothers.”

TaT: What’s your favourite trip on the NASCAR schedule?

MM: “I like the West Coast swing. It's nice to go out there and get to hang out for three weeks and just see that side of the country.”

TaT: What’s your favourite part of the job?

MM: “I like being the person that basically takes care of all the things that the team needs while we're out on the road or at the shop.

“I also liked when we used to do the hauler parades at different tracks. The Bristol night parade was always a good one because of all the people that would gather along the route. It was cool to see that and all the other haulers lit up at night.”

TaT: What truck are you driving now?

MM: “I drive a 2017 Freightliner Cascadia with a DD15 and a 13-speed. I like the way the truck rides and drives. We also get a lot of compliments on how it looks, especially with all the underglow it has.”

TaT: What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into NASCAR hauler driving?

MM: “You pretty much have to live somewhere around Charlotte, North Carolina. And keep in mind that it's a lot more than just driving the truck to the track. Patience is important, and just work your way up like anything else.

“There are a lot of small teams that need good truck drivers, so that’s a great starting point. It gets you to the track. And once you’re involved, take good care of your truck and equipment, and people will notice that you have your stuff looking nice.”

You can follow Mike’s travels behind the wheel on Twitter, where he regularly posts brilliant shots of the Kaulig Racing rigs with their unmissable underglow. You can find Kaulig Racing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Kaulig Racing is set to step up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, with Justin Hayley confirmed as the driver of their sole full-time entry. However, they’ll still field multiple entries in the Xfinity Series in 2022, which means plenty of hauler movements once the action gets underway in February.

The NASCAR haulers have ground to a halt upon returning from Phoenix, but the stock car racing scene doesn’t stay quiet for long. Make sure you’re following our global Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for all the NASCAR hauler news and photos during the off-season.