KANSAS CITY, KAN. ? Twenty-year-old Chase Montgomery sat at an arcade racing game during Tuesday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series media day at Great Wolf Lodge, and two observations could be made.

For one, he looks like any average guy who might be wasting his summer hours playing video games. On the other hand, Montgomery played the game like a natural, and he wasn’t that way just because he has spent countless hours gaming.

He didn’t just wander into the arcade but belonged there. Believe it or not, the man with the spiked blond hair, peach-fuzz stubble, and thick southern drawl is a rookie driver in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series.

“Whenever I’m away from racing, I’m with the PlayStation,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery, who began his career at the age of 13, does not come from racing bloodlines. He got his start in karting, and quickly ascended the ranks, racing everything from modified four-cylinders to NASCAR Late Models. Now, while most kids his age are preparing for another year of college, Montgomery is a hot young name in the NASCAR community, with over $400,000 in winnings under his belt since the beginning of last season.

“While everyone else was at the prom or at homecoming, I was racing,” he said. “I wanted to do something completely different from what the kid at the end of the block was doing.”

In fact, his racing made Montgomery a mini-celebrity back at school in Mt. Juliett, Tenn., a suburb just east of Nashville.

“So while the other guys from my high school were working at the barbecue pit down the street,” he said, “I was doing this.”

Through eight races this season, Montgomery ranks fifth in points among rookies on the truck series, and is 23rd overall out of 65 drivers. Eventually, Montgomery envisions himself in the Nextel Cup Series with the sport’s biggest names, but he’s in no rush.

For now, Montgomery is excited about getting another opportunity to race at Kansas Speedway — July 3 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250. He has some experience at the track, having raced on it three times. Racing in the Busch Series in October, Montgomery finished 27th at the Mr. Goodcents 300.

His stiffest competition at next weekend’s race will be another rising star in the NASCAR world — Jon Wood.

Wood is the defending champion at the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250. The race last year was Wood’s first career victory, and was just one bright spot in a spectacular rookie campaign. This season, Wood is eighth in the points standings in the Truck Series, and has finished in the top 10 in six of eight races this season, including the last four weeks.

It comes as no surprise to anyone who follows NASCAR that Wood, 22, already has been so successful. Racing was his birthright.

Glen Wood, Jon’s grandfather, began Wood Racing, which is one of the oldest teams in NASCAR. Wood’s father, Eddie, and uncle, Len, now run the family business. Jon Wood estimated from 25 to 30 of NASCAR’s 50 all-time greatest drivers raced for his family.

Ricky Rudd now is the driver for Wood Racing — a position Jon hopes to fill within the next two or three years. Even though his family name goes hand-in-hand with the sport, the only pressure he feels is to defend his crown at the Kansas Speedway.

“Once you get to this level, there’s a lot of people with big last names,” Wood said. “It takes pressure off in a lot of ways. I’ve proven to the world that I can win.

“It’s kind of added pressure in a way because I’m the defending champ, and I want to leave it that way.”