There must be something in the water in Indiana that produces talented race car drivers. NASCAR drivers Ryan Newman, John Andretti and the late Kenny Irwin are just a few examples of gifted wheelmen that hail from the Hoosier state.

Hoping to take his place among this select group is Boston Reid, a Logansport, Ind., native, who is driving a partial NASCAR Busch Series schedule for Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) in the No. 5 Team Lowe's Racing Chevrolet this season.

Drivers start their careers early in Indiana, and Reid was no exception, racing Quarter Midget cars (as the name implies, these cars are one-fourth the size of regular sprint cars) at the age of seven.

By the age of nine, Reid had moved on to World Karting Association (WKA) go-karts, where he competed on road courses around his home state.

When he was 12, Reid graduated to racing both 80 cc Shifter go-karts in the Superkarts! USA (SKUSA) series, as well as mini sprints around Peru, Ind.

In 1995, Reid was named the Miami County (Ind.) Speedway 600cc mini sprint Rookie of the Year, and claimed the speedway championship one year later.

In 1997, at the age of 14, Reid added two more track championships to his résumé, claiming the title at both Miami County Speedway and Linton (Ind.) Speedway.

The 1998 season saw Reid post two national SKUSA wins, and the first of many sprint car feature victories.

In 1999, Reid spent time racing in the All Star Circuit of Champions, and won three races in the Great Lakes Outlaw Sprint Series (GLOSS), which competes at tracks all around the Midwest, including Michigan, Illinois and Indiana.

As the new decade dawned, Reid continued his GLOSS success, winning feature events at Hartford (Mich.) Speedway Park and Butler Motor Speedway (Quincy, Mich.).

The 2001 season saw the then 19 year-old sprint car veteran recording nine GLOSS wins in his senior year of high school.

After graduation, Reid could focus solely on his racing career. While he learned a lot in the classroom, he was also proving to be a quick study on the track. As a result, Reid was named the 2002 USAC (United States Auto Club) Sprint Car Rookie of the Year, as well as the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Non-Wing Rookie of the Year.

Another highlight of the 2002 season came when Reid scored his first non-wing feature sprint car win in the USAC Series at Eldora (Ohio) Speedway.

Reid's hard work was rewarded when he was picked to travel to France to take part in the Red Bull Formula One driver search program. While Reid knew his lack of experience on road courses hurt his chances of winning the contest, his enthusiasm and personality caught the attention of several company officials.

A more experienced driver won the contest, but company officials liked Reid so much, they signed him to a sponsorship deal.

In 2003, Reid continued to gain experience and confidence in his racing skills, resulting in a fifth-place finish in the USAC National Sprint Car points standings. In what he considers the highlight of his sprint car career, Reid also took home a $30,000 prize by winning the Ultimate Challenge race, held annually in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

On the morning of March 1, 2004, the young driver's life was turned upside down by an early morning phone call. On the other end of the line was Ricky Hendrick, son of Hendrick Motorsports' (HMS) founder, Rick Hendrick.

"Ricky asked me how soon I could get down to North Carolina to talk with him about driving for Hendrick, and I asked him if the next day was soon enough," Reid said. "I couldn't believe I got that call."

Some might call it destiny that Reid would join the Hendrick organization, being that one of his childhood friends, four-time NASCAR Champion Jeff Gordon, built his career at Hendrick.

"I first met Jeff in 1990, when he was 19 and I was about seven (years old)," Reid recalls. "My dad and I knew the owners of the team Jeff was driving for, and they introduced us to him at the racetrack one day. I told him, 'Now that I've seen you race, you should come over and watch me race.' Sure enough, he showed up at my quarter midget race the next day, and I was lucky enough to win. He actually presented me with my trophy that day, and we've been friends ever since."

Gordon's stepfather, John Bickford, who was instrumental in guiding Gordon's early career, took Reid under his wing, offering advice and guidance.  

While Reid is extremely appreciative of everything Bickford has done for him, he is always concerned people might think the only reason Hendrick signed him was because of his friendship with Bickford and Gordon.

"The coolest thing Ricky ever said to me was that he had been keeping track of my career for two years before Hendrick signed me," Reid said. "He knew about me way before Jeff or John ever mentioned my name to him. That was awesome for me to hear.

"Everyone wants to make it on their talent, not who their friends are. Jeff and John are great friends, and John has been a great mentor and an incredible help to my career. But if Mr. Hendrick didn't think I could get the job done, he wouldn't have signed me, no matter who I'm friends with."

In April, 2004, HMS announced that Reid, along with drivers Blake Feese and Kyle Krisiloff, had joined Hendrick's driver development program.

As if that weren't enough to keep the 21 year-old busy, Reid also competed in the full USAC Silver Crown season in 2004 as a rookie.

"That was a great learning experience for me," Reid said. "The Silver Crown cars are about 300 lbs. heavier than a regular USAC sprint car, plus they have less horsepower, and carry more fuel. The races are long, but you only get one set of tires, so you really learn a lot about managing your tire wear. That was a very important lesson for me, especially since the (NASCAR) Busch Series limits the number of tires you can use in a race."

To help him gain experience in stock cars, Hendrick Motorsports partnered Reid with Bobby Gerhart Racing in the ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America) Series. Reid didn't disappoint, posting three top-10 finishes in four starts, including a third-place result in his ARCA debut at Toledo (Ohio) Speedway.

In September, Reid made his NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) debut at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, driving the No. 87 Chevrolet for NEMCO Motorsports, in partnership with HMS. Two more Busch Series starts followed in the No. 87, at Lowe's Motor Speedway (Concord, N.C.), and Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.

While those races did not yield the finishes he was looking for, Reid is itching to climb behind the wheel of the No. 5 Team Lowe's Racing entry in the NBS this season.

"I have a lot to learn and a lot to prove, to myself and to others" Reid said. "To be associated with a team like Hendrick Motorsports and sponsors like Lowe's and their vendor partners is a dream come true for this kid from Indiana. I can't wait to get out on the track and give it my all."