For Sam Seawright, the road to Illinois Speedweek is the longest drive of his young career—and that's exactly the point. The 22-year-old from Rainsville, Alabama, has rarely ventured beyond the Southeast, with his only previous long haul being a 2021 trip to Texas Motor Speedway. But this week, he's logging nearly 11 hours to reach Spoon River Speedway for Wednesday's opener, kicking off four straight nights of racing through the Land of Lincoln.

It's a bold move for a driver who's still finding his footing on the national stage. Since taking over Coltman Farms Racing's premier ride this season, Seawright has the backing of Brett Coltman—resources that make far-flung trips possible and could pave the way for a potential World of Outlaws Late Model Series run in 2027. For now, though, this week is about one thing: experience.

"I just came to get the experience in case we decide to run like the Outlaws or something next year," Seawright said. "I figured we'd come and try because I've always kind of run better on these little bullrings—smaller tracks. That's mostly what all these up here are. So, I figured we can give it a shot and just kind of see what we got."

Despite being an Illinois rookie, Seawright doesn't sound intimidated. His recent Midwest appearances have been sparse—a 2023 trip to the Dream at Eldora Speedway and a lone FloRacing Night in America start at Brownstown Speedway in 2022, where he finished 13th in the B-main. But Wednesday's consolation race at Spoon River was a wake-up call. The top four transfers included heavy hitters like Ryan Gustin, Ryan Unzicker, Ricky Thornton Jr., and Josh Rice—a lineup that could rattle any newcomer.

Seawright started sixth and finished seventh in that B-main, just three spots shy of transferring. It wasn't the result he wanted, but for a driver testing the waters on a bigger stage, every lap is a lesson. And with Coltman Farms Racing behind him, this week is just the beginning of what could be a much longer journey.