Nationwide Series Development Driver Affiliations

Truck Series Development Driver Affiliations

Other Development Driver Affiliations

Former KHI Development Driver lands major sponsor and new team: Coulter Motorsports is pleased to announce that Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation has joined the team as Primary Sponsor of the Pro All Star Series (PASS) #2 Car driven by 2011 PASS Rookie of the Year, Gray Gaulding. Gray will debut the Krispy Kreme #2 car at the Dillon Motor Speedway, South Carolina Clash on March 10, 2012. The highly recognizable Krispy Kreme logo will adorn Gaulding's Chevrolet and firesuit for 16 races during the 2012 PASS-South Super Late Model Series, including South Boston Speedway (10/10), Wake County Speedway (5/11), Hickory Motor Speedway (9/22), and Fairgrounds Speedway (10/6). In addition to racing his way to the checkered flag, the 13 year old Gaulding will make a number of scheduled stops to meet and greet fans at Krispy Kreme shops throughout the country. Dubbed the "future of NASCAR", and poised for another spectacular winning season, Gaulding's racing accomplishments to date include: youngest winner ever in a Legend car at age 12; youngest Legend National Champion at age 12; youngest race car driver to make the Legends Million at age 12; youngest driver to sign with a cup driver (KHI) at age 12; youngest PASS (Pro All Star Series) Series Rookie of the Year at age 13.(Coulter Motorsports/Krispy Kreme PR)(2-8-2012)

Stenhouse Jr., Jason Johnson form new team: Two-time ASCS National Sprint Car Champion Jason Johnson and 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. have announced that they have partnered to launch an all-new team called "Stenhouse Jr. Racing." The Stenhouse Jr. Racing ASCS team has selected Roush Yates Engines of Mooresville, N.C. as the team's power plant supplier. The team will continue to run Maxim chassis. Under the new team partnership, Stenhouse Jr. Racing will field a Ford-powered sprint car team that will witness Johnson in an all-out assault to win the 2012 ASCS championship. Stenhouse Jr. will compete in a team car in anywhere from three to five races in 2012 - as his NASCAR racing schedule permits. Johnson and Stenhouse Jr. will campaign the numbers 41 and 6, respectively. In addition to the team's commitment to compete on the 2012 Lucas Oil ASCS national tour, it was also announced that driver Johnson, a/k/a "The Ragin Cajun," will compete in approximately 20 to 25 World of Outlaw events (final schedule to be announced later).(Stenhouse Jr. Racing PR)(2-6-2012)

Chase Elliott wins SpeedFest Pro Late Model event: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 Aaron’s Dream Machine Chevrolet, left Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Ga., this past weekend with a visit to Victory Lane, followed by a solid sixth-place finish. Elliott earned the pole position for the first SpeedFest Pro Late Model event, but subsequently started third after the field was inverted Sunday. The 16-year-old driver consistently ran inside the top three for the majority of the 150-lap race. On the white-flag lap, two cars spun behind Elliott in Turn 4, and he avoided the wreck when the field circled past it again on the .375-mile racetrack. Amongst the chaos on track, Elliott continued to battle the #1 car of Mike Garvey on the final lap and was able to maintain his first-place position when the race concluded. The Aaron’s Dream Machine team celebrated in Victory Lane, while the crowd gave Elliott one of the biggest cheers of the day. With the second race approaching its start, Elliott regained his focus and strapped himself back in to the #9 Chevrolet. When the green flag waved for the CRA Super Series SpeedFest 200, Elliott rolled off the grid in 11th. In the opening laps, Elliott steadily drove through the field and was running fifth by the halfway point, when the field observed a mandatory 10-minute break for adjustments and optional tires. During this break, crew chief Turner made the call to not take tires so Elliott would lead the pack at the restart. Kyle Busch, who went on to win the second event, opted for two tires, and he lined up from the outside pole position, next to Elliott. Elliott battled hard during the remainder of the 200-lap event, and when the checkered flag waved, he finished sixth. Elliott’s next super late model event will take place on March 23 at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., the site of his most notable win -- the Snowball Derby, which he won in December 2011.(Chase Elliott PR)(1-30-2012)

NASCAR, Rev Racing announce 2012 team: NASCAR and Rev Racing announced today the six drivers that will compete for Rev Racing in the 2012 season. The announcement was made during the preseason NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway stop at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, where the drivers were introduced. Rev Racing, formerly known as Revolution Racing, operates under the ownership of Max Siegel and will field four teams in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and two teams in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. The team is coming off the most successful season in the history of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity, which is entering its ninth season as NASCAR’s leading on-track initiative. Rev Racing collected six wins in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and had three drivers finish in the top 10 in series points last year.

The drivers (Twitter handle in parentheses) who will compete for Rev Racing in 2012 include:

Jorge Arteaga (@JorgeArteaga46) -- Arteaga, 25, from Aguascalientes, Mexico, will run his first full season in NASCAR K&N Pro Series. He competed in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Models for Rev Racing last season, and also drove in the NASCAR Mexico Series, where he was voted Most Popular Driver by the fans.

Mackena Bell (@MackenaBell) -- Bell, 21, from Carson City, Nev., will be in her third year with Rev Racing having competed in both the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and NASCAR K&N Pro Series. This will be her second full-time season in Late Models.

Trey Gibson (@TGibsonRacing) -- The 19-year-old from Easley, S.C., will enter his second season driving a Late Model with the team after finishing seventh in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series South Carolina standings last year.

Ryan Gifford (@RyanGifford2) -- The 22-year-old driver from Winchester, Tenn., will return to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for his third full-time season in the series. He became the first African-American in series history to win a pole award in 2010 and has finished in the top 10 in the standings in each of his two seasons with Rev Racing.

Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin)-- The 19-year-old open-wheel standout from Elk Grove, Calif., will move into the NASCAR K&N Pro Series ranks after he became the first driver to win a World of Outlaws race and score victories in all three USAC divisions in the same season last year.

Bryan Ortiz (@BryanORacing)-- The Bayamon, Puerto Rico native will move up to NASCAR K&N Pro Series from Late Models in his second season with Rev Racing. The 22-year-old has a strong road-racing background and will also compete in select events in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

The four NASCAR K&N Pro Series drivers will compete in the East, which opens its season at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 17. Bell and Gibson will compete in the Late Model division at multiple NASCAR Whelen All-American Series tracks in the southeast. The year-long NASCAR Drive for Diversity consists of three training and development components: classroom, physical fitness and racing. Additionally, an interactive fan engagement asset travels throughout the country to educational institutions and racing venues as part of the Fueling Dreams Tour, which uses a combination of iRacing simulators, show cars, deejays, driver meet/greets and career panels. The Rev Racing team drivers were chosen after they competed in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine last fall. This driver assessment event brought selected drivers together to demonstrate their abilities in a head-to-head evaluation session both on and off the track. Toyota, Sprint and Goodyear are the primary partners supporting Rev Racing and NASCAR Drive for Diversity.(HomeTracks.nascar.com)(1-26-2012)

Jones joins ESR as development driver: Brandon Jones, a 14-year-old from Atlanta, Ga., will join Eddie Sharp Racing as a development driver in the late model ranks. After securing track championships in the pro truck division at Lanier Speedway and Gresham Motorsports Park in 2011, the up-and-coming driver will pilot the #33 Rheem Chevrolet in an extensive schedule of races in the United Auto Racing Association (UARA) Series, Pro All Stars Series (PASS), and Champion Racing Association (CRA) Series. The 2012 season will also present Jones with an opportunity to learn and seek guidance from another very successful short-track racer. Butch Miller, the three-time American Speed Association (ASA) Series Champion, has been hired to oversee the program as the competition director and team manager of ESR’s late model program. While Miller has found victory lane in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the Coopersville, Mich., native is best known for his success on the short track circuit. He currently tops the list of the most career poles in the ASA Series, and ranks third on the list of career ASA career wins. Jones will make his debut with Eddie Sharp Racing at SpeedFest 2012, January 27-29, at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Ga., where he will race the #33 Rheem Chevrolet in the Rheem 150.(Eddie Sharp Racing PR)(1-25-2012)

Venezuelan, Nelson Canache Jr. signs with Venturini Motorsports for 2012 ARCA season: Nelson Canache Jr., a two-time champion in the Venezuelan Super Touring GT Class Series has signed with Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards for the upcoming 2012 season. Canache, who spent his 2011 season competing in the Seat Leon Super Cup in Mexico and the NASCAR Whelen All American Series under the Lee Faulk Racing banner, is now looking to bolster his racing resume and pursue the highest ranks of American stock car racing. Canache will drive full time for Venturini; competing in all 20 events listed on ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season schedule, making his ARCA debut on February 18th at Daytona International Speedway. Canache will make his ARCA Racing debut with an added sense of national pride, when the series returns to Daytona International Speedway on February 18th for the season opening event, driving the No.35 Venturini prepared - Venezuela sponsored Chevrolet. The event will be televised live on SPEED Channel starting at 4:30 EST. Check your local times and listings for broadcast information.(VenturiniMotorsports.com)(1-24-2012)

Pena set to drive for Hattori Racing Enterprises: Sergio Pena will be behind the wheel of the #1 Toyota Camry for Hattori Racing Enterprises for the 2012 NASCAR K & N Pro Series East. Pena, an 18-year old Winchester, VA native will enter his 3rd season on the K & N Pro Series East in 2012, his first two were as part of the NASCAR Diversity Program. Pena made the racing world take notice in his NASCAR debut at the Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway in 2010 when he beat Sprint Cup veteran Joey Logano for the pole award and finished 2nd in the event - his first time in a K & N Pro Series car. Setting the foundation for Hattori Racing Enterprises are four-time NASCAR K & N Pro Series Champion Andy Santerre, who will manage the race team and Championship-winning Crew Chief, Matt Goslant. Goslant and Pena were a team last season where Pena won three of 12 races, scored seven top-10 finishes and finished 5th in the series point standings. HRE will field Toyota Camry’s with manufacturer backing from Toyota Racing Development . HRE is located in a state-of-the-art building owned by Germain Racing in Mooresville, NC and was designed by Hattori so he could continue to enjoy American stock car racing while developing young, talented drivers.(Hattori Racing Enterprises)(1-19-2012)

"Shoot-Out" winning drivers announced for 2012: The annual talent search known as The Shoot-Out always sorts out the top talented young drivers from across the nation. With the driver search complete, nine new talented drivers coming from all over the US will join the returning 11 drivers from last year’s RSWC driver roster. These 20 drivers, each with $6,000 to $25,000 of sponsorship dollars from Star Racing Supply, will train and race with the RSWC driver development program with the goal of working their way up the ladder to professional stock car careers. Each driver stood out uniquely and drove impressively in the Shoot-Out to earn a position in the RSWC program.
Among the highlights in the class of 2012 is young 11 year-old driver Cole Glasson. Glasson of Corinth Texas brings an impressive racing resume of five years in asphalt sprint go karts competing in 426 races with 225 podiums and 98 wins. The karting star has collected two IKF Road Race Grand National Championships as well as earning the IKF expert status, runner up in the largest US Rotax Grand Nationals and a KART National Championship.
Tyler Edwards of Atlanta, Georgia brings a variety of racing skills to the RSWC program. The 18 year-old driver started his racing career in Quarter Midgets capturing four championships and one runner-up championship. Edwards moved on to race Legend cars collecting four wins, four pole positions and six top fives in his first season. Recently Tyler jumped into a NASCAR Late Model gaining valuable seat time in a full size stock car which led him to finishing in the top five as well as setting fast time in qualifying.
Molly Helmuth, 16 year-old female driver from Seattle, Washington trains in go karts but races three different types of stock cars at her local track Evergreen Speedway. In 2010, Helmuth was voted Washington State Driver Rookie of the Year as well as Rookie of the year in Mini Stocks becoming the youngest ever driver to hold this honor. 2011 was her year of progression as Molly set the track record and posted two podiums in the Mini Stock as well as two podiums in her rookie season in the Pro 4 Truck and made a Late Model debut at the end of the season.
Jared Storer, 16, from Davenport, Washington is an accomplished speedway go kart driver has collected 11 victories, numerous top five finishes and one championship in Jr 2 animal within three years of racing. Storer proved to be very coachable at the shoot-out as well progressively learned the cars and track quickly for his first time on asphalt. The dirt oval champion will look to make an impact in the paved USAC Norcal Focus Midget series at Stockton 99 this year.
Spencer Hill, age 15 of Albuquerque, New Mexico, an experienced speedway go kart and mini sprint driver has brought multiple wins and a championship to the RSWC program. Hill collected an Arizona State Championship, five time winner of the Phoenix Holiday Classic as well as five top tens at the IKF Grand Nationals. Spencer Hill will also be competing in the Norcal Focus Midget series with his teammates.
The Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle Modified team will gain four new drivers in 2012, beginning with Tripp Gaylord. The 16 year-old from Golden, Colorado has gained multiple achievements in dirt go karts, Dirt Stock cars, Sport Modifieds and Legends. Not only did Tripp run races on dirt or asphalt but he preformed ice races on frozen Colorado lakes.
Matt Gilbert, 20 year-old from Merriam, Kansas, will transition from Midwest Lightning Sprints to Star Grand American Modifieds on the west coast. Gilbert began racing in Road race Go karts in 2001 and by 2007 Matt collected 11 championships. Matt moved up into the Midwest Outlaw Lightning Sprints for two years collecting two championships and most improved driver honors. This past season, Gilbert ran in the Midwest Lightning Sprints and grabbed a championship in his rookie year.
Kyle Slader, 6 year-old Okie from Muskogee, Oklahoma is an expert in dirt racing. Kyle started racing in dirt go karts collecting four championships and 84 wins. Slader moved into Factory Stocks in 2009 grabbing six wins, a championship and earning Rookie of The Year honors. In 2010, Kyle won 22 races and took home a Sport Mod Championship in his rookie year as well as runner up Champion in Street Stocks. In 2011, Slader gathered an A Mod Championship and a runner up Championship in Sport Mods.
Cody Hoover, 20, from Ortonville, MI brings dirt experience to the RSWC program with five quarter midget championships within nine years of racing. In 2008, Hoover moved from quarter midgets to 600 Wing Unrestricted for three years collecting two wins, eight top fives and 12 top tens. Last season Cody debuted in a 410 Super Sprint Car. Hoover was on the gas quick displaying his smart and coachable personality and was fast at the shootout.
The race season begins shortly for these 9 drivers but the off-season has been busy already with testing and classroom training sessions. The new season begins on March 31 with many of the new drivers competing in the USAC Focus Midgets Madera Gerhardt Classic event at Madera Speedway in Madera, CA, and with NASCAR Modified openers on April 7 at Stockton 99 Speedway in Stockton, CA.(RMG/RSWC PR)(1-17-2012)

Santerre leaves Revolution Racing; moves to Hattori Racing: Andy Santerre called it a “challenge.” But the Cherryfield native and four-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points champion said he is looking forward to working for former Indy Racing League driver Shigeaki Hattori and his Hattori Racing Enterprises team in the K&N and Automobile Racing Club of America series this coming season after parting ways with Revolution Racing. Some personnel changes at Revolution Racing left a sour taste in his mouth. “I loved doing what I was doing [at Revolution Racing] and we were very successful on the K&N side. We had great people, I was able to hire who I wanted to and we had fun,” said Santerre. “But they have new management and they’ve made a lot of changes that I didn’t agree with and that I didn’t want to be a part of. It wasn’t the direction I wanted to go in.” Santerre spent two years as the competition director with Revolution Racing under NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program and his drivers won six of the 12 K&N series races last season. “I have no hard feelings toward them. They treated me well. Max [Siegel] bought my [Andy Santerre Motorsports team] and he was fair to me. I want them to succeed, and Jefferson Hodges, who was the competition director on the Late Model side and has taken over for me on the K&N side while also handling the Late Models, is a real good friend and a real good guy. He can call me any time [for advice or help],” said Santerre. Santerre said five valued and cherished employees were laid off in November, including crew chiefs Dave McCarty and Matt Goslant. McCarty was the crew chief for Darrell Wallace Jr., and Goslant was the crew chief for Sergio Pena. They each won three races last season. Wallace finished second in points and Pena was fifth. The other two Revolution drivers, Ryan Gifford and Michael Cherry, wound up 10th and 14th, respectively. McCarty, Goslant and the other three employees have joined Santerre with Hattori. Santerre said Hattori racing will have one full-time team in the K&N Series and another will run a partial schedule, although “I’m pretty confident we’ll have a second full-time team, too. We’re looking for sponsors for that team now.” They will also have a team that will run a part-time ARCA schedule. The drivers will be announced later this week, he said.(Bangor Daily News)(1-12-2012)

Bobby Labonte Racing returns to single car in 2012; Pearson returns: Bobby Labonte Racing (BLR) announced today that the team will once again return to the national dirt late model circuit in 2012 with driver Earl Pearson Jr. driving the familiar #44 Dodge. Lucas Oil will continue its long-standing sponsorship of Pearson Jr. and joins BLR for its sixth consecutive season. The team will operate as a single-car entry this race season with veteran BLR crew member Matt Langston stepping up as crew chief. Former general manager and crew chief Jason Fitzgerald has moved back to Florida with his family while Brad Neat will race out of his home state of Kentucky. The team will continue to race its in-house Longhorn Chassis and is currently developing a new chassis that the team will debut early this season. Pearson Jr. will then compete in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series as well as select World of Outlaw events and non-sanctioned national events throughout the year. Pearson Jr. and his BLR team competed in 57 different events in 2011 with 25 top-10 and 15 top-five finishes to their credit. The team will travel to Golden Isle Speedway in Brunswick, Ga., to kick-off its season February 12.(BobbyLabonteRacing.com)(1-11-2012)

Kasten to compete for CRA Super Series Championship: Becca Kasten and the BDI Racing team have announced they will compete for the CRA Super Series championship in 2012 with their #51 Super Late Models. The team, which will be housed in West Salem, WI, is owned by NASCAR on SPEED broadcaster Bob Dillner and led by crew chief Toby Nuttleman. The CRA Super Series schedule has not been announced as of yet, but will feature races at premier racetracks such as Lucas Oil Raceway Park near Indianapolis, IN, Toledo Speedway in Ohio, Berlin Raceway near Grand Rapids, MI, and the famed Winchester Speedway in Indiana. Kasten competed in two CRA Super Series events in 2011 with a best finish of third at Angola Motor Speedway in Indiana. She also raced at Dixie Motor Speedway in Michigan where she led 123 of the 125 laps and had the lead on the final lap before the number-51 machine ran out of fuel in the caution-filled event. Kasten will be competing with two identically-prepared Lefthander Chassis machines prepared by veteran crew chief Toby Nuttleman and owned by Bob Dillner.(BDI PR)(12-8-2011)

Chase Elliott wins Snowball Derby: Chase Elliott had a firm grip on the huge Snowball Derby trophy. "I don't think I'm ever gonna let it go," the 16-year-old son of former NASCAR champion Bill Elliott said as he stood next to his late model on the frontstretch of Five Flags Speedway. Elliott, who is from Dawsonville, Ga., had just won one of the most prestigious short track races in the country and -- for a driver who has already won many short track races around the Southeast -- one of the biggest of his young and promising career. Elliott held off D.J. VanderLey, a 19-year-old from Mobile, to win by 0.229 seconds [closest in Snowball history]. But the crucial call came with about 30 laps left during a caution when his crew chief, 2002 Snowball Derby winner Ricky Turner, kept him on the track while others on the lead lap pitted for fresh tires. Grant Enfinger of Fairhope was running second at the time and pitted for tires. He restarted 12th and was only able to finish eighth. Elliott also had to overcome a red flag with just five laps left when a huge pileup in Turn 2 left the car of Derek Thorn on its roof and several other cars twisted up. On the restart with cold tires Elliott and VanderLey battled door to door with Elliott controlling the inside lane before Elliott pulled away. He said there was no way he was going to get around Elliott on the outside, but that he wasn't tempted to rough Elliott up to grab the win. "Any time he wanted to Chase could have turned us," VanderLey said. "So I wasn't going to turn him since he raced me clean. It was just hard racing." Another son of a NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, 18-year-old Ross Kenseth, finished third. Another NASCAR driver, Landon Cassill, finished fourth followed by Heath Hindman, Cale Gale of Mobile and Boris Jurkovic driving a car for Kyle Busch Motorsport. NASCAR Sprint Cup driver David Ragan competed but problems with a loose wheel set him back and he finished 18th. NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Steve Wallace, the 2004 Snowball Derby winner, had motor problems and needed a past champion's provisional to start last on Sunday. He was penalized two laps for intentionally causing a caution and finished 35th.(al.com)(12-5-2011)

Elliott crowned CRA National Super Late Model Champion: Chase Elliott had a big enough point lead that all he needed to do was start the event [North/South Shootout 100 at Caraway Speedway] to be crowned the inaugural CRA National Super Late Model Champion, which combined a drivers best four event finishes in the four CRA Super Series Southern Tour events and their best four finishes in the CRA Super Series Northern Tour events during the 2011 season. CRA first reported Saturday night that Blaney had claimed the Drivers’ Championship for the CRA Super Series Southern Tour, but upon further review of the points on Monday, it was determined that Bubba Pollard was actually the 2011 CRA Super Series Southern Tour Drivers Champion. WearCrete Racing, owned by Curtis Venable, won the CRA Super Series Southern Tour Owners Championship with drivers Jeff Fultz and Daniel Hemric.(CRARacing.net)(11-8-2011)

RCR's Ty Dillon wins 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Championship: Richard Childress Racing's rookie driver Ty Dillon and the #41 Bass Pro Shops/Hemelgarn Enterprises Chevrolet team claimed the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Championship at the drop of the green flag in Sunday afternoon's 200-lap season finale race at Toledo Speedway. During his roookie season, Dillon and the #41 team earned seven wins, seven poles, 13 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in 19 starts. The Lexington, NC, native claimed his first Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell at the season opener at Daytona International Speedway and in the following race, made his first trip of the season to Victory Lane at Talladega Superspeedway. At 19 years old, Dillon is the 29th champion and the youngest champion in the history of the ARCA Racing Series. The RCR driver joins a long list of competitors who have earned the title of ARCA Champion since the series' inception in 1953, including Frank Kimmel, Benny Parsons and Iggy Katona, to name a few. The 2011 ARCA Racing Series Championship Awards Banquet is scheduled for December 10 in Covington, KY.(Richard Childress Racing PR)(10-17-2011)

Darrell Wallace to run some races for Gibbs in 2012: Alabama native Darrell Wallace Jr. will get the chance in 2012 to show what he can do in NASCAR's Nationwide Series. Joe Gibbs Racing President J.D. Gibbs said Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway that the team plans to run Wallace in the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series next year and in some Nationwide starts. "We really want to him get entrenched and do some more K&N East and some Nationwide," Gibbs said. Wallace, who is from Mobile, won three K&N races this year and finished second in the standings driving for Revolution Racing as part of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program.(Alabama Live)(10-14-2011)

Sunoco Driven Challenge to reward up-and-coming drivers: In a unique competition to reward grassroots racing drivers, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and Sunoco have teamed up to form the Sunoco Driven Challenge. The new concept will take drivers from five grassroots racing series and give them the opportunity to earn points. The winner will get an opportunity to test with a Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR K&N Pro Series race car following the 2012 racing season. In making the announcement, JGR President J.D. Gibbs noted, “We are looking to find the next up-and-coming drivers and also showcase our products. We see a lot of value in it, and they see a lot of value in it. It’s really a good opportunity for someone to test with our guys.” The drivers will come from the PASS North, PASS South, CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest and SRL Southwest series. Drivers who finish in the top 10 in each race will earn points. The points will accumulate throughout the season based on the number of races in each series. The driver with the highest average number of points at the end of the season will be named the Sunoco Driven Challenge champion. The winner will receive a testing session with JGR, a tour of JGR’s headquarters and a meeting with Gibbs.(Charlotte Motor Speedway PR)(10-14-2011)

Roush Fenway Development Driver, Chris Buescher, wins ARCA 2011Superspeedway challenge: Roush Fenway development driver Chris Buescher won the coveted Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge award, edging out ARCA points leader Ty Dillon. The Superspeedway Challenge award is based off the best average finish at all speedway races during the ARCA season. Buescher went into the final speedway race of 2011 for the ARCA Series at Kansas Speedway tied with Dillon for the award, but edged him out by finishing second. There are seven races on the 2011 ARCA Series schedule that qualify a driver to win the Superspeedway Challenge award and Buescher never finished outside the top five in any of the qualifying events. Buescher earned the title with the following finishes; Daytona – second, Talladega – fifth, Chicago – second, Pocono – second, Pocono – third, Michigan – fifth and then brought it all home in Kansas with a second-place finish. Buescher heads into the final race of the 2011 season this weekend at Toledo Speedway second in the point standings. This season Buescher has earned back-to-back wins in September at DuQuoin State Fair Grounds and Salem Speedway, while also earning 13 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes in 18 starts.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(10-12-2011)

Chrissy Wallace makes history – again –in clinching ASA West Region Championship: For the second time in 30 days, Chrissy Wallace has earned another historic credit to her growing racing resume. This time, in addition to her previously announced ASA Track Championship in the Late Model division at Lebanon I-44 Speedway in Missouri, she has now become the first female driver to earn the 2011 West Region ASA Member Track Championship. The 23-year old, daughter of NASCAR driver Mike Wallace, earned the West Region championship once all the other participating ASA tracks and drivers completed their seasons. Her achievement was based off the six victories, 12 top-five and 16 top-10s she earned in 19 starts at I-44 in Missouri. She is also the first female to win a Late Model feature at the track. Hoping to utilize this achievement to open up other doors in racing, Wallace has already been asked to drive for Cunningham Motorsports in the ARCA season finale at Toledo (OH) Speedway on October 16. That race will be shown live on SPEED TV. “I’m currently seeing what opportunities are out there in the NASCAR ranks; especially the Camping World Truck Series. Everyone said to go show them what I could do, so I did, said Wallace.”(Chrissy Wallace PR)(10-1-2011)

Darrell Wallace earns win at Dover; Gresham crowed NASCAR K&N Series East Champion: With five laps to go in Friday’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season finale, a whole bunch was hanging in the balance. Brett Moffitt was leading Darrell Wallace Jr. If he won the race, he might win the championship. But he was losing the grip, lap by lap. Meanwhile, series leader Max Gresham was trying to hold off Dale Quarterly, because if he fell too far back, he’d lose the championship. But by the time there were four laps left, everything changed. Moffitt’s right front tire let go and he crashed into the wall, sending Wallace on his way. Meanwhile, Gresham’s parameters switched from “drive for your life” to “just finish.” He did, and Gresham took the 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship, while Wallace picked up the race win, becoming the first African American to ever win the pole and a race at Dover. Meanwhile, Gresham celebrated his series championship alongside Wallace. Leading by just 21 points following Moffitt’s win in last week’s race, Gresham had no room for error – at least, not until Moffitt gave him some. Gresham drives in the Joe Gibbs Racing developmental program, and his crew chief, Bryant Frazier, was Tony Stewart’s first crew chief when Stewart joined the team in 1998. Frazier was extremely proud of his latest young driver. At age 18, Gresham is now a NASCAR champion, and he’ll be right there with the big names at NASCAR’s awards banquet later this fall.(Dover International Speedway PR)(10-1-2011)

Applications being accepted for 2012 Diversity internship Program: The application for the 2012 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program is now available and can be accessed at nascar.teamworkonline.com. Students interested in the summer 2012 program can apply until February 20, 2012. This past summer, 20 lucky students from across the country were selected for the ten week program. We are eager to influence additional young professionals lives next summer, and have a goal of placing 40 students in internships across the industry. On September 7th, we will be hosting two information sessions in Charlotte for all NASCAR departments and companies in the industry who are interested in having an intern next summer. We would love to have you come out and learn about our program and the intern selection process. Please RSVP to Briana at bbuzali@nascar.com if you are interested in attending. We will also be hosting an information session in Daytona in September, details to follow.
NASCAR information session:
Where: NASCAR Plaza, 20th floor, Boardroom
When: Wednesday, September 7th, 2011, 9:00am- 10:00am
Industry Motorsports information session:
Where: NASCAR R&D Center Training Classroom
When: Wednesday, September 7th, 2011(NASCAR/Diversity.com Newsletter)(9-6-2011)