Nineteen aspiring NASCAR drivers put their best foot forward Monday [Oct 16, 2006] at South Boston Speedway, as the Drive for Diversity testing and evaluation combine got underway. Drivers were evaluated during an all-day test session at the famous short track, in hopes of securing an opportunity to race with the ethnic and gender minority driver development program in 2007. The drivers each spent 30 minutes on the track, in NASCAR Grand National Division cars prepared by veteran driver and team owner Jeff Spraker. The program, now entering its fourth year, will pair eight drivers with car owners and sponsors in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series and the NASCAR Grand National Division next season. The future for many of these drivers began Monday at South Boston. Each driver received coaching during their on-track session from Spraker and his crew members, along with inaugural Drive for Diversity participant Morty Buckles and former South Boston Speedway track champion Frank Deiny Jr. Paul Harraka, of Fairlawn, N.J., and Mike Gallegos, of Wheat Ridge, Colo., posted two of the days fastest lap times. Harraka circled the 4/10-mile oval in 15.868 seconds (90.74 mph) while Gallegos fastest lap of the day was 16.005 seconds (89.97 mph). To put these speeds in perspective, the South Boston Speedway track qualifying record for NASCAR Busch Series cars, which are similar to the NASCAR Grand National Division cars used Monday, is 15.245 seconds (94.457 mph) set by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 1998.
Other drivers included: Brianne Cronrath, of Pennsylvania, Jesus Hernandez, of California, Tracey Chambers, of Timberlake, N.C, Ashley Parlett, of Maryland, Chris Bristol, of Columbus, Ohio, Michael Cherry, of Valrico, Fla., Bryan Driver, of Pennington, N.J., Katie Hagar, of Nobleboro, Maine, Destiney Hays, of View Lane, Calif., Jessica Helberg, of Petaluma, Calif., Peter Hernandez, of Blue Island, Ill., Lloyd Mack, of Los Angeles, Calif., Danny Martin Jr., of Sarasota, Fla., Candace Muzny, of Oklahoma City, Okla., Alison Quick, of Redding, Iowa, Molly Rhoads, of Hastings, Minn. and Jonathan Smith, of Beacon Falls, Conn. Weather permitting, the drivers will return to South Boston Speedway for another round of tests on Tuesday. More info at drivefordiversity.com.(NASCAR PR)(10-17-2006)
