RACE 101 to Field Entry for Four Drivers in Daytona Speedway ARCA Test
Major milestone for popular racing education program
DENVER, NC – RACE 101 will reach a new milestone this month when four dynamic racers climb behind the wheel of its ARCA superspeedway car for Daytona testing December 20th-22nd. The quartet of drivers includes three graduates of the unique racing educational program and one partner of the school.
Program founder Tony Blanchard views this next step in the evolution of RACE 101 as evidence of his vision finding success.
“We started RACE 101 to fill a void in the motorsports community,” said Blanchard. “Young racers often have nowhere to turn to learn the attributes they will need to succeed in racing.
“Our target audience is racers who don’t necessarily have the deepest pockets, but racers who have the ambition to learn about our complicated industry. Our graduates learn they have the ability to create their own opportunities.”
The school’s fledgling ARCA program is built on the same philosophy it teaches its young racers: find the best opportunity to advance yourself, and create a plan to reach your goal.
The four drivers testing at Daytona are Sarah Cornett-Ching, Kevin Powell, Jerry Tunney, and Karl Weber.
Krazy Kevin Powell definitely leaves an impression. He is the senior racer of the quartet of RACE 101 drivers.
Powell is the senior member of the group, and the 46-year-old native nicknamed KRAZY Kevin will serve as a mentor to the three younger pilots. Powell competed in a Pro All-Star Series (PASS) race with Blanchard in 2013, and he has pictured himself turning laps on the high banks of Daytona Speedway for longer than the other drivers have been alive.
“I remember watching the first flag-to-flag televised broadcast of the Daytona 500 in 1979 from home,” said Powell. “I have been to Speedweeks more than 15 times since then. Every time I think about Daytona Speedway I think about what it would be like to turn laps there. I have dreamt of it since I was a kid.”
Karl Weber is the Flying Farmer from Ambia, Indiana. The soft-spoken teenager from the Midwest works the family farm
Mild-mannered Karl Weber does his talking on the race track. The youngster from Indiana has competed in numerous races with Tony Blanchard.
when he isn’t racing, and he is the only driver of the four with ARCA experience. Ironically he is
also the only driver ineligible to compete at Daytona because of his age.
Weber is a current student at Race 101, and he will use the test to gain valuable experience as he intends to compete in all of the ARCA races he is eligible to run next year.
“I think it is great I am allowed to test at Daytona even if I can’t compete there yet,” said Weber. “We will run numerous events next year, and every lap is important. I want to be ready for when I am able to race Daytona.”
Sarah Cornett-Ching is one of the most entertaining racers to graduate from RACE 101. Her BBAG (Beat By A Girl) campaign continues to gain popularity in the west.
The driver traveling the farthest to participate in the test session is Summerland, British Columbia, racer Sarah Cornett-Ching.
“I started BBAG years ago as a joke with my fellow racers,” said Cornett-Ching, who has handed BBAG stickers to many of her fellow racers. “It works for women in any male-dominated sport. For now it is just a conversation piece, but maybe someday I will build a brand around it.” Cornett-Ching earned the Marketing Award with Race 101 in 2011.
The fourth driver testing the RACE 101 entry at Daytona is Jerry Tunney from Clark Summit, Pennsylvania. Tunney will see Daytona International Speedway for the first time when he arrives for the test, but the Mechanical Award winner from R
Jerry Tunney looks to enjoy every moment of his experience in Daytona. He is the only driver of the four who has never seen Daytona International Speedway.
ACE 101 in 2011 expects it won’t be his last.
“I never thought I would have this opportunity,” said Tunney. “Racing is such a hard sport to advance in. The experience is what I am looking forward to the most, but if I work hard and keep pushing myself to do better things I believe more opportunities will present themselves.”
The four drivers will share seat time in the Blanchard-prepared entry, and each of them have different aspirations. Powell and Weber are likely to compete in ARCA in 2014 while Cornett-Ching and Tunney have less concrete plans for the future.
Regardless of their futures in racing each plan to share their experiences at the Daytona ARCA test with their RACE 101 counterparts and fans at www.race101.net.
For more information on RACE 101 please visit www.RACE101.net . For interview requests, please email adamrossenterprises@gmail.com.
Sources: Adam Ross/RACE 101 PR