Whelen Re-Enters K&N Series as Primary Sponsor for David Garbo Jr.
Garbo Will Pilot the #31 Whelen Car for Marsh Racing
CHARLOTTE, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–When Marsh Racing and longtime team sponsor Whelen Engineering Company, Inc. got the opportunity to put together a race team for 2015, they looked closely at the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Ted Marsh, owner of Marsh Racing, began searching for not only a championship-caliber driver, but someone he felt could also effectively represent the Whelen brand.
“It’s been a while since the Whelen #31 has been part of the K&N Pro Series”
The name of David Garbo Jr. was consistently at the top of his list and he ultimately went to Whelen Vice President of Motorsports, Phil Kurze, with his recommendation. “It’s been a while since the Whelen #31 has been part of the K&N Pro Series,” said Kurze. “With the talented David Garbo, Jr. as our pilot we are looking forward to a lot of excitement and great racing in a very competitive field!”
Marsh commented, “He’s a remarkable young man. We don’t know how he does it all so effectively at just 18 years old. He’s a national racing champion, a college freshman, a licensed private plane pilot, and he has an established charitable organization. We feel not only is he a talented and committed racer, but also someone who represents the future of the sport. We’re quite impressed.”
When asked about his reaction to being chosen to represent such an illustrious brand as Whelen, Garbo’s response was, “I’m so pumped. This company has been a part of racing for more than 20 years and the fact that they recognize my potential and my dedication to racing is the greatest compliment I could ever imagine. My family, friends and fans are so encouraging to me on a daily basis, and I know I can deliver the substance that Whelen is looking for.”
Garbo earned National and Connecticut State Championships in US Legends Cars in 2011 while running late model stock cars part-time with Marcos Ambrose Motor Sports. In 2013 he won prestigious Late Model races, including the Bobby Isaac Classic, and ranked 23rd in the nation in the Whelen All American Series out of thousands of drivers. He was also the highest-ranking rookie driving for Jamie Yelton’s Fat Head Racing. In 2014 he ran a part-time schedule in the K&N Pro Series East with a best finish of seventh in his debut at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Outside the cockpit Garbo has a passion to help students with learning difficulties. He established a charitable organization, The David Garbo Jr. Fund, (which is subsidized by 100% of his race earnings – more than $50,000 to date) to aid other student athletes with learning differences. This passion was fueled in part due to his own learning disabilities, which he overcame to become an honors student at the Forman School in Connecticut. That achievement helped him gain acceptance to High Point University for 2015.
Garbo is represented by Mark Borchetta of The Borchetta Group and Big Machine Motorsports, a division of Country Music’s most prominent record label, Big Machine Records. As the record label for Taylor Swift, the imprint is owned by Mark’s brother, Scott Borchetta. Big Machine is a strong supporter of motorsports – currently with Chip Ganassi Racing Teams including Kyle Larson and Tony Kanaan. Also, Mark Borchetta was responsible for establishing primary sponsorship to launch the IndyCar career of Danica Patrick.
Whelen Engineering Company, Inc. is the “Official Warning Lights of NASCAR” and “The Official Automotive Illumination Lights of NASCAR,” primarily off-road vehicle illumination lights. Whelen has been involved with NASCAR since 1995 and has been a sponsor on a racecar in every NASCAR racing series. They presently are the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Whelen All American Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
Whelen and Marsh Racing have been involved with racing together since 1995 including the NASCAR Busch North Series, NASCAR Busch East Series, NASCAR Busch Series and Camping World East Series as well as the K&N Pro Series East with numerous drivers.
Sources: Mark Borchetta/ The Borchetta Group