Young Multicultural and Female Drivers Compete for Spot in NASCAR
20 Drivers Invited To 11th Drive for Diversity Combine
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Twenty multicultural and female race car drivers from the United States, Canada and Latin America will participate in the 11th Annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity (D4D) Combine Oct. 13-15 with hopes of earning a spot in the 2015 NASCAR D4D Class in partnership with Rev Racing.
The NASCAR D4D Combine – being held at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virgina, for the fourth consecutive year – has been the proving ground for several current NASCAR national series drivers, including NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Kyle Larson, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series three-time race winner Darrell Wallace Jr. and NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series driver Daniel Suarez, who recently announced a full-year NASCAR Nationwide Series ride with Joe Gibbs Racing for 2015.
“The NASCAR Drive for Diversity program has seen significant success in recent years with several standout drivers who have consistently exceled and put on their best performance on the race track,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR vice president of racing operations. “It is important for us to provide development opportunities for young female and diverse drivers who have the talent, but may lack the resources or guidance to find an entry point in our sport.”
Under the leadership of Max Siegel, owner of Rev Racing and CEO of U.S. Track & Field, NASCAR D4D has evolved to an academy-style development program which will compete under one umbrella in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKPSE) and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS). Rev Racing provides drivers with equipment, mentoring and competition experience throughout the season.
“This year’s Combine applicant pool was among the strongest the program has seen, and we continue to see that year over year,” said Siegel. “The program’s visibility and reputation for developing young, female and diverse drivers with talent and growth potential has increased across the board, and we are seeing steady recognition and support from key stakeholders across the motorsports industry.”
Suarez, a rising star in the U.S. and Mexico, is the third and most recent NASCAR D4D driver to transition into one of NASCAR’s three national series after competing in full seasons in Mexico’s NASCAR Toyota Series and the NKPSE. Several drivers are attempting to follow in his footsteps, including 18-year-old Ruben Garcia Jr., a member of the NASCAR Next class.
Also returning to defend their spot in the program are current NWAAS drivers Devon Amos and Paige Decker. Current Rev Racing drivers in the NASCAR K&N East Sergio Peña and Jay Beasley also are under consideration to return to the team in 2015, but will not compete at the Combine.
The drivers will be individually evaluated on at-track performance, including their instinctive positioning at different places on the track, proficiency and comfort level in providing in-car feedback to the crew chief, overall speed and the ability to shift during assessments.
Visit FansChoice.TV for the live streaming schedule of the Combine.
Below are invitees to the 11th annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine:
First Name Last Name Age City State/Country
Devon Amos 23 Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Jairo Avila 19 Alhambra, California
Amber Balcaen 22 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Nicole Behar 16 Otis Orchards, Washington
Collin Cabre 20 Thonotosassa, Florida
Abraham Calderon 25 Monterrey, Mexico
Madeline Crane 16 Meansville, Georgia
Claire Decker 19 Eagle River, Wisconsin
Paige Decker 21 Eagle River, Wisconsin
Natalie Decker 16 Eagle River, Wisconsin
Juan Esteban García Duarte 17 Bogotá, Colombia
Rubén Garcia, Jr 18 Naulcalpán, Mexico
Ryan Glenski 21 Mooresville, North Carolina
Ali Kern 21 Fremont, Ohio
Katlynn Leer 15 Moulton, Iowa
Michael Lira 17 Port Orange, Florida
Hannah Newhouse 17 Twin Falls, Idaho
Emily Packard 17 East Montpelier, Vermont
Kenzie Ruston 22 Mooresville, North Carolina
Dylan Smith 22 Concord, Vermont
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) governs the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information, visit www.nascar.com and follow NASCAR at www.facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR.
About Rev Racing
Headquartered in Concord, NC, Rev Racing, owned by Max Siegel, operates the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, which is the industry’s leading developmental program for ethnic minorities, women drivers, and pit crew members. For more information about Rev Racing visit http://revracing.net and follow us on Twitter @RevRacin.
Sources: NASCAR PR