For Immediate Release (3/19/2024) Officials of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) announced today the seven drivers who will represent the organization during the 2024 racing season. These promising grass roots racers will be helping keep the memory and legacy of 1992 NASCAR Cup Champion and Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki alive, while also competing for the rich and prestigious annual Kulwicki Cup Championship.

The drivers range in age from 15 to 26 years and represent seven different states.

The seven finalists, in alphabetical order with hometown, background and social media information are:

Chase Burda: Lapeer, Michigan -- 19 (12/30/04) -- 2023 JEGS/CRA Series Champion -- Winner of the Master of the Pros Series Race at Owosso Speedway -- Running several special Pro and Super Late Model Races throughout 2024 including Money in the Bank and Battle at Berlin at Berlin Raceway -- also plans to run the Winchester 400 and the All American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds among other races. Social Media

Ty Fredrickson: Webster, Minnesota -- 15 (3/16/09) -- Son of Dan Fredrickson; scored his first podium in his first ASA Midwest Tour Start at Oktoberfest in 2023. Started his 2024 season at Speedweeks in New Smyrna -- He will be running the entire ASA Midwest Tour Schedule in 2024, aiming for Rookie of the Year honors and will also be competing in many SLM races in the Upper Midwest. Social Media

Derek Gluchacki: Dartmouth, Massachusetts -- 22 (10/23/01) -- 2023 KDDP Semifinalist -- Two-time defending Northeast Classic Winner at New Hampshire for the American Canadian Tour -- Won two Races on the ACT Tour last year -- Plans to run the entire 2024 ACT Tour -- Also plans to go for the Late Model Championship at Thompson Speedway and compete in the Walls Ford Championship at White Mountain Motorsports Park in a four-race series. Social Media

Evan Goetz: Okanogan, Washington -- 16 (9/19/07) -- Became the youngest winner ever in the Fall Classic at Tri-City Raceway in 2023 -- Running the Full Northwest Super Late Model Tour as well as selected big Pro Late Model Races across the Pacific Northwest. Social Media

Max Kahler: Caledonia, Illinois -- 20 (4/9/03) -- 2021 KDDP Finalist -- 2020 National Short Track Champion -- 2023 UMA Super Late Model Champion -- Running the full ASA Midwest Tour schedule and the Alive for Five Series races at Dells Raceway -- Plans to run the Slinger Nationals and also select Tundra Series Races. Social Media

Levon Van Der Geest: Merrill, Wisconsin – 19 (4/17/04) --Youngest winner ever at Milwaukee Mile (Midwest Trucks at 15) – 2023 KDDP Finalist made successful transition from trucks to SLM -- Competing in a Super Late Model on the ASA Midwest Tour, Golden Sands & Dells Raceway (Alive for 5 Series) along with the Slinger Nationals – Engineering student at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Social Media

Brandon Varney: Auburn, Maine - 26 (7/27/97) -- Won in his second-ever career Super Late Model start at Oxford Plains Speedway – Small family-run team competing in the Oxford Weekly Series in a Super Late Model – Also running select PASS Races, including the Oxford 250. Social Media

“It’s a very interesting and intriguing lineup of drivers, especially when you consider their experience, the divisions they’ll compete in and where they will race this season,” KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts said. “It’s the largest variance in age for a class of drivers (nine years) and it’s the first time in program history that the seven drivers hail from seven different states.

“It will be so exciting to see these promising competitors carrying Alan’s colors from coast to coast in 2024,” Roberts said. “All of these racers have lofty goals for the year and we’re looking forward to witnessing what they can accomplish both on and off the track.

“All of our advisory board members agreed that selecting just seven finalists was an arduous decision,” said Roberts. “The consensus was that the selection of these seven finalists posed the most challenging task in the program's history -- the group of semifinalists were just that good. I applaud our voting panel members for doing another magnificent job in deciding our seven drivers for 2024.

“We know that there are seven extremely happy young drivers out there after hearing our announcement,” said Roberts. “To each of you who will carry Alan’s colors this season, we issue you this challenge:

“Push yourself to reach your highest potential this season. Strive to emulate the personal fortitude and dedication that Alan Kulwicki did in becoming a NASCAR Champion and Hall of Famer. Stay classy and make him proud of you, both on and off the track.

“To the eight drivers who didn’t advance this year, we urge you to take pride in being among our semifinalists because the competition was so incredibly fierce,” said Roberts. “There were dozens of drivers considered who didn’t make it to semifinalist status. We urge you to take your game up another notch this year. Aim to enhance and develop yourself on and off the track. We hope that when the season concludes, you’ll be an improved racer who will consider applying again for our 2025 program.”

The 2024 season marks the ninth fully-functioning year for the KDDP, which was established in 2014 by the Kulwicki estate for the purpose of helping worthy drivers toward reaching their dreams while at the same time keeping Alan’s memory and legacy alive.

The seven drivers announced today as members of the 2024 KDDP class will each receive a one-time stipend of $7,777 to cover operational expenses. The organization will work to provide the drivers assistance in important aspects such as publicity, marketing, sponsorship development and industry networking during the season as they compete for the grand prize “Kulwicki Cup.” That award winner will pick up an additional check worth seven times the initial prize ($7,777 x 7 = $54,439) and a special unique trophy.

This year’s Kulwicki Cup titlist will join an illustrious group of former champions that includes Ty Majeski (2015) of Seymour, Wisconsin; Alex Prunty (2016) of Kewaskum, Wisconsin; Cody Haskins (2017) of Marietta, Georgia; Brett Yackey (2018) of Greeley, Colorado; Jeremy Doss (2019) of Upper Lake, California; Luke Fenhaus (2021) of Wausau, Wisconsin; Dylan Zampa (2022) of Napa, California and Max Cookson (2023) of Palmyra, Maine. The program went on hiatus during the 2020 season due to the pandemic.

The Kulwicki Cup competition goes from April 1 through Oct. 31. The contest’s points system is based on a combination of judging input from members of the advisory board and the drivers’ on-track performance. Drivers are given points for both their success in chasing checkered flags and for community engagement, program representation and social media activities.

Since the beginning of the 2015 racing season, the KDDP has assisted a total of 41 different promising young drivers representing 17 states & two Canadian provinces. The Kulwicki Family has provided $871,024 in combined stipend and championship award funding to those worthy competitors, in addition to immeasurable support with publicity, marketing, sponsorship development, industry networking and relationship building. Through the eight seasons, those 41 drivers have competed in a total of 1,260 races; recording 205 wins, 640 top-five finishes and 892 top-10 finishes.

Roberts added, "Although our organization currently maintains financial stability, our funds are dwindling, prompting us to initiate a comprehensive campaign to secure a significant marketing partner for the future. We firmly believe that with the groundwork we've established over the years, our program holds immense potential to serve as a highly effective marketing asset for a corporate teammate."

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting RacingAmerica.com, the organization’s official media partner.

2023 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SEMIFINALISTS ANNOUNCED
-Team of Seven KDDP Drivers Competing for 2023 Kulwicki Cup Will Come from Group of 15 Racers-

CONCORD, N.C. (March 16, 2023) – The seven drivers who will represent the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) for the 2023 racing season will come from a diverse group of 15 semifinalists that were announced today on official media partner RacingAmerica.com. The racers range from 15 to 23 years of age and represent 10 different states from coast to coast.

“The desire to carry Alan’s colors and be a member of the Kulwicki team continues to grow each and every year,” said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. “The 2023 season marks our eighth season of assisting promising young racers and the interest in our program continues on an upward spiral.

“After a monumental season in 2022 – held during the 30th anniversary of Alan’s remarkable run to the 1992 NASCAR Championship – we really didn’t know what to expect for 2023,” Roberts said. “The response was amazing as the appeal of our program received such a boost from last year’s battle for the Kulwicki Cup which concluded with a highly-publicized awards banquet in Charlotte.

“Racers from all across North America saw what occurred last season and aspired to be selected as a finalist for 2023. They know how much the KDDP experience has meant to many high-profile racers out there today and responded in both quantity and quality of applications.”

A vetting process narrowed the number of total applicants to a group of 54 who received full review and consideration by the KDDP board members. Each board member submitted a list of their top-15 applicants. There were 34 different competitors who received votes to be among the semifinalists.

“There were so many talented young racers who applied this time around that selecting just 15 was an incredibly difficult task,” said Roberts. “I would have welcomed any and all of the applicants that the board considered into the group of semifinalists. We honestly could have had another group of 15 drivers who would have been quality candidates to consider for the seven finalist spots we will be filling for the 2023 season.”

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The 15 KDDP semifinalists for 2023 include, in alphabetical order:

JACKSON BOONE: Franklin, Tennessee – 23 (3/10/2000) – 2019 Nashville Fairgrounds PLM Champion was competitive everywhere he ran in 2022 – Won at Nashville & finished 3rd in 2022 KDDP standings – Plans to run mixture of Pro Late Model & Super Late Model races at Nashville & across Southeast -- Twitter & Instagram: @jacksonboone7

JACOB BORST: Elon, North Carolina – 18 (5/11/2004) – 2022 KDDP Semifinalist --Top rookie & points runner-up at South Boston Speedway in 2021 -- Feature winner & 3rd in 2022 points – Plans on racing NASCAR LMSC events at numerous tracks, plus select CARS Tour LMSC races – Twitter: @borst25 Instagram: @jacobborst25

KYLE CAMPBELL: Conover, North Carolina – 20 (8/20/2003) – The 2017 Allison Legacy Series Champion made the transition to Pro Late Models and won twice in PLM competition while operating on a small budget – Plans on competing on the entire CARS Tour PLM Series, plus several Carolina Pro Late Model races – Twitter & Instagram: @Kyle_campbell03

MAX COOKSON: Palmyra, Maine – 20 (5/5/ 2003) – 2022 Oxford Plains Speedway Champion won in his SLM debut after much success in modifieds (2021 PASS Modified Champion) – Plans on running the entire Pro All Stars Series, as well as weekly races at Oxford Plains & select GSPSS events – Twitter: @MaxJCookson Instagram: @MaxCookson39

DEREK GLUCHAKI: Dartmouth, Massachusetts – 21 (10/23/01) – Winner of the American Canadian Tour Northeast Classic at New Hampshire Motor Speedway & multi-race winner at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park – Plans to compete in both ACT races and Monaco Open Modified Series – Twitter: @DerekGluchacki Instagram: @derek.gluchacki

CASSIDY HINDS: Arvada, Colorado – 19 (7/31/2003) – Began in open-wheel racing, before winning in Pro-Trucks at Colorado National -- Top-finishing female driver ever in Spears SRL Pro Late Models (2nd at Kern County Raceway in 2022) – Plans on racing SLM & Pro-Trucks at CNS, as well as select events along the SRL Tour – Twitter: @CHindsRacing Instagram: @cassidyhindsracing

KYLIE ITH: Grantsville, Utah – 18 (9/7/2004) – 2022 NASCAR Nevada State Rookie of the Year -- 2 feature wins in 2022 Jr. Late models & multiple top-5s in PLM – Plans to compete in PLM at Irwindale & Kern County as well as full season at LVMS Bullring chasing the championship – Twitter: @RacingWfo Instagram: @wforacing19

CAEDEN KVAPIL: Mooresville, North Carolina – 16 (12/10/2006) – Has won in every level up the racing ladder & came on strong in Pro Late Models in 2022 – Won CARS Tour PLM races at Ace & Caraway in 2022 & a top challenger for points title – Plans on running the entire CARS Tour PLM schedule, plus additional PLM & SLM events – Twitter: @CadenKvapil Instagram: cadenkvapil

KENNA MITCHELL: Loomis, California – 17 (3/6/2006) – Pro Late Model multiple-race winner at All American Speedway (2nd in points) will be making debut in Super Late Models in 2023 – Plans to race

PLM at Madera, Irwindale & Roseville, plus SLM in Wild West Super Series at All American Speedway – Instagram: @kennamitchell_7

BOSTON OLIVER: Murfreesboro, Tennessee – 15 (6/27/2007) – Honed his skills in racing Quarter Midgets & then Legends at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway – Moved up to Pro Late Models and out to prove himself in 2022 – Plans on running entire Nashville schedule, plus races at Pensacola and Montgomery – Twitter: @BostonOliver88 Instagram: @bostonoliver_88

HAEDEN PLYBON: Spokane, Washington – 19 (11/15/2003) – Race winner & points runner-up in 2022 Northwest Super Late Model Series – 2022 Idaho 200 Winner – 4th in 2022 KDDP standings – Plans on running entire NWSLMS, plus special events in the Northwest & return trip to Snowball Derby – Twitter: @HaedenPlybon Instagram: @haeden55

EVAN SHOTKO: Coopersville, Michigan – 19 (7/4/2003) – 2022 Berlin Raceway track champion won the Battle at Berlin 250 & finished as 2022 KDDP runner-up – Plans on running in both PLM & SLM competition with complete schedule to be announced – Twitter: @EvanShotko22 Instagram: @shotko_racing

RILEY STENJEM: Utica, Wisconsin – 23 (12/22/1999) – 2021 TUNDRA Champion & race winner – finished 3rd in 2022 standings – 6th in 2022 KDDP standings -- Mechanical Engineering Degree from Milwaukee School of Engineering – Plans to run entire ASA Midwest Tour, plus selected SLM “big shows” in the Midwest – Twitter & Instagram: @77stenjem77

LEVON VAN DER GEEST: Merrill, Wisconsin – 18 (4/17/04) --Youngest winner ever at Milwaukee Mile (Midwest Trucks at 15) – Made successful transition from trucks to SLM -- Competing in SLM on Midwest Tour and at Slinger – Engineering student at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee – Twitter: @LevonVan Instagram: @levon_vdg

HUNTER WRIGHT: Gladeville, Tennessee – 22 (1/4/2001) – Multi-time KDDP Semifinalist – Feature winner & points runner-up at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in 2022 -- 2019 Legends State Champ & National runner-up -- 2020 Nashville PLM ROY – Plans on running numerous PLM events (full Nashville schedule) & select SLM races -- Twitter: @HunterWright29 Instagram: @hunter_wright29

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“While we’re certain that all 15 of these young racers are extremely thrilled to be among our semifinalists, we want to extend a special message to all of the other applicants who were not selected,” said Roberts. “Just having the semifinalist status is truly an accomplishment and something to be very proud of. Keep honing your skills on and off the track, keep chasing those checkered flags and please consider applying again for the 2024 edition of our program.

“Carrying the KDDP colors as a Kulwicki Cup finalist has always been a distinguished honor and it’s impressive to consider the rich history of our program,” added Roberts. “A perfect example was reflected in last weekend’s inaugural ASA STARS National Tour race at Pensacola where three of the top-five finishers were KDDP alumni. We’re so proud of all the drivers who have worn Alan’s colors through the years.

“The next step in the process to determine the 2023 KDDP class is the interview sessions the board members will be having with all of the semifinalists,” Roberts said. “While our board is getting to know the drivers better, we encourage everyone to follow these 15 young racers on Twitter and other social media platforms. They are all outstanding young people that have accomplished a great deal already in their short careers.”

After the interviews are completed, a final review and vote by the advisory board will be held. The 2023 KDDP team of seven drivers is scheduled to be announced on RacingAmerica.com during the first week of April.

The seven finalists will each receive a one-time stipend of $7,777 to cover operational expenses. The organization will work to provide the drivers assistance in important aspects such as publicity, marketing, sponsorship development and industry networking during the season as they compete for the “grand prize.” The Kulwicki Cup winner will pick up an additional check worth seven times the initial award ($7,777 x 7 = $54,439) and a special unique trophy.

This year’s Kulwicki Cup competition will go from April 14 through November 14. The contest’s points system is based on a combination of judging input from members of the advisory board and the drivers’ on-track performance. Drivers are given points for both their success in chasing checkered flags and for community engagement, program representation and social media activities.

The KDDP has a proven track record, assisting a total of 38 different promising young drivers (representing 17 states & two Canadian provinces) entering the 2023 season. The Kulwicki estate has provided $762,146 in combined stipend and championship award funding in addition to all of the immeasurable off-track support provided by the organization. Through 2022 (seven seasons), those 38 KDDP drivers have competed in a total of 1,105 races; recording 178 wins, 554 top-five finishes and 797 top-10 finishes.

“While our organization is currently financially solid, our funding is depleting and we are launching a full-scale effort to unite with a major presenting marketing partner for the future,” Roberts said. “We’re confident that with the foundation we’ve laid over the years, our program can be an extremely effective marketing tool for a corporate partner to utilize.”

The 2023 KDDP Kulwicki Cup Champion will join the distinguished group of former titlists that includes Ty Majeski (2015), Alex Prunty (2016), Cody Haskins (2017), Brett Yackey (2018), Jeremy Doss (2019), Luke Fenhaus (2021) and Dylan Zampa (2022).

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting RacingAmerica.com, the organization’s official media partner.

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2023 KDDP APPLICATION PERIOD OPEN ENTIRE MONTH OF JANUARY
-2023 Marks Eighth Season for Organization Honoring NASCAR Champion & Hall of Famer Kulwicki-

CONCORD, N.C. (December 31, 2022) – Applications for the 2023 edition of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) will be accepted from January 1, 2023, through January 31, 2023.

The program is open to asphalt late model racers who participate in Super Late Model, Pro Late Model or Late Model Stock Car divisions. While there is no official age limit, the preferred racer is at least 16 years of age and has “grassroots level” experience. Drivers who have competed in the ARCA Menards Series (including ARCA Menards East & ARCA Menards West), NASCAR Pinty's Series and above are ineligible for the program.

The KDDP was established in 2014 by the family of late NASCAR Champion Alan Kulwicki for the purpose of helping worthy drivers toward reaching their dreams while at the same time keeping Alan’s memory and legacy alive. The Program provides drivers with financial assistance along with support in publicity, marketing, sponsorship development, industry networking and relationship building.

The 2023 edition of the program marks the eighth season for the Concord, North Carolina-base non-profit organization. Over its first seven years of operation, the KDDP has established itself as the preeminent driver development program in North America and it boasts an unrivaled track record.

Through the 2022 season, a total of 38 different promising young drivers (representing 17 states & two Canadian provinces) have worn Alan’s colors. The Kulwicki estate has provided $762,146 in combined stipend and championship award funding along with immeasurable publicity and marketing support to those worthy competitors.

A group of 15 drivers will be selected as semifinalists for next year’s program. After those racers are interviewed by KDDP advisory board members, seven racers will be selected to represent Alan and the program during the 2023 season. Each of those finalists will

receive a one-time stipend of $7,777 plus all the other benefits during the season as they compete for the grand prize “Kulwicki Cup.” That award winner will pick up an additional check worth seven times the initial prize ($7,777 x 7 = $54,439) and the special unique Kulwicki Cup Trophy.

The illustrious group of Kulwicki Cup Champions includes Ty Majeski (2015) of Seymour, Wisconsin; Alex Prunty (2016) of Kewaskum, Wisconsin; Cody Haskins (2017) of Marietta, Georgia; Brett Yackey (2018) of Greeley, Colorado; Jeremy Doss (2019) of Upper Lake, California; Luke Fenhaus (2021) of Wausau, Wisconsin; and Dylan Zampa (2022) of Napa, California. The program went on hiatus during the 2020 season due to the pandemic.

“We’re extremely proud of our achievements during the first seven seasons for our Kulwicki Driver Development Program,” said Tom Roberts, Executive Director of the KDDP. “We feel confident that we’ve been able to play a significant role in developing the next era of successful short-track racers across North America while also educating new generations about the life, passion and values of the 1992 NASCAR Champion. Alan Kulwicki’s spirit truly does live on and resonates within our organization.”

For the 2023 online KDDP application, please visit https://tinyurl.com/2023KDDPapp

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting RacingAmerica.com, the organization’s official media partner.

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For additional information on the Kulwicki Driver Development Program, please visit the official website at www.kulwickiddp.com and follow us on Twitter at @KulwickiDDP. Tom Roberts is on Twitter at @22carPR and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tom.roberts.39904181.

About the KDDP:

The Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) was established in 2014 by the family of late NASCAR Champion Alan Kulwicki for the purpose of helping worthy drivers toward reaching their dreams while at the same time keeping Alan’s memory and legacy alive. The Program provides drivers with financial assistance along with support in publicity, marketing, sponsorship development, industry networking and relationship building. Based in Concord, N.C., the KDDP is a non-profit organization with the mission of playing a significant role in developing the next era of America’s short-track racers while educating new generations about the life, passion and values of the 1992 NASCAR Champion.

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“ROUNDTABLE” ADDED FEATURE OF 2022 KDDP BANQUET
-‘Players’ In 1992 Atlanta Season Finale Will Recall “Day That Changed NASCAR Forever”-

CONCORD, N.C. (November 1, 2022) – Thirty years ago on a chilly but sunny November day one of the most dramatic and emotional races in NASCAR Cup history unfolded at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Millions watched the 1992 season finale on ESPN while more than 160,000 fans jammed into the track’s grandstand and infield, but the historical magnitude of what they witnessed that day would come much later.

Richard Petty, stock car racing’s “King”, ended his 35-year racing career in the Hooters 500. Petty’s year-long Farewell Tour included an Alabama concert in the Georgia Dome on the eve of the season finale.

Jeff Gordon made his Cup debut in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with crew chief Ray Evernham.

However, it was the championship battle that captivated the racing world that weekend. Entering the Hooters 500, six drivers possessed a mathematical chance at the championship. That was the most ever with an opportunity at the title heading into the season finale. Those six were Alan Kulwicki, Bill Elliott, Davey Allison, Kyle Petty, Harry Gant and Mark Martin. Kulwicki had produced an unbelievable point surge to be in contention for the championship. In five races he had overcome a 278-point deficit to pull within 30 points of standings leader Allison. Now, he would do what many thought was impossible. He and his team would defeat the powerhouse and legendary Junior Johnson organization for the coveted championship by leading the most laps in the event and finishing second to winner Elliott.

On Dec. 14, which would have been Kulwicki’s 68th birthday, several of those involved in that historical event will revisit it in a memory roundtable during the Kulwicki Driver Development Program Awards Banquet in The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Legendary ESPN broadcaster Dr. Jerry Punch, who was in Kulwicki’s pit that day, will moderate the candid night of reflection beginning at 5 p.m., ET. In addition to Kulwicki’s crew chief Paul Andrews and several team members, others scheduled to participate in the roundtable are Richard and Kyle Petty; Tim Brewer, Elliott’s crew chief; Evernham; and Larry McReynolds, Allison’s crew chief. Expect to see and hear from many surprise guests.

Also during the evening, the seventh Kulwicki Cup Champion (Dylan Zampa) and the six other finalists will be honored. NASCAR 2004 Cup champion Kurt Busch is the banquet’s guest speaker.

Official KDDP media partner, RacingAmerica.com, will offer a live-streaming broadcast of the event. RacingAmerica’s Alan Deitz, the RA crew and Tom Roberts, KDDP executive director, will emcee the event.

For additional information, please visit kddp.eventbrite.com today.

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KURT BUSCH IS KDDP BANQUET FEATURED GUEST SPEAKER
-NASCAR Champion Returning to His Roots; 1999 Southwest Tour Title Led to Spectacular Career-

CONCORD, N.C. (November 22, 2022) – Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Cup Champion and 34-race winner at stock car racing’s highest level, will be the featured guest speaker at the 2022 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) Awards Banquet. The event, which will celebrate the seventh season for the program honoring 1992 NASCAR Champion and 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame member Alan Kulwicki, is scheduled for Wednesday, December 14 in The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“We’re extremely delighted to have Kurt agree to be our featured guest speaker,” said Tom Roberts, Executive Director for the KDDP. “With his spectacular career beginning in late models on the bullrings out West, I am sure our audience – and especially our seven aspiring young KDDP finalists for the 2022 season – will be eager to hear Kurt’s message.”

“I’m really looking forward to attending the banquet and meeting all the drivers who carried the KDDP colors this season,” said Busch. “I learned about the Kulwicki development program through Tony Gibson (KDDP board member) when we worked together at Stewart-Haas Racing. It’s a great accomplishment to be selected to represent Alan and the KDDP has had a huge positive influence on so many young racers through the years.

“When I look back on my career, it’s pretty incredible to think that I was racing a Super Late Model in 1999 and only a couple of years later, I was a full-time Cup driver,” Busch said. “I’ve learned so much through the years and I’m looking forward to share my story – and maybe even provide a little advice – to the KDDP class of 2022.”

Busch, a second-generation racer, began his career racing go-karts at age six. He competed in Dwarf Series (modifieds) at age 14, before turning his attention to full-bodied late models. His first big break came in 1998 when the Las Vegas-based Star Nursery NASCAR Southwest Tour Team hired him to drive their No. 70 car.

Busch excelled in Southwest Tour competition, winning the series Rookie of the Year honors in 1998 and the points title in 1999. During his run to the 1999 championship, Busch posted six wins, 11 top-five finishes and 12 top-10s in 18 races.

The success he enjoyed on the Southwest Tour helped put his name on the map and opened doors for him to earn a spot in the old Roush Racing “Gong Show” competition, which earned him a ride in the NASCAR Truck Series for the 2000 season. It was the beginning of a remarkable career in the top three levels of NASCAR racing that has spanned more than two decades.

Busch’s impressive 2000 season saw him get elevated straight up to the premiere NASCAR Cup Series after only nine months in the trucks, as he made his Cup debut in the September race at Dover that year.

After competing in the final seven Cup races in 2000, he was a fulltime driver in the series in 2001. In 776 career Cup races to date, Busch has posted 34 wins, 161 top-five finishes, 339 top-10s and 28 poles. He claimed the 2004 Cup Championship in dramatic fashion.

His brief time in the truck series produced four wins, 14 top-five finishes and 20 top-10s in 28 races. In 30 career NASCAR Xfinity starts, he recorded five wins, 17 top-five finishes and 23 top-10s. He also had one win, eight top-five finishes and nine top-10s in IROC competition, where he claimed the 2003 series championship.

Illustrating the versatility Busch has behind the wheel, he turned heads in his only start in Indy-Car racing. In the 2014 Indianapolis 500, he qualified an Andretti Autosport car 12th and drove to a sixth-place finish to earn top rookie honors. Busch scored a podium finish in the 2008 24 Hours of Daytona Rolex Grand Am race. He even ventured into NHRA drag racing, qualifying an Allen Johnson-powered Dodge at the NHRA Gatornationals in 2011.

The annual awards banquet for the KDDP, honoring it’s seventh Kulwicki Cup Champion and the other six finalists, is scheduled for Wednesday, December 14, in The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Official KDDP media partner, RacingAmerica.com, will offer a live-streaming broadcast of the event. RacingAmerica’s Alan Deitz, the RA crew and Tom Roberts, KDDP executive director, will emcee the event.

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2022 Kulwicki Driver Development Program Champion Crowned

Dylan Zampa, a rising young racing star from Napa, California, has won the 2022 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) Kulwicki Cup Championship.

CONCORD, N.C. (November 18, 2022) – Dylan Zampa, a rising young racing star from Napa, California, has won the 2022 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) Kulwicki Cup Championship. The 18-year-old driver excelled on and off the track during the seven months of this year’s competition to claim the rich and prestigious title that honors 1992 NASCAR Champion and 2019 NASCAR Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki.

Evan Shotko, a hard-charging 19-year-old future star from Coopersville, Michigan, made a strong charge during the final half of the season to finish second in the standings. Franklin, Tennessee’s promising racer Jackson Boone finished third; with Spokane, Washington’s Haeden Plybon fourth; Stoughton, Wisconsin’s Jacob Nottestad fifth; his Stoughton neighbor Riley Stenjem sixth; and Harrison, Maine’s Kate Re seventh.

After the third ballots were tabulated (first two votes averaged & final vote added), here are the final 2022 Kulwicki Cup point standings:

1st - Dylan Zampa - 1,159

2nd - Evan Shotko - 943

3rd - Jackson Boone - 859

4th - Haeden Plybon - 597

5th - Jacob Nottestad - 505

6th - Riley Stenjem - 415

7th - Kate Re - 207

“Dylan Zampa proved to be our KDDP’s most complete representative this season, getting the job done on the race track and doing exemplary work off the track as well,” said Tom Roberts, KDDP Executive Director. “Dylan embodied the Kulwicki spirit in every way and his impressive efforts were noticed and rewarded by our organization’s voting board members.”

In 26 races during the seven-month battle for the Kulwicki Cup (from April 1 through October 31), Zampa recorded 13 wins and 15 top-five finishes. He raced primarily in Pro Late Model competition, but also made his debut in Super Late Models this year. Zampa dominated in NASCAR Weekly Series action at All American Speedway in Roseville, California, winning 11 of 13 races and claiming the track’s Late Model title. He also competed in all 11 races on the SPEARS SRL Pro Late Model Series schedule (from February 5 through November 12), scoring four wins, six top-five finishes and eight top-10s. He finished second in the series point standings.

Zampa’s off-track representation of Kulwicki and the program was a whirlwind of activities that included benefit raffles, numerous charity events, routine volunteer work at his local food bank and regular visits to Ronald McDonald House locations. His efforts raised more than $15,000 and included a season-long fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

“Dylan was the only return member to our KDDP team of drivers this year and it was evident that his prior experience last season was very beneficial,” Roberts said. “He’s a second-generation racer and has received much tutoring from family members, along with 2019 Kulwicki Cup Champion Jeremy Doss and his father, Mike Doss. Dylan’s participation in our 2021 program saw him finish runner-up to Luke Fenhaus for the title and proved to be a great training ground for this year’s competition.

“Overall, this was one of the best classes in our program’s history,” added Roberts. “They exerted so much positive energy and our board members enjoyed cheering them on throughout the season. Alan would have been proud of them all and we certainly are.”

Zampa becomes the third driver during the seven-year history of the KDDP to take the points lead early and hold it all the way to win the Kulwicki Cup title. Inaugural champion Ty Majeski accomplished the feat in 2015 and Fenhaus led from beginning to end last year.

The seven-driver 2022 KDDP team combined for an impressive 31 wins, 58 top-five finishes and 76 top-10s in 119 races during the seven months of competition. Here’s a look at the on-track statistics for the season:

COMPETITION POINTS TABULATED FROM DRIVER’S BEST 15 FINISHES (FINAL):

1. Dylan Zampa – 142 points

13 wins, 15 top 5s, 15 top 10s

26 races

2. Evan Shotko – 114 points

8 wins, 14 top 5s, 15 top 10s

19 races

3. Jackson Boone – 91 points

3 wins, 11 top 5s, 14 top 10s

20 races

4. Haeden Plybon – 74 points

4 wins, 8 top 5s, 9 top 10s

13 races

5. Jacob Nottestad – 66 points

3 wins, 6 top 10s, 8 top 10s

14 races

6. Riley Stenjem – 60 points

0 wins, 4 top 5s, 12 top 10s

15 races

7. Kate Re – 24 points

0 wins, 0 top 5s, 3 top 10s

12 races

* * *

The KDDP points system is based on a combination of judging input from members of the advisory board and the drivers’ on-track performance. Voters are asked to rank the drivers from first to seventh in their job of representing the organization and points (from 70 for first to 10 for seventh) are awarded for those rankings. Each voter is given 10 discretionary “bonus” points to award the drivers for “exceptional contributions” to the program. Community engagement, program representation and social media activities account for much of those points. The remainder of the points come from actual racing statistics (based on each driver’s best 15 race finishes). Race wins award 10 points, with 2nd-5th-place finishes getting 6 points, 6th-10th 4 points, 11th-15th 2 points and 15th-plus 1 point.

During the annual competition, two regular season rounds of judging points are averaged (however, bonus points continue to accrue) and added to a final round of voters’ judging points. The overall competition points (maximum 150 points for 15 wins) are applied and the driver with the largest points total will be the Kulwicki Cup Champion.

* * *

The 2022 season marked the seventh full year for the KDDP as the program was on hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic. The seven drivers receive a one-time stipend of $7,777 to cover operational expenses. The organization works to provide the drivers assistance in important aspects such as publicity, marketing, sponsorship development and industry networking during the season as they compete for the “grand prize.” The Kulwicki Cup Champion picks up an additional check worth seven times the initial award ($7,777 x 7 = $54,439) and a special unique trophy.

Through the KDDP’s first seven seasons, the organization has assisted a total of 38 different promising young racers representing 17 states and two Canadian provinces. Funded by the Kulwicki estate, the KDDP has provided $762,146 in combined stipend and championship award funding ($326,634 in each) to those worthy competitors. The 38 drivers have competed in a total of 1,105 races; recording 178 wins, 554 top-five finishes and 797 top-10 finishes. Through the years, KDDP finalists have claimed numerous track and series titles and have scored wins in many of North America’s biggest races.

* * *

Zampa joins the illustrious list of KDDP champions which includes Ty Majeski (inaugural 2015 season), Alex Prunty (2016), Cody Haskins (2017), Brett Yackey (2018), Jeremy Doss (2019) and Luke Fenhaus (2021). There was no 2020 program due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

* * *

Zampa and the six other drivers representing the 2022 KDDP Class will be recognized during the organization’s annual awards banquet that is set for Wednesday, December 14, in The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway. On what would have been Alan Kulwicki’s 68th birthday, Zampa will be presented the coveted Kulwicki Cup Trophy and the champion’s check for $54,439. The celebration will feature a live RacingAmerica.TV broadcast.

*******************

DYLAN ZAMPA IS EARLY LEADER IN BATTLE FOR 2022 KULWICKI CUP
-California’s 18-Year-Old Rising Racing Star Sits Atop Standings After First Three Months-

CONCORD, N.C. (July 28, 2022) – Dylan Zampa, an 18-year-old rising racing star from Napa, California, is the early leader in the 2022 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) “Kulwicki Cup” point standings. With four months remaining to determine this year’s champion, Zampa leads 22-year-old Franklin, Tennessee driver Jackson Boone by 139 points (588 for Zampa to Boone’s 449). Positions three through five have been steadily closing in on the leaders, with Evan Shotko, Jacob Nottestad and Haeden Plybon all winning races since the June 30 reporting period ended.

At of the end of the first reporting period (from April 1 through June 30), here’s how the point standings look:

1st - Dylan Zampa - 588

2nd - Jackson Boone - 449

3rd - Evan Shotko - 396

4th - Jacob Nottestad - 338

5th - Haeden Plybon - 232

6th - Riley Stenjem - 136

7th - Kate Re - 98

“When our first reporting period for the 2022 season concluded, it was Dylan Zampa, our lone returning driver from the 2021 class, pacing the competition,” said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. “Dylan learned so much during his running battle with 2021 Kulwicki Cup Champion Luke Fenhaus last year. He has done a remarkable job both on and off the track in representing Alan and our program so far this year and the points certainly reflect that.

“But with our first reporting period ending in June, the drivers behind him in the standings have been winning races since and can rally to challenge the ‘California Kid’ down the stretch,” Roberts said. “They are also realizing the importance that their off-track activities play in our points system and are really ramping it up in that aspect.

Zampa has had the California weather plus being able to participate in twin-feature nights of racing as great assets so far this season. Adverse weather conditions during the spring months curtailed much of the racing scheduled across the eastern half of the country.

“The weather has impacted this year’s edition of our program to a degree that we’ve never experienced before,” offered Roberts. “During our first three months of the 2022 season, Dylan is the only driver who has been able to compete in more than 10 feature events. At this point last season, five of the seven drivers had raced in at least 10 events. From an overall standpoint, our 2021 KDDP team of drivers had competed in 65 total races. Compare that to just 42 events total for this year’s class.”

Only twice during the six-year history of the KDDP has a driver taken the points lead early and held it all the way to win the Kulwicki Cup title. Inaugural champion Ty Majeski accomplished the feat in 2015 and Fenhaus led from beginning to end last year.

“While Dylan is out front in the early going, I wouldn’t count anyone out just yet, especially considering how most of the others have turned their seasons around during the last four weeks,” said Roberts. “You also have to consider that three times during our first six seasons, we’ve had drivers at the bottom of our initial standings bounce back to be podium contenders at the end of our seven months of competition.

“With our unique points system awarding the competitors for both on-track and off-track activities, it will certainly be interesting and intriguing to follow all seven of these promising young racers and cheer them on the remainder of the season.

“During the first 14 weeks of the 2021 KDDP competition, our drivers had won only three races total between them all, with three of them winning one apiece,” said Roberts. “It’s definitely a bright spot to see that five of our drivers had already scored victories during that period this season and there were 11 total wins.

“We’re confident that there are many more wins and celebratory Polish Victor Laps in store for our 2022 team of drivers from now until the end of October.”

As of this period’s cutoff date (June 30), the number of races that each driver competed in varied from only three events up to 11. The current 2022 KDDP competition (on-track) points look like this: (points & number of races/wins/top-5s/top-10s)

Dylan Zampa - 86 (11/7/10/11)

Evan Shotko - 40 (8/1/5/6)

Jackson Boone - 37 (8/1/5/5)

Jacob Nottestad - 28 (5/1/3/4)

Haeden Plybon - 17 (4/1/1/2)

Riley Stenjem - 14 (3/0/1/3)

Kate Re - 3 (3/0/0/1)

With input received from all of the voting KDDP board members, Roberts offered these comments on each of the seven 2022 finalists:

DYLAN ZAMPA: "Dylan has become “The Man” in California Pro Late Model racing this season and has established himself as one of the area’s most promising future stars. Competing against Luke Fenhaus for the 2021 Kulwicki Cup title has paid huge dividends for Dylan. He learned the importance of finding a good balance between his on-track performance and his off-track representation of the program and has done a tremendous job in both aspects so far this year. He didn’t take for granted that he was voted in as a finalist again this season and he’s certainly making the best of the opportunity. He is splitting his time between competing on the SPEARS SRL Pro Late Model Series and the weekly competition at All American Speedway. We loved seeing Dylan race a Super Late Model earlier this year and we’re hoping to see him get more of those opportunities. We are so glad that he has continued to foster many relationships he built last year with his local food bank and the Ronald McDonald House.”

JACKSON BOONE: “Jackson’s representation of the KDDP in both Super Late Models and Pro Late Models has certainly gotten much attention. His venturing out to tracks all across the Southeast has been appreciated so much and it’s reflected in the points. Winning the big race at the Nashville Fairgrounds in front of a live national audience watching on RacingAmerica.TV was impressive. The victories haven’t come as easy as he would have hoped, but in most of the races where he hasn’t suffered bad luck, he’s finished in the top 10. That’s quite a testament to his ability and his team’s preparation. Jackson has several special things planned for the next couple of months, both on and off the track, that are sure to turn heads. We look forward to seeing that No. 7 car doing those Polish Victory Laps.”

EVAN SHOTKO: “If there is one driver who has really turned things around since the beginning of the season, it has to be Evan. Weather and mechanical issues kept him from showing his full potential until recently and our board members noted that. A big example was in the early June ‘Money in the Bank 150’ at Berlin Raceway where he showed winning potential, but got taken out after only two laps. He’s really come on strong since then and is a threat to win every race he’s in. Evan has the right combination of aggressiveness, skill, and on-track smarts to win a lot of races this year. He really has a chance to be the next big name to come out of the fertile racing lineage of Western Michigan, following the likes of Johnny Benson, Jr. to Erik Jones. We can’t wait to see how he runs at the ‘Battle of Berlin’ in August. We’re hearing he has huge plans to ramp up his off-track activities moving forward.”

JACOB NOTTESTAD: “Jacob may be the biggest surprise of all the drivers in the 2022 KDDP class to many. Moving up to the Super Late Models from the Pros was a monumental task, especially considering the stiff competition he’s up against on a regular basis. But he has surpassed all expectations in making the transition. In retrospect, he gave us a ‘sneak preview’ when he jumped into John DeAngelis’ car at Oktoberfest and won in first SLM start two years ago. When he won the ARCA Midwest Tour race at Jefferson Speedway back in May, it really put everyone on notice that Jacob was for real in the Supers. He’s already added to that, scoring a victory at Slinger after our June 30 cutoff, which will be reflected in our next points. His day job doesn’t allow much off time, but he now realizes the importance of his off-track activities in the overall KDDP competition.”

HAEDEN PLYBON: “Keep your eyes on this talented young driver during the second half of the season. He had competed in only four races at the end of our first judging period and had been faced with weather conditions wiping out several events on his schedule. He still was able to show flashes of what he’s capable of. Haeden has had his share of bad luck, but has been bad fast, too. He’s been a great qualifier and is now displaying the consistency to win more races. With high-profile events coming up like the ‘Idaho 200’ and others, he’ll have the opportunity to shine and add to the admirable job he has been doing with his off-track and social media activities. Haeden could be the biggest ‘man on the move’ during the next few months. He is going to be so much fun to follow and see his progress.”

RILEY STENJEM: “Riley was hit with such hard luck during the beginning of the season and has been extremely impressive in getting things turned around. Mechanical issues sidelined him in his first scheduled event for 2022, but he has handled all the adversity so well. Completing his mechanical engineering studies this spring will now give him additional time to focus on both his racing and off-track activities. When he has been able to race, he has posted some very solid performances. He has banked additional clout (and points) with his impressive runner-up finish in the recent TUNDRA race at Norway Speedway that isn’t reflected in the current standings. It’s awesome to learn that he plans on adding some Pro Late Model races later this season to meet our 15-race minimum race requirement. We also know Riley has some special ‘attention-getters’ up his sleeve and we can’t wait to see them play out.”

KATE RE: “Kate has done a tremendous job representing the KDDP with her off-track activities and through her social media skills, but at our cutoff date she had been able to compete in only three races so far this year. She has displayed such an incredible positive attitude through all the adversity she has faced this season, especially considering how many rainouts her team has encountered. We admire Kate’s desire and her family-owned teams’ determination, which have been so inspirational. Kate’s social media postings have been some of the best in our program’s history. With big events such as the Oxford 250 on tap – and with two-time KDDP finalist Derek Griffith offering advice and support – we’re confident that the best is yet to come for Kate and her No. 10 team this season.”

* * *

The KDDP points system is based on a combination of judging input from members of the advisory board and the drivers’ on-track performance. Voters are asked to rank the drivers from first to seventh in their job of representing the organization and points (from 70 for first to 10 for seventh) are awarded for those rankings. Each voter is given 10 discretionary “bonus” points to award the drivers for “exceptional contributions” to the program. Community engagement, program representation and social media activities account for much of those points. The remainder of the points come from actual racing statistics (based on each driver’s best 15 race finishes. Race wins award 10 points, with 2nd-5th-place finishes getting 6 points, 6th-10th 4 points, 11th-15th 2 points and 15th-plus 1 point.

The 2022 season marks the seventh full year for the KDDP. The seven drivers receive a one-time stipend of $7,777 to cover operational expenses. The organization works to provide the drivers assistance in important aspects such as publicity, marketing, sponsorship development and industry networking during the season as they compete for the “grand prize.” The Kulwicki Cup winner will pick up an additional check worth seven times the initial award ($7,777 x 7 = $54,439) and a special unique trophy.

The next points update for this year’s edition of the KDDP is scheduled for the first week of October. The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting RacingAmerica.com, the organization’s official media partner.

# # #

2022 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
-Team of Seven KDDP Drivers Racing from Coast to Coast in Representing 1992 NASCAR Champ-

CONCORD, N.C. (March 23, 2022) – Officials of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) announced today the seven drivers who will represent the organization during the history-rich 2022 racing season. The racers represent six different states and range in age from 18 to 22 years. The announcement was made on today’s edition of “The Bullring” on RacingAmerica.com Powered by Speed51.TV, the organization’s official media partner.

These finalists will be helping keep the memory and legacy of 1992 NASCAR Cup Champion and Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki alive during the seventh edition of the program which will occur during the 30th anniversary of the NASCAR Hall of Famer’s incredible run to the title.

The drivers (alphabetically) are (Name, Hometown, DOB, Division, Plans & Social Media):

JACKSON BOONE: Franklin, Tennessee – 21 (3/10/2000) – Pro Late Model & Super Late Model – Former KDDP Semifinalist – 2019 Nashville Fairgrounds PLM Champion – Plans to compete for the Nashville track championship & Southern Super Series, with possible starts in Late Model Stock Car events – Twitter & Instagram: @jacksonboone7

JACOB NOTTESTAD: Stoughton, Wisconsin – 20 (4/11/2001) – Super Late Model – Former KDDP Semifinalist – With limited budget, successfully transitioned to SLM, with wins at Jefferson & La Crosse, winning in tough TUNDRA competition – Plans on running the Elite 8 Series at Slinger, Slinger Nationals & select TUNDRA events – Twitter: @Jnottestad97

HAEDEN PLYBON: Spokane, Washington – 18 (11/15/2003) – Super Late Model/Pro Late Model – 2020 Stateline Speedway Champion; two-time winner in 2021 Northwest Super Late Model Series competition – Plans on running entire Northwest SLM Series, the Tri-State PLM Series & select special SLM shows on West Coast – Twitter: @HaedenPlybon Instagram: @Haeden55

KATE RE: Harrison, Maine – 18 (12/1/2003) – Super Late Model/Pro Late Model – Has advanced from racing go-karts at age 8 up to Super Late Models; first female to ever qualify for the Oxford 250 (2020) & highest female finisher in Pro All Star Series (PASS) history (3rd at Lee USA Speedway in 2021) – Plans to compete in Pro All Star Series, CARS Tour PLM Series & specials like Motor Mountain Masters (Jennerstown Speedway) – Twitter: @MotorsportsKate Instagram: @kateremotorsports & @kate10re

EVAN (SHOTKO) SZOTKO: Coopersville, Michigan – 18 (7/4/2003) -- Super Late Model/Late Model – Began career in Dirt Modifieds; has become consistent Late Model winner at Berlin Raceway – Plans are to compete in the Late Model division full time at Berlin Raceway including the Money in the Bank & Battle at Berlin; possibly run some CRA shows – Twitter: @Shotkoracing Instagram: @ shotko_racing

RILEY STENJEM: Utica, Wisconsin – 22 (12/21/1999) – Former KDDP Semifinalist – Super Late Model/Pro/Limited Late Model – In second season driving SLM, steady progress led to winning the 2021 TUNDRA Super Late Model Championship over noted veteran Casey Johnson; tutored under Ty Majeski – Plans on running 25-30 races, including TUNDRA, ARCA Midwest Series & Alive for 5 Series – Twitter & Instagram: @77stenjem77

DYLAN ZAMPA: Napa, California – 18 (11/15/2003) – 2021 KDDP Finalist – Pro Late Model – Won as rookie at Madera Speedway in 2019; in 2021, posted 7 wins, 5 seconds, 20 top-fives, and 22 top-10s in PLM competition; finished runner-up in Spears SRL PLM Series points; 2021 Sigma Young Guns Champion – Plans on running SRL Pro Late Model Series, plus PLM events at All American Speedway & Madera Speedway – Twitter: @zampa_dylan Instagram: @dylan_zampa

* * *

“The 2022 season is a monumental year for our program when you consider the historical significance involved,” said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. “Our program has always revolved around Alan’s number seven and with the pandemic shutting us down in 2020, this will be our program’s seventh edition. It’s as if all the stars lined up in that this year also marks the 30th anniversary of Alan’s memorable championship season.

“It’s a very interesting and intriguing lineup of drivers, especially when you consider their experience, the divisions they’ll compete in and where they will race this season,” Roberts said. “Our organization will have promising young competitors carrying Alan’s colors from coast to coast in 2022. All of these racers have lofty goals for the year and we’re looking forward to witnessing what they can accomplish both on and off the track.

“All of our advisory board members said that this was the toughest voting scenario they have faced in the seven such annual final ballots they have cast so far,” said Roberts. “All of the semifinalists were exemplary in every facet along the way and were so impressive in their interviews.

“When it got down to making their selections among the group of incredibly talented semifinalists, 14 of the 16 competitors received votes,” Roberts said. “The voting was so tight that a single vote determined the final spot among three drivers. I applaud our board members for doing another magnificent job in deciding our seven drivers for 2022.

“Strive to emulate the personal fortitude and dedication that Alan Kulwicki did in becoming a NASCAR Champion and Hall of Famer. The 2022 season is monumental with it being the 30th anniversary of Alan’s championship. Take extra pride in being his representative this season and enjoy the prestige that comes with it. Stay classy and make him proud of you, both on and off the track.

“We also know that there are twice that number of drivers who are very disappointed right now,” Roberts offered. “To those competitors, we urge you to take pride in being among our semifinalists this year because the competition was just that tough. There were dozens of drivers considered, but didn’t make it to semifinalist status. Remember that we’ve even had prior finalists to come back a few years later to win the Kulwicki Cup, so never give up. We urge you to take your game up another notch this year. We hope that when the season concludes, you’ll be an improved racer who will consider applying again for our 2023 program.”

* * *

The 2022 season marks the seventh fully-functioning year for the KDDP, which was established in 2014 by the Kulwicki estate for the purpose of helping worthy drivers toward reaching their dreams while at the same time keeping Alan’s memory and legacy alive.

The seven drivers announced today as members of the 2022 KDDP class will each receive a one-time stipend of $7,777 to cover operational expenses. The organization will work to provide the drivers assistance in important aspects such as publicity, marketing, sponsorship development and industry networking during the season as they compete for the grand prize “Kulwicki Cup.” That award winner will pick up an additional check worth seven times the initial prize ($7,777 x 7 = $54,439) and a special unique trophy.

This year’s Kulwicki Cup titlist will join an illustrious group of former champions that includes Ty Majeski (2015) of Seymour, Wisconsin; Alex Prunty (2016) of Kewaskum, Wisconsin; Cody Haskins (2017) of Marietta, Georgia; Brett Yackey (2018) of Greeley, Colorado; Jeremy Doss (2019) of Upper Lake, California; and Luke Fenhaus (2021) of Wausau, Wisconsin. The program went on hiatus during the 2020 season due to the pandemic.

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting RacingAmerica.com, the organization’s official media partner.

# # #

2022 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SEMIFINALISTS ANNOUNCED
Team of Seven KDDP Drivers Competing for 2022 Kulwicki Cup Will Come from Group of 16 Racers-

CONCORD, N.C. (Feb. 23, 2022) – The seven drivers who will represent the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) for its monumental 2022 racing season will come from a diverse group of 16 semifinalists that were announced today on official media partner RacingAmerica.com Powered by Speed51.TV. The racers range from 15 to 25 years of age and represent 10 different states and one Canadian province.

“ The aspiration to be a KDDP driver and a member of Alan’s team has never been stronger than it is today,” said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. “With all the history riding with our program this year, that sentiment is certainly magnified heading into the 2022 season.”

After sifting through all the numerous applications received, a preliminary examination to eliminate those unqualified for various reasons was done. Further scrutinizing narrowed the applicants to a group of 45 who received full review and consideration by the board members. Each member submitted a list of their top-15 applicants. There were 33 different competitors who received votes to be among the semifinalists during the board’s voting process and the top-16 received at least three votes each.

“ Our board members did an absolutely incredible job in choosing these 16 semifinalists,” Roberts said. “I honestly would have welcomed any of the applicants that the board considered into the group of semifinalists. While they were able to narrow it down to these 16 drivers, there were at least another 16 who would have been quality candidates for the seven finalist spots we will be filling for the 2022 season.”

* * *

The 16 KDDP semifinalists for 2022 include, in alphabetical order:

JACOB BORST: Elon, North Carolina – 17 (5/11/2004) – Late Model Stock Car – Top rookie & points runner-up at South Boston Speedway in 2021 – Plans on racing NASCAR sanctioned events including all races at South Boston & Virginia Triple Crown Series – Twitter: @borst25 Instagram: @jacobborst25

CHAD BUTZ: Green Bay, Wisconsin – 22 (11/23/1999) – Former KDDP Semifinalist – 2021 SLM Champion at Norway Speedway – Plans to run all ARCA Midwest Tour races chasing ROY honors and run select events at Norway Speedway & Wisconsin International Raceway – Twitter: @Chad_Butz_8

NICK EGAN: Lomira, Wisconsin – 25 (5/13/1996) – Former KDDP Semifinalist – Super Late Model & Pro Late Model – Former ROY in Big 8 Series & Midwest Trucks with multi feature wins at multiple tracks – Plans to race TUNDRA, JEGS CRA Pro Late Models & Slinger special shows – Twitter & Instagram: @nickegan13

MAX KAHLER: Caledonia, Illinois – 18 (4/9/2003) – 2021 KDDP Finalist – Super Late Model & Pro/Limited Late Model – 2020 Big 8 Series Champion & 2020 National Short Track Championship race winner – Plans on running Alive for 5 SLM Series, TUNDRA SLM, several ARCA Midwest Tour races & select Big 8 events – Twitter: @max_kahler

RYAN KUHN: East Bridgewater, Massachusetts – 20 (3/1/2001) – 2021 KDDP Finalist – Super Late Model, Pro Late Model & Late Model Stocks – Former Seekonk Speedway Champion & accomplished sim racer – Plans to run in all 11 Pro All Star Series (PASS) National races and in 7 select American Canadian Tour races, with 5 additional tentative shows – Twitter: @RyanKuhnRacing Instagram: @ryankuhn72

AUSTIN MACDONALD: Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada – 18 (8/27/2003) – Super Late Model & Pro/Limited Late Model – Three-time US Legends Champion turned to Pro All Star Series (PASS North) competition & finished 4th, 3rd & 2nd in first 3 races – Planning on racing PASS National, CARS Tour Pro Late Model & Maritime Pro Stock Tour – Instagram: @austinmacdonaldracing13

ZACK MIRACLE: Monroe, North Carolina – 15 (5/9/2006) – Late Model Stock Car – 2019 US Legends Champion turned to LMSC competition at Hickory Motor Speedway, recording 6 wins & multiple poles; finished P-2 in Icebreaker 125 at Florence earlier this month – Plans on running entire 2022 Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour Late Model Stock Series & select shows – Instagram: @zackmiracle__

DANIEL SILVESTRI: Ashburn, Virginia – 19 (11/12/2002) – Late Model Stock Car – Started in Bandoleros & Legends at Southside Speedway; Won CARS Tour LMSC race at Dominion Raceway last season & pole at Martinsville – Plans to run for Dominion track championship & Martinsville; hopes to add several big CARS Tour LMSC shows – Twitter: @97DanielSilv Instagram: @danielsilvestriracing

HUNTER WRIGHT: Gladeville, Tennessee – 21 (1/4/2001) – Former KDDP Semifinalist – Pro Late Model – The 2019 Tennessee State Champ in the U.S. Legends & National runner-up moved to Pro Late Models & claimed Nashville Fairgrounds ROY Title in 2020; raced select events around country in 2021, including New Smyrna, Nashville & Winchester – Plans on running PLM at Nashville, Montgomery & Winchester – Twitter: @HunterWright29

* * *

“ It promises to be a monumental year, not only for the KDDP, but for the memory of Alan and his incredible career,” Roberts said. “The 2022 season will mark the seventh edition of our program and it will carry extra historical significance in that it will occur during the 30th Anniversary of Alan Kulwicki’s amazing run to the 1992 NASCAR Cup Championship. We’re also going full steam ahead with our restoration project of the “Underbird,” the authentic No. 7 Hooters Ford Thunderbird that Kulwicki drove to the title on November 15, 1992, at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“ Being selected as a finalist for the Kulwicki program and carrying the KDDP colors has always been a distinguished honor, but to be a member of Alan’s seventh class of drivers will be extra special,” added Roberts. “I’m sure they’ll all be walking with an additional swagger in their steps.

“ The next step in the process to determine the 2022 KDDP class are the interview sessions the board members will be having with each of the 16 semifinalists,” Roberts said. “While our board is getting to know the semifinalists, we encourage everyone to follow these 16 young racers on Twitter and other social media platforms. They are all outstanding young people that have accomplished a great deal in their short careers.”

Driver interviews will take place next week. After a final review and vote by the advisory board, the 2022 KDDP team of seven drivers is scheduled to be announced on Wednesday, March 23. The finalists will be announced live and interviewed on that day’s edition of “The Bullring” on official media partner Racing America Powered by Speed51.TV.

The 2022 KDDP Kulwicki Cup Champion will join the distinguished group of former titlists that includes Ty Majeski (2015), Alex Prunty (2016), Cody Haskins (2017), Brett Yackey (2018), Jeremy Doss (2019) and Luke Fenhaus (2021).

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting RacingAmerica.com, the organization’s official media partner.

# # #

2022 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SEMIFINALISTS ANNOUNCED
-Team of Seven KDDP Drivers Competing for 2022 Kulwicki Cup Will Come from Group of 16 Racers-

“The aspiration to be a KDDP driver and a member of Alan’s team has never been stronger than it is today,” said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. “With all the history riding with our program this year, that sentiment is certainly magnified heading into the 2022 season.”

“Our board members did an absolutely incredible job in choosing these 16 semifinalists,” Roberts said. “I honestly would have welcomed any of the applicants that the board considered into the group of semifinalists. While they were able to narrow it down to these 16 drivers, there were at least another 16 who would have been quality candidates for the seven finalist spots we will be filling for the 2022 season.”

* * *

The 16 KDDP semifinalists for 2022 include, in alphabetical order:

* * *
“It promises to be a monumental year, not only for the KDDP, but for the memory of Alan and his incredible career,” Roberts said. “The 2022 season will mark the seventh edition of our program and it will carry extra historical significance in that it will occur during the 30th Anniversary of Alan Kulwicki’s amazing run to the 1992 NASCAR Cup Championship. We’re also going full steam ahead with our restoration project of the “Underbird,” the authentic No. 7 Hooters Ford Thunderbird that Kulwicki drove to the title on November 15, 1992, at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“Being selected as a finalist for the Kulwicki program and carrying the KDDP colors has always been a distinguished honor, but to be a member of Alan’s seventh class of drivers will be extra special,” added Roberts. “I’m sure they’ll all be walking with an additional swagger in their steps.

“While I’m certain that all 16 of these young racers are thrilled to be among our semifinalists, I want to extend a special message to all of the other applicants who were not selected,” said Roberts. “Keep honing your skills on and off the track, keep chasing those checkered flags and please consider applying again for the 2023 edition of our program. Just having the semifinalist status is truly an accomplishment and something to be very proud of.

“The next step in the process to determine the 2022 KDDP class are the interview sessions the board members will be having with each of the 16 semifinalists,” Roberts said. “While our board is getting to know the semifinalists, we encourage everyone to follow these 16 young racers on Twitter and other social media platforms. They are all outstanding young people that have accomplished a great deal in their short careers.”

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting RacingAmerica.com, the organization’s official media partner

# # #

For additional information on the Kulwicki Driver Development Program, please visit the official website at www.kulwickiddp.com, which is getting an upgrade during the next six weeks. Follow us on Twitter at @KulwickiDDP and we hope you’ll check out and like our new Facebook page that will be launched this spring.

About the KDDP:
The Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) was established in 2014 by the family of late NASCAR Champion and Hall of Fame member Alan Kulwicki for the purpose of helping worthy drivers toward reaching their dreams while at the same time keeping Alan’s memory and legacy alive. The Program provides drivers with financial assistance along with support in publicity, marketing, sponsorship development, industry networking and relationship building. Based in Concord, N.C., the KDDP is a non-profit organization with the mission of playing a significant role in developing the next era of America’s short-track racers while educating new generations about the life, passion and values of the 1992 NASCAR Champion.

******

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LUKE FENHAUS CLAIMS 2021 “KULWICKI CUP” CHAMPIONSHIP
-Promising Young Wisconsin Hotshot Holds Off California’s Hard-Charging Dylan Zampa-

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 15, 2021) – Rising racing star Luke Fenhaus has claimed the 2021 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) Kulwicki Cup Championship. The 17-year-old driving phenom from Wausau, Wisconsin, held off hard-charging Dylan Zampa, a 17-year-old up-and-comer from Napa, California, to win the rich and prestigious annual award which honors NASCAR Champion and Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki.

The final 2021 KDDP Kulwicki Cup point standings:

            1st      -           Luke Fenhaus         -           1,130
2nd     -           Dylan Zampa           -              995
3rd      -           Wyatt Alexander     -              808
4th      -           Ryan Kuhn               -              638
5th      -           Max Kahler             -              478
6th      -           Kole Raz                   -              451
7th      -           Brooke Storer         -              186

“Our 2021 battle for the Kulwicki Cup came down to a contest between two of racing’s brightest future stars,” said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. “When you consider how young Luke and Dylan are and what they accomplished this season, we think it’s a statement of how healthy short track racing is across the nation. That’s especially true when you take into account that Luke represented racing in the Midwest and Dylan was honing his skills and turning heads out on the West Coast.

“After our program had to go on hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, it was so thrilling to bounce back this season with our seven KDDP finalists representing all areas of the country,” said Roberts. “Overall, our 2021 class of drivers was one of the best ever in representing Alan Kulwicki and our organization both on and off the track.

“Luke, our lone second-year finalist (finished fourth in 2019), became only the second driver in our program’s history to lead the point standings from start to finish,” noted Roberts. “We think that’s a true testament to the incredible season that Luke and his team experienced this year. The only other driver to lead all the way was our inaugural champion, Ty Majeski. Everyone can recall the amazing season Ty had back in 2015 in winning the first Kulwicki Cup Award. His hard work led to additional opportunities higher up the racing ladder and we’re hoping that will be the same scenario for Luke.

“Dylan established himself as the brightest young star in years on the West Coast this season,” said Roberts. “It was quite amazing to see his improvement behind the wheel this year. He was a serious threat to win in almost every race he competed in. Witnessing the respect he gained from all the other competitors and his growing fan base was extremely impressive.”

Fenhaus and Zampa coupled strong on-track finishes with diligent community service work and impactful social media activities. Those attributes were key in the KDDP voting board members casting their final ballots.

“Both Luke and Dylan were so incredible this year and our voters considered all factors during their final evaluations,” Roberts said. “All of our voters were quick to recognize the exemplary job both drivers did in representing Alan and our organization in their off-track undertakings.

“I was personally touched by the unique and effective measures Luke and Dylan utilized to educate a new generation about who Alan was and what he stood for, especially during our final month of October,” added Roberts. “Their off-track activities were so impressive and they truly did make a difference in their communities.”

* * *
The KDDP voting board members’ final evaluation of the 2021 class members produced these summaries on each competitor:

LUKE FENHAUS:
On his way to the 2021 KDDP Championship, Luke Fenhaus picked up three victories, including the prestigious Slinger Nationals in July. That victory led to an opportunity to race in the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) the following week on the high-banked quarter-mile Slinger oval. Luke led the majority of the feature race and ended up finishing second to IndyCar veteran Marco Andretti. He drew massive praise from SRX founders Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham, who lauded his poise, professionalism, and car control. Luke won the 2021 Slinger Speedway Super Late Model Championship over the legendary Rich Bickle, Jr., and locked up the Alive for Five series title at Dells Raceway Park in October. Luke was an active member of his community throughout the season, volunteering at a local food bank, taking his race car to different schools and camps around Wausau, and raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

DYLAN ZAMPA:
California’s Dylan Zampa had a breakthrough season in 2021, finishing a strong second in the KDDP season standings and picking up six wins in 22 races. Zampa traveled the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Pro Late Model Series for the first time, finishing second in the points to 2019 KDDP Champion Jeremy Doss and scoring a popular win at his home track, All American Speedway in Roseville, California. He gained tremendous respect from the other competitors, officials and fans alike. He laid the foundation for future success in 2022 and beyond, while becoming a fan favorite wherever he raced. Dylan volunteered throughout the season for Napa Valley Food Bank and raised a remarkable $12,000 for various charities.

WYATT ALEXANDER:
The 2021 season was a big step forward in the racing career of Ellsworth, Maine’s Wyatt Alexander as he picked up a career high three victories in weekly competition at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. Wyatt’s last win of the year came in the final race ever at the venerable Maine speed plant, as he bested more than 30 cars including the best racers in the region. Wyatt finished as the Northeast Region Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series (NWAAS) and second in the NWAAS points in the state of Maine. In 22 races this season, Wyatt finished in the top-10 a remarkable 21 times.

RYAN KUHN:
Ryan Kuhn was the KDDP program’s “Mr. Consistency,” scoring 15 top-five finishes and 23 top-10s in 26 total races across Pro and Super Late Model competition. Ryan stepped up his traveling, visiting Hickory Motor Speedway in April, and competed on tracks throughout the Northeast. Despite his widespread success this year, Ryan did not visit victory lane, but finished second an impressive seven times. During the final months, Ryan picked up his community service efforts, and became a critical volunteer for the Meals on Wheels program in his hometown of Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

MAX KAHLER:
After winning the Big 8 Series championship in 2020, Illinois’ Max Kahler built upon that strong campaign by jumping into Super Late Model competition with the Midwest Tour and other regional series. Despite bad luck and mechanical issues, Max persevered and showed improvement throughout the year. He jumped back into late model competition at his home track, Rockford Speedway, and picked up two victories in weekly competition. Max volunteered all season long at the Rock River Valley Food Pantry and the Compassion Closet in his hometown.

KOLE RAZ:
Oregon’s Kole Raz ran the entire Spears SRL Southwest Tour for Super Late Models in 2021. Kole qualified and ran well many nights on the tour, but suffered multiple mechanical failures. His final results do not share the whole story of his season. Several times throughout the season, Kole headed back to his native Pacific Northwest to race with the Northwest Super Late Model tour. He picked up his lone victory of the season on Labor Day Weekend at the Hermiston Raceway in Oregon. Kole worked with Ayden’s Army of Angels, a charity for pediatric cancer research and care.

BROOKE STORER:
Incredibly popular Florida driver Brooke Storer continued to see her massive fan base grow during the 2021 season, in spite of facing a myriad of obstacles. She displayed remarkable perseverance in dealing with numerous mechanical issues, several occurring while running up front. Just as her season appeared to be turning around this fall, several of her scheduled races were cancelled due to a tire shortage. She was able to compete in only 10 races carrying the KDDP colors. Brooke and her small family-run team still have a couple of races remaining this season. She was extremely impressive in her involvement with the Pets for Patriots non-profit project.

* * *
The 2021 seven-driver KDDP team combined for 15 wins, 73 top-five finishes and 107 top-10s during the seven months of competition. Here is the final on-track competition points and schematic:

KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM – SEASON STANDINGS - FINAL

DYLAN ZAMPA 114
LUKE FENHAUS 102
WYATT ALEXANDER 98
RYAN KUHN 90
MAX KAHLER 75
KOLE RAZ 64
BROOKE STORER 35

Zampa                        6 wins, 15 top 5s, 16 top 10s – 22 races
Fenhaus                    3 wins, 15 top 5s, 22 top 10s – 31 races
Alexander                  3 wins, 13 top 5s, 20 top 10s – 21 races
Kuhn                           0 wins, 15 top 5s, 23 top 10s – 26 races
Kahler                        2 wins, 8 top 5s, 11 top 10s – 22 races
Raz                             1 win, 4 top 5s, 9 top 10s – 15 races
Storer                         0 wins, 3 top 5s, 6 top 10s – 10 races

“Dylan was able to accumulate more on-track competition points than Luke this season and that is a great example of how effective and all-encompassing our KDDP points system is,” Roberts said. “Drivers earn competition points based on their best 15 finishes, but levels of competition, car counts and the like are taken in consideration in the board members’ judging points. With drivers competing in various late model divisions all across the country, our voters are sometimes faced with comparing apples to oranges – or Super Late Models in Wisconsin versus Pro Late Models in California – and our system has proven to be extremely functional through the years. That was certainly the case this season.”

Fenhaus becomes the third KDDP champion hailing from the Badger State. He joins Ty Majeski of Seymour, Wisconsin (2015), Alex Prunty of Lomira, Wisconsin (2016), Cody Haskins of Marietta, Georgia (2017), Brett Yackey of Greeley, Colorado (2018) and Jeremy Doss of Upper Lake, California (2019) as the organization’s sixth title winner.

Fenhaus and the other six members of the 2021 KDDP class will be honored during the KDDP’s annual awards banquet set for Thursday, Dec. 9 in the Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Highlighting the activities for the evening (also celebrating what would have been
Alan Kulwicki’s 67th birthday on December 14) will be the presentation of the winner’s check for $54,439 and the special KDDP “Kulwicki Cup” champion’s trophy to Fenhaus. Official media partner, Racing America, powered by Speed51.TV, will offer a live-streaming broadcast of the event free to subscribers.

While the 2021 season is over, drivers can start applying for the 2022 Kulwicki Driver Development Program beginning on Monday, November 29. Please visit www.kulwickiddp.com on or after that date for the application and additional information. All applications are due on Friday, December 31, 2021.

# # #

For additional information on the Kulwicki Driver Development Program, please visit the official website at www.kulwickiddp.com. Follow us on Twitter at @KulwickiDDP and keep up with the organization’s latest news on official media partner Speed51.com (racingamerica.com).

About the KDDP:
The Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) was established in 2014 by the family of late NASCAR Champion Alan Kulwicki for the purpose of helping worthy drivers toward reaching their dreams while at the same time keeping Alan’s memory and legacy alive. The Program provides drivers with financial assistance along with support in publicity, marketing, sponsorship development, industry networking and relationship building. Based in Concord, N.C., the KDDP is a non-profit organization with the mission of playing a significant role in developing the next era of America’s short-track racers while educating new generations about the life, passion and values of the 1992 NASCAR Champion.

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EDDIE GOSSAGE IS KDDP BANQUET FEATURED GUEST SPEAKER
-Former Texas Motor Speedway President Returning To His Roots; Knew Alan Kulwicki Well-

CONCORD, N.C. (November 23, 2021) – Retired Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage, who knew Alan Kulwicki long before the Wisconsin native became a NASCAR champion, returns to his own roots this December as the featured guest speaker for the 2021 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) Awards Banquet in The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Gossage headed the communications department at Charlotte Motor Speedway before moving to Texas to oversee construction of that Speedway Motorsports Inc. track and then the operation of the facility for more than two decades.

The Dec. 9 KDDP banquet is an annual affair, but it had to be suspended last year due to the pandemic. This year’s Thursday night event celebrates its sixth season five days before what would have been Kulwicki’s 67th birthday. It will be broadcast live online by Speed51.TV.

“Alan was absolutely a fascinating individual because of his approach to everything, which was so different than everybody else’s,” Gossage said about the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup champion. “He is proof positive that there’s no standard way to get from A to Z. You can go different routes as long as you keep your sights focused on the goal. I don’t think there’s any question that he believed if you can conceive it, you can achieve it.”

Gossage worked in motorsports management and public relations capacities at Nashville International Raceway and Bristol International Raceway before moving to Miller Brewing Company where he was the firm’s marketing communications supervisor, overseeing public relations for all of Miller’s motorsports programs. It was while residing in Milwaukee that Gossage and Kulwicki, a Greenfield, Wis., resident met.

“Alan and I became friends, probably more socially than professionally,” Gossage recalled. “We would go to dinner in Milwaukee. Alan away from the race track was much different than Alan at the race track or shop. He was a ton of fun. I can remember him standing on a table in a Milwaukee restaurant with his tie around his head.”

Kulwicki possessed no money, but he had a tremendous amount of faith in himself and it was his gutsy endeavors that caused people to want to help him. On at least two occasions, Gossage came to his rescue. The first occurred when Kulwicki traveled from Wisconsin to Charlotte for a race while he was still competing in the Midwest’s American Speed Association.

“He came down to meet people to shake hands and get in front of people and figure out what he was going to do (to move to NASCAR),” Gossage said. “At some point during the weekend he came to me and he said, ‘I don’t have a way home.’ I said, ‘Well, how did you get here without that part of the plan?’ He said, ‘All I could do was to get here.’ Back in those days Piedmont Airlines had a family saver fare. If you were on a full-price ticket, a member of your family could fly one leg for something like 26 bucks.

“I told him we could get him to Chicago on one of those tickets and then we would rent a car and drive from Chicago to Milwaukee, which was a couple of hours. It was different then because you didn’t have to have all of the identification that you do today. So for 26 bucks he was Alan Gossage.”

The other time Gossage came to the determined Kulwicki’s rescue was during Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Media Tour, which was held each January. In the 1980s, Miller Brewing Company had a hospitality suite during the annual event. In January 1986, Kulwicki decided it was time to move to NASCAR. He loaded his ASA trailer with everything he owned and towed it with a borrowed pickup truck from Wisconsin to North Carolina, approximately 860 miles. Upon his arrival in Charlotte, he telephoned Gossage and asked if he could stay in the Miller Brewing Company hospitality suite until he found a place to live.

“So he stayed in the hospitality suite for a few days while he was trying to get himself organized,” Gossage said.

“Race teams bring money in the front door and it goes out the back door. He had enough faith in himself that he was able to make enough come in the front door to be able to go out the back door and go racing. I think a lot of people probably don’t have that amount of faith in themselves.”

By the time Gossage left Miller Brewing Company in March 1989 to oversee Charlotte Motor Speedway’s communications department, Kulwicki already possessed one victory and seven poles with his Concord, N.C.-based team, AK Racing.

“We had breakfast together frequently, but it was only because we would run into each other at this bagel place down by UNC-Charlotte,” Gossage said. “We had breakfast the week he passed away. I always felt like that was the Good Lord letting us have one more visit. We just were friends and the racing stuff just happened to be the business, the industry we were in. I liked him because anybody that’s unusual or unique to me is appealing.”

Official KDDP media partner, Racing America, powered by Speed51.TV, will offer a live-streaming broadcast of the event free to subscribers. Speed 51’s Alan Deitz, the Speed 51 crew and Tom Roberts, KDDP executive director, will emcee the event.

Seventeen-year-old Luke Fenhaus, from Wausau, Wis., is this year’s winner of the KDDP Kulwicki Cup Championship. Fenhaus will receive the unique trophy and a check for $54,439 when he and the other six members of the 2021 KDDP class are honored.

# # #

The Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) Class of 2021 kick off their banquet weekend in Charlotte with a “Happy Holidays’ theme photo! Merry Christmas to one & all!

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LUKE FENHAUS IS ATOP STANDINGS IN BATTLE FOR 2021 KULWICKI CUP
-Wisconsin’s 17-Year-Old Racing Phenom Leads California’s Hard-Charging Dylan Zampa-

CONCORD, N.C. (August 8, 2019) – Luke Fenhaus, a 17-year-old rising racing star from Wausau, Wisconsin, is the early leader in the 2021 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) “Kulwicki Cup” point standings. With three months remaining to determine this year’s champion, Fenhaus leads 17-year-old Napa, California’s Dylan Zampa by 80 points (547 for Fenhaus to Zampa’s 467). The battle for third is tightening up between two of New England’s finest racers as Ellsworth, Maine’s Wyatt Alexander has 389 points to 329 points for Ryan Kuhn from East Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

At of the end of the first reporting period (from April 1 through June 30), here’s how the point standings look:

1st      -           Luke Fenhaus        -                547
2nd     -           Dylan Zampa          -                467
3rd      -          Wyatt Alexander     -                389
4th      -           Ryan Kuhn             -                329
5th      -           Kole Raz                -                277
6th      -           Max Kahler            -                208
7th      -           Brooke Storer        -                100

“When our first reporting period for the 2021 season concluded, it was two of our youngest drivers setting the pace for all of this year’s fantastic finalists,” said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. “Luke started the season off really strong and has been turning heads with his performances in the Midwest, while Dylan is improving every week and making quite a name for himself out on the West Coast.

“During our first five seasons, only once has a driver taken the points lead early and held it all the way to win the KDDP title,” Roberts noted. “Back during the 2015 season, Ty Majeski took the early lead and held on to claim our inaugural Kulwicki Cup crown by 22 points over runner-up Steve Apel.

“Every year since, we’ve had drivers save their best for last and come from behind to claim the Kulwicki Cup,” said Roberts. “During our most recent season back in 2019, Jeremy Doss overcame a 99-point deficit during the final half of the season to claim the title by six points over runner-up Justin Carroll.

“While Luke and Dylan are out front in the early going, I wouldn’t count anyone out just yet, especially those two New England drivers. You also have to consider that twice during our first five seasons, we’ve had drivers at the bottom of our initial standings bounce back to be podium contenders at the end of our seven months of competition.

“During our first 14 weeks of the 2021 KDDP competition, our drivers had won only three races total between them all,” said Roberts. “We’re confident that statistic is going to change drastically during the next few months.”

As of this period’s cutoff date (June 30), the number of races that each driver competed in varied from only four events up to 12. The current 2021 KDDP competition (on-track) points look like this: (points & number of races/wins/top-5s/top-10s)

Ryan Kuhn              -           54        (11/0/7/10)
Wyatt Alexander     -           53        (10/1/6/9)
Luke Fenhaus         -           52        (12/1/6/7)
Dylan Zampa          -           50        (10/1/6/7)
Kole Raz                -           36        (8/0/4/6)
Max Hahler            -           30        (10/0/3/4)
Brooke Storer        -           16        (4/0/2/3)

With input received from all of the voting KDDP board members, Roberts offered these comments on each of the seven 2021 finalists:

Luke Fenhaus: "What can we say about Luke Fenhaus so far this season. He threw down the gauntlet early this year with a strong runner-up finish in the ARCA Midwest Tour opener and has kept the momentum up with great runs at Slinger, the Dells, and his home track of State Park Speedway. His character and his on-track performance have earned him quite a fan following. His social media and community service activities have worked well to reinforce what he’s done on the track.”

Dylan Zampa: "While all of our drivers have been working closely with charities and non-profits in their communities, Dylan has gone the extra mile, making it a part of his weekly schedule. Stepping up to run Pro Late Models in the SRL series has been a welcomed challenge and his results have been consistent. Dylan has picked up a handful of weekly shows at All American Speedway and has a checkered flag to show for it. He has the team and the skill to chase down Luke. In the second half of the season, we’ll see if he can do it."

Wyatt Alexander: "After several years of applying to our program, Wyatt is finally a Kulwicki program finalist and we are so glad to have him. He has had a great season at Beech Ridge this year, picking up a feature win and running in the top five almost every week. We are hopeful he can keep the momentum going and branch out a bit more if his schedule allows. He has several activities planned off the track and we’re looking forward to seeing that unfold on his social media."

Ryan Kuhn: "It is no surprise that Ryan has run well at his home track of Seekonk Speedway. We have been very impressed, though, with what Ryan has done when he steps up to run a Super Late Model with the PASS Series. He turned some heads with two top-10s at Hickory in April and he’s been showing what he can do against some of the best in the business. He has some big shows coming up later this summer and know that he has several things planned for off the track.”

Kole Raz: "Kole has had a solid season running for Sigma Racing in the Spears SRL Southwest Tour…at least when he doesn't get bitten by the bad luck bug. We also appreciate what he has done with the Jefferson team up in the Pacific Northwest. It’s great exposure, not only for him, but also for the KDDP. His efforts working with Ayden's Army of Angels have been tremendously successful. He’s in a tight battle for the 2021 Spears SLM rookie award and we think his breakthrough 2021 win is just around the corner.”

Max Kahler: "Max has had a tough season to date, having been stricken by COVID-19 and missing a handful of races. Stepping up to running a Super Late Model this season has been a challenge and the learning curve has been steep. He has run well in weekly races at Rockford Speedway and is surely looking forward to a more consistent second half of the season. He continues to do a ton of great charity work in his hometown and his work to document it via social media is impressive."

Brooke Storer: "After an amazing 2020, Brooke and her team clearly expected more out of 2021. Unfortunately, bad luck and multiple rainouts have made it difficult for her to pick up any momentum. Had our KDDP program been active last season with Brooke as a finalist, she could very well be the current points leader. The Wheelman Series is one of the toughest…and roughest…racing series around today. Brooke is one of the best qualifiers out there and we are sure that her ‘never-give-up’ approach will lead to more wins anytime now. Her fanbase continues to grow and the work she does with the ‘Pets for Patriots’ cause is exceptional.”

* * *

The KDDP points system is based on a combination of judging input from members of the advisory board and the drivers’ on-track performance. Voters are asked to rank the drivers from first to seventh in their job of representing the organization and points (from 70 for first to 10 for seventh) are awarded for those rankings. Each voter is given 10 discretionary “bonus” points to award the drivers for “exceptional contributions” to the program. Community engagement, program representation and social media activities account for much of those points. The remainder of the points come from actual racing statistics (based on each driver’s best 15 race finishes Race wins award 10 points, with 2nd-5th-place finishes getting 6 points, 6th-10th 4 points, 11th-15th 2 points and 15th-plus 1 point.

The 2021 season marks the sixth full year for the KDDP. The seven drivers receive a one-time stipend of $7,777 to cover operational expenses. The organization works to provide the drivers assistance in important aspects such as publicity, marketing, sponsorship development and industry networking during the season as they compete for the “grand prize.” The Kulwicki Cup winner will pick up an additional check worth seven times the initial award ($7,777 x 7 = $54,439) and a special unique trophy.

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting Speed51.com, the organization’s official media partner.

# # #

2021 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
-Team of Seven KDDP Drivers Racing from Coast to Coast in Representing 1992 NASCAR Champ-

CONCORD, N.C. (March 22, 2021) – Officials of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) announced today the seven drivers who will represent the organization during the 2021 racing season. These young racers will be helping keep the memory and legacy of 1992 NASCAR Cup Champion and Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki alive, while also competing for the rich ($54,439) and prestigious annual Kulwicki Cup Championship. The announcement was made live on today’s edition of “The Bullring” on Speed51.com (Speed51.TV), KDDP’s official media partner.

The drivers range from 16 to 22 years of age and hail from seven different states.

The seven drivers, in alphabetical order with hometowns and Twitter handles, are:

WYATT ALEXANDER, 21, Ellsworth, Maine - @WAlexander_96

After finishing just outside the top seven in the 2019 edition of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program, Alexander seeks to best the incredible success of fellow Mainer Dave Farrington, Jr., in both 2015 and 2016. Working towards earning his engineering degree from the University of Maine, Alexander will compete full-time at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway this season along with other pro and super late model starts in the Northeast. Alexander picked up a Granite State Pro Stock Series victory at Beech Ridge last season.

LUKE FENHAUS, 16, Wausau, Wisconsin - @lukefenhausracing, @luke_fenhaus

A 2019 Kulwicki Driver Development Program finalist, this is the youngster's second year in the program. He was the 2018 super late model track champion at State Park Speedway, and finished a competitive third in the 2020 Slinger Nationals. A high school junior, Fenhaus will again compete full-time with the ARCA Midwest Tour, where he has several career top-five and top-10 finishes. Fenhaus will also make the three-hour trek to the Slinger Speedway every Sunday night to test his mettle against some of the finest weekly super late model warriors in the United States.

MAX KAHLER, 17, Caledonia, Illinois - @max_kahler

As a rookie on the tour, Max Kahler captured the 2020 Big 8 Series championship in the final race of the year at Oktoberfest in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Earlier in the season, he won a Big 8 feature at his home track, Rockford Speedway. A high school junior and starting linebacker on the football team, Kahler scored the biggest victory of his young career, winning the prestigious National Short Track Championship at Rockford last October. In 2021, Kahler will compete in more super late model races, running the full TUNDRA and Alive for Five Series, select starts with the ARCA Midwest Tour and at Slinger Speedway, as well as several races with the Big 8 Series.

RYAN KUHN, 20, East Bridgewater, Massachusetts - @RyanKuhnRacing

The very first Kulwicki Driver Development Program finalist from the Bay State, Ryan Kuhn stormed onto the asphalt late model scene in 2018, winning the track championship at Seekonk Speedway and seeing success throughout the Northeast region in 2019. In 2020, Kuhn scored eight top-10s in nine races in his first full season on the American Canadian Tour (ACT), including a podium finish at Riverside Speedway. Kuhn is also an accomplished sim racer, scoring several victories during the 2020 Rowdy Energy Select Super Series hosted by Speed 51. Kuhn is set to tackle the full PASS North Series this season, as well as ACT races, GSPSS events and select Seekonk races.

KOLE RAZ, 18, Lake Oswego, Oregon - @RazKole

Raz, the two-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Arizona State Champion, makes the "Kulwicki 7" after missing the cut for the 2019 Kulwicki Driver Development Program. In 2020, Raz battled all season with teammate Brandon Farrington, scoring five wins and the track points championship at Tucson Raceway Park. A senior at Lake Oswego High School, Raz is also a talented basketball player. This season, Raz will compete full-time on the Spears SRL Southwest Tour with Sigma Racing and make several starts on his home turf in the Pacific Northwest.

BROOKE STORER, 22, Land O’ Lakes, Florida - @brookestorer9

While 2020 was an abbreviated season for most short track racers, it was a career year for Brooke Storer. Winning five races and scoring eight fast qualifier awards in Florida's ultra-competitive Wheelman Series, Storer established herself as the driver to beat nearly every night. She followed up her success in Florida with an Alabama State Championship in the Pro Truck Division. Storer participated in the 2019 NASCAR Drive for Diversity program. In 2021, Storer plans on running the full Wheelman Series and hopes to make some pro and/or super late model starts as her schedule allows.

DYLAN ZAMPA, 17, Napa, California - @zampa_dylan

The younger brother of former Kulwicki Driver Development Program semifinalist, Logan Zampa, Dylan Zampa made a name for himself in his very first pro late model start in 2019, winning a televised race at Madera Speedway in California. He finished third in series points. While the COVID-19 pandemic hampered his 2020 schedule, Zampa hopes to come back strong in 2021, stepping up to run the full Spears SRL Southwest Tour Pro Late Model Series, and returning to Madera for several NutUp Series races.

* * *

“This was the most difficult assignment that our voting board members have faced since we started our program prior to the 2015 season,” said Tom Roberts, executive director of the KDDP. “With our last year’s edition of the program having to go on hiatus due to the pandemic, we decided that the appropriate thing to do was to make our 2020 semifinalists automatically eligible for that same status this year.

“To be fair and to continue to move forward, we opened up another application period for the 2021 program that concluded the first weekend of January,” Roberts said. “The end result was that we had the most qualified candidates ever who comprised our group of semifinalists. It was difficult enough to select just seven drivers from our 2020 semifinalists. Adding 10 more deserving young racers to that list made selecting our finalists for 2021 such a demanding task.

“I want to salute our incredible board members for their involvement and commitment during the entire evaluation and voting process this time around,” said Roberts. “Not only did they take in consideration the backgrounds of all the applicants, they also were very diligent in reviewing all of the interviews and studying the competition schedules for all of the semifinalists. They realistically could have selected multiple groups of seven finalists who were so deserving and would make fantastic representatives for Alan and our organization.

“I realize that today’s announcement will make our seven special finalists extremely happy and proud, and they certainly should be,” Roberts said. “We urge them to strive to emulate the personal fortitude and dedication that Alan Kulwicki displayed in becoming a NASCAR Champion and Hall of Famer.

“At the same time, this news will also bring disappointment to all the others,” added Roberts. “We hope that every driver who was selected as a semifinalist will consider it as a major honor, especially when they think about the vast number of qualified competitors who applied for our program. We hope that they learned from being a participant in the process and will continue to go forward this season, turning heads along the way. We hope that when the season concludes, they will all be improved racers who will consider applying again for our 2022 program.”

After the COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on last year’s competition, the 2021 season will mark the sixth fully-functioning year for the KDDP, which was established in 2014 by the Kulwicki estate for the purpose of helping worthy drivers toward reaching their dreams while at the same time keeping Alan’s memory and legacy alive.

The seven drivers announced today as members of the 2021 KDDP class will each receive a one-time stipend of $7,777 to cover operational expenses. The organization will provide the drivers assistance in important aspects such as publicity, marketing, sponsorship development and industry networking during the season as they compete for the grand prize “Kulwicki Cup.” That award winner will pick up an additional check worth seven times the initial prize ($7,777 x 7 = $54,439) and a special unique trophy.

Seymour, Wisconsin’s Ty Majeski won the inaugural Kulwicki Cup in 2015, while Lomira, Wisconsin’s Alex Prunty claimed the 2016 title. Marietta, Georgia’s Cody Haskins returned from being a 2016 finalist (finished sixth) to win the 2017 Kulwicki Cup Championship and Greeley, Colorado’s Brett Yackey claimed the title in 2018. Jeremy Doss, from Upper Lake, California, won the 2019 Kulwicki Cup honors.

“We want to say a special thanks to our former KDDP Champions – Ty Majeski, Alex Prunty, Cody Haskins, Brett Yackey and Jeremy Doss – who all continue to provide incredible input and play an integral role in our organization’s activities,” said Roberts. “They will always be such important members of our Kulwicki Team who we are so proud of.”

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting Speed51.com, the organization’s official media partner.

# # #

ADDITIONAL SEMIFINALISTS NAMED FOR 2021 KULWICKI DRIVER PROGRAM
-Seven KDDP Finalists to be Selected from Diverse Group of 25 Promising Young Racers-

CONCORD, N.C. (Feb. 22, 2021) – Officials of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) announced today 10 additional racers that will join the semifinalists for their 2021 program. These 10 drivers will join the 15 competitors who were selected for the 2020 edition of the program, which fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. The end result will see a total of 25 semifinalists vying to be among the seven finalists selected to be among the organization’s sixth class members.

The 10 additional semifinalists for the KDDP for 2021 are (in alphabetical order):

Cameron Bolin, 16, Sharon, South Carolina - @cameronbolin67
- 2020 Greenville-Pickens (SC) Speedway Late Model Stock Car Track Champion
Cooper Bouchard, 22, Hinesburg, Vermont - facebook.com/BouchardMotorsports
- 2020 feature winner at Thunder Road (VT) Speedway
Nick Egan, 24, Lomira, Wisconsin - @nickegan13
- Multiple feature wins at Slinger, Madison, Hawkeye Downs, La Crosse, and Wisconsin Dells
Brandon Farrington, 24, Tucson, Arizona - @B_Farrington25
- Multi-time Super Late Model Track Champion at Tucson (AZ) Raceway Park
Max Kahler, 17, Caledonia, Illinois - @max_kahler
- 2020 Big 8 Series Late Model Champion; 2020 National Short Track Championship Feature Winner
Janson Marchbanks, 17, Anderson, South Carolina - @ut_marchbanks
- 2020 South Carolina 250 feature winner at Florence (SC) Motor Speedway
Becca Monopoli, 31, Lakeland, Florida - @BeccaMonopoli
- 89 feature wins and 17 track championships in various series over the last decade
Ryan Millington, 19, Statesville, North Carolina - @Ryan_M_Racing17
- 3rd place, 2020 NASCAR AAWS National Points; 2-time Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway LMSC Champion
Hunter Wright, 19, Lebanon, Tennessee - @HunterWright29
- 2019 Nashville (TN) Fairgrounds Speedway Rookie of the Year (PLM)
Dylan Zampa, 17, Napa, California - @zampa_dylan
- Won first ever Pro Late Model start at Madera (CA) Speedway in 2019

Those 10 drivers join these 15 racers who were chosen as semifinalists last season before the organization went on hiatus due to the pandemic:

Wyatt Alexander, 21, Ellsworth, Maine - @WAlexander_96
- Granite State Pro Stock feature winner at Beech Ridge (ME); Boss Hogg 100 winner at Wiscasset (ME)
Danny Benedict, 24, Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada - @Dannybenedict54
- 2019 KDDP Finalist, 2018 Provincial NASCAR Whelen All American Series Champion
Jackson Boone, 20, Franklin, Tennessee - @jacksonboone7
- 2019 Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Pro Late Model Champion
RJ Braun, 20, Wales, Wisconsin - @rj_braun
- 2019 Big 8 Rookie of the Year; 2019 Slinger Speedway SLM ROY; 2020 SLM winner at Kaukauna (WI)
Chad Butz, 21, Howard, Wisconsin - @ButzCbr8
- Youngest Super Late Model winner in Norway Speedway (Michigan) history at the age of 15
Luke Fenhaus, 16, Wausau, Wisconsin - @luke_fenhaus
- 2019 KDDP Finalist, 2018 State Park Speedway Champion, 2020 Slinger Nationals Pole Winner
Marcel Gravel, 24, Wolcott, Vermont - @Gravel86Marcel
- 2017 Milk Bowl pole position winner; all-time Thunder Road track record holder
Austin Herzog, 18, Clovis, California - @Austin11Herzog
- 2019 Nut Up Pro Late Model Champion at Madera Speedway
Garrett Huffines, 18, Selah, Washington - @GarrettHuffines
- 2019 Fall Classic winner (Yakima Speedway) & Pro Late Model Track Champion
Ryan Kuhn, 20, East Bridgewater, Massachusetts –
- 2018 Seekonk Speedway Late Model Champion; pole winner, 2020 Milk Bowl at Thunder Road (VT)
Reilly Lanphear, 21, Duxbury, Vermont - @reillylanphear
- Full-time competitor on the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) in 2020
Jacob Nottestad, 19, Cambridge, Wisconsin - @Jnottestad97
- 2x Slinger Speedway Late Model Track Champ; feature winner in first SLM start at Oktoberfest (2020)
Kole Raz, 17, Lake Oswego, Oregon - @RazKole
- 2019 NASCAR Whelen All American Arizona State Champion; 2020 Tucson Speedway Champion
Riley Stenjem, 21, Stoughton, Wisconsin - @77stenjem77
- Won 2 of 3 Late Model features at 2019 Jefferson Speedway Wisconsin State Championships
Brooke Storer, 22, Land O' Lakes, Florida - @brookestorer9
- 7 feature wins in 2020, including with the 5 Wheelman Late Model Series; 150 total feature wins

“We had an incredibly impressive group of competitors who applied during the most recent application period,” said KDDP executive director Tom Roberts. “I applaud our great board members for their diligent work in selecting the 10 additional semifinalists.

“They certainly have a monumental task ahead of them now in selecting our seven finalists from this fantastic group of racers,” Roberts added. “Each and every one of the semifinalists are very deserving and I’m confident that Alan would be proud to have all of them carrying his colors this season.”

The additional semifinalists will be participating in interview sessions with KDDP officials during the next two weeks, with the recordings of last year’s semifinalist interviews also being distributed to the voting board members.

The KDDP board will reconvene during the week of March 8-14 and their final vote will take place shortly after.

The seven 2021 KDDP finalists will be officially announced and interviewed live on the Monday, March 22 edition of Speed51.com’s “The Morning Bullring.”

The seven selected drivers will each receive a one-time stipend of $7,777 to cover operational expenses. The organization will work to provide the drivers assistance in important aspects such as publicity, marketing, sponsorship development and industry networking during the season as they compete for the “grand prize.” The Kulwicki Cup winner will pick up an additional check worth seven times the initial award ($7,777 x 7 = $54,439) and a special unique trophy. Seymour, Wisconsin’s Ty Majeski was the 2015 Kulwicki Cup winner during the inaugural year for the program. Lomira, Wisconsin’s Alex Prunty claimed the 2016 title and Marietta, Georgia's Cody Haskins was the 2017 KDDP Champion. Brett Yackey, from Greeley, Colorado, claimed the 2018 Kulwicki Cup and Upper Lake, California’s Jeremy Doss earned the 2019 crown.

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting Speed51.com, the organization’s official media partner.

# # #

2021 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM APPLICATIONS BEING TAKEN
-Up to 10 Additional Semifinalists Will Be Added to Group of 15 Racers Selected for 2020 Program-

CONCORD, N.C. (December 1, 2020) – The application period for the 2021 edition of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) is now open and has been extended until January 8, 2021. Up to 10 drivers will be added to the 15 semifinalists who were named for last year’s program, which was placed on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Even though we continue to be in a situation faced with so many unknowns as we head into a new year, we’re taking a proactive approach in hopes that our 2021 program can roll off as scheduled,” said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. “Alan Kulwicki was always a positive thinker and we’re following his lead moving forward. With the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines just around the corner, we’re confident that 2021 can offer a major turnaround for racing, the sports world and life in general.

“This year has been such a difficult challenge to navigate for racing everywhere and I applaud competitors, promoters and track owners alike for being able to provide fans with fantastic competition in the areas where facilities could operate,” said Roberts. “We are really looking forward to getting the sixth season of our program underway, hopefully as scheduled on April 1.”

The 2020 program saw 15 semifinalists being selected and named on March 2, with individual interviews completed on March 12. With the pandemic impacting the country with a fervor, the KDDP board members chose to not go forward in selecting seven finalists for 2020. When it was clear that the program could not operate up to even minimum standards, the board members officially pulled the plug for the year on June 4.

“I applaud our fantastic group of board members for doing everything possible to have a program up and running this year,” said Roberts. “They were committed to making sure that if we had a program, it could offer a level playing field and live up to the tremendous reputation it had earned during our first five years.

“With the board opting to not go forward and select seven finalists from the group of 15 semifinalists, they felt the appropriate thing to do was award those drivers selected this year with automatic semifinalist status for our 2021 program. The end result will see us selecting our seven finalists for the 2021 program from up to a maximum total of 25 promising young racers.”

The 15 KDDP semifinalists for 2020 included, in alphabetical order: (Twitter & Highlights)

Wyatt Alexander, 20, Ellsworth, Maine - @WAlexander_96

Youngest ever champion of Wiscasset Speedway’s Boss Hogg 100

Danny Benedict, 23, Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada - @Dannybenedict54

2019 KDDP Finalist, 2018 Provincial NASCAR Whelen All American Series Champion

Jackson Boone, 19, Franklin, Tennessee - @jacksonboone7

2019 Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Pro Late Model Champion

RJ Braun, 19, Wales, Wisconsin -

2019 Big 8 Rookie of the Year, 2019 Slinger Speedway SLM Rookie of the Year

Chad Butz, 20, Howard, Wisconsin - @ButzCbr8

Youngest Super Late Model winner in Norway Speedway (Michigan) history at the age of 15

Luke Fenhaus, 15, Wausau, Wisconsin - @luke_fenhaus

2019 KDDP Finalist, 2018 State Park Speedway SLM track champion, five feature victories

Marcel Gravel, 23, Wolcott, Vermont - @Gravel86Marcel

2017 Milk Bowl pole position winner & all time Thunder Road track record holder

Austin Herzog, 17, Clovis, California - @Austin11Herzog

2019 Nut Up Pro Late Model Champion at Madera Speedway

Garrett Huffines, 18, Selah, Washington - @GarrettHuffines

2019 Fall Classic winner (Yakima Speedway) & Pro Late Model track champion

Ryan Kuhn, 20, East Bridgewater, Massachusetts –

2018 Seekonk Speedway Late Model Champion

Reilly Lanphear, 20, Duxbury, Vermont - @reillylanphear

Going full time on American Canadian Tour after racing Late Models at Thunder Road

Jacob Nottestad, 18, Cambridge, Wisconsin - @Jnottestad97

2019 Late Model Track Champion at Slinger Speedway with 9 feature wins and 9 fast times

Kole Raz, 16, Lake Oswego, Oregon - @RazKole

2019 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Arizona State Champion

Riley Stenjem, 19, Stoughton, Wisconsin - @77stenjem77

Won 2 of 3 Late Model features at 2019 Jefferson Speedway Wisconsin State Championships

Brooke Storer, 21, Land O' Lakes, Florida - @brookestorer9

2018 Auburndale Speedway Sportsman Champion, two Wheel Man Racing Series feature wins

Racers who would like to apply for the 2021 Kulwicki program and join those 15 semifinalists can do so by visiting the organization’s website at www.KulwickiDDP.com and following the directions.

Immediately after the January 8 deadline, the KDDP staff will formulate a presentation of the applications received for the board members to review. They will interview and select up to 10 additional competitors who will join the 15 from last season as semifinalists for the 2021 program.

The additional drivers who are chosen will be announced live on Speed51.com’s “The Morning Bullring” in early February. The board will then select seven competitors from the huge group of semifinalists who will compete for the rich and prestigious 2021 Kulwicki Cup. Those seven drivers will be named and interviewed live on the Monday, March 15 edition of Speed51.com’s “The Morning Bullring.”

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting Speed51.com, the organization’s official media partner.

# # #

Download and print 2021 Application

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2020 KDDP SEASON CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
-Semifinalists from 2020 to Receive Bye for 2021 Kulwicki Driver Development Program-

CONCORD, N.C. (June 4, 2020) – Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) officials have announced that the 2020 program has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of this year’s semifinalists will receive a “bye” to become one of 25 semifinalists for the 2021 program.

“We’re extremely disappointed to announce that our 2020 KDDP season has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Tom Roberts, the organization’s executive director. “Our advisory board members held on as long as possible, hoping for the best. When it became evident that we couldn’t execute a program that would match the standards we have set over the last five years, we decided it was best to scrap our efforts for this year and focus on 2021.”

The number “7” is the basis for all facets of the KDDP, including the number of participants, the stipends provided its finalists ($7,777), the prestigious Kulwicki Cup grand prize award (7 x $7,777), the number of board members and the length of the annual competition (seven months).

“In an effort to support continuity for our program, the board considered a condensed season,” Roberts said. “But when it was apparent that even a majority of our customary competition timespan couldn’t occur, it was just not feasible to go forward with the program this year.

“While it has been promising to see some tracks open in a few areas across the country, our program continues to be one that is all-encompassing. Our 2020 program semifinalists represented nine different states and one Canadian province. When racing would return everywhere and there could be a level playing field for all involved is a question that can’t be answered at this time.

“Through the efforts of many, we have seen the KDDP grow to be the most recognized and respected driver development program in North America today,” said Roberts. “Alan Kulwicki was never one who was content in getting anything half-done throughout his amazing career and that fact certainly entered the equation in making our decision.”

While there will be no battle for the prestigious Kulwicki Cup Championship this season, the 15 semifinalists for the 2020 program will have “one leg up” heading into the 2021 edition of the program.

“The support and patience displayed by this year’s semifinalists has been amazing and so greatly appreciated,” Roberts said. “It has truly been a ‘we’re all in this together’ atmosphere for the last several months as we monitored the situation and hoped for the best.

“We felt like it was appropriate to show our gratitude to this group in some manner. It was decided that all of our semifinalists for 2020 – provided they still fit the criteria and requirements for eligibility – will draw a bye and automatically be grandfathered in as semifinalists for our 2021 program.”

The format for next year’s edition of the Kulwicki Program will see a total of 25 semifinalists that will vie to be one of the seven finalists competing for the 2021 Kulwicki Cup. The group will consist of the semifinalists from this year who retain eligibility, with the remainder coming from applicants selected by board members next February.

The entire roster of 2021 semifinalists will be announced during the final week of February 2021, with the seven finalists named on Monday, March 15, 2021.

Applications for the 2021 Kulwicki Driver Development Program will be available by mid-November (at http://www.kulwickiddp.com/) with the deadline to apply on December 31.

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting Speed51.com, the organization’s official media partner.

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KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM CONTINUES “ON HOLD” STATUS
-Officials Closely Monitoring Situation; Next KDDP Update Scheduled for Final Week of May-

CONCORD, N.C. (April 29, 2020) – Kulwicki Driver Development Program officials announced the continuation of the “on hold” status for their 2020 edition of the program through the month of May.

“We’ve seen some progress over the last month as our nation continues its battle against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. “We think the next six weeks will be crucial in giving us insight as to whether having a program this year will be possible. We will continue to have all aspects of the program on hold, including the selection of our seven finalists.

“During the conference calls with our advisory board members, we’ve explored all the scenarios we may be facing, including what could be an abbreviated battle for the prestigious Kulwicki Cup,” said Roberts. “With all facets of our program revolving around the number 7, including what has been seven months of competition each year so far, we continue to discuss the feasibility of a shortened competition.

“We’ve worked hard to make the KDDP the preeminent driver development program in North America and will monitor the situation throughout the month of May,” Roberts said. “We’re hoping everything continues to improve and everyone can get back to racing soon.

“I’m confident that our organization will be prepared to move forward quickly when that opportunity comes,” said Roberts. “In the meantime, we urge all short track racers to continue to be understanding, positive and optimistic in all of their social media activities as we all go through this together.”

The 2020 battle for the rich and prestigious Kulwicki Cup is the sixth edition of the contest that honors 1992 NASCAR Champion and Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki.

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting Speed51.com, the organization’s official media partner.

# # #

ALL ASPECTS OF 2020 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PUT ON HOLD
-Seven Finalists Named at Later Date; Next KDDP Update Scheduled for Final Week of April-

CONCORD, N.C. (March 26, 2020) – Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) officials announced today that all aspects of the 2020 edition of the battle for the prestigious Kulwicki Cup have been put on hold. This includes the naming of the seven finalists who will vie for the championship during the sixth edition of the contest that honors 1992 NASCAR Champion and Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki.

“After meeting with our advisory board members late yesterday afternoon, we have decided to put everything on hold for now,” said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. “This includes the voting on our seven finalists who will represent Alan Kulwicki and our organization when we are able to return to a stable racing environment. We will have our next scheduled official update during the final week of April.

“Voting for the seven finalists and naming them would be an action initiating some form of obligation, not only from the KDDP to the drivers selected, but also from those drivers to our organization,” Roberts said. “At this time, with the vast quantity of unknowns everyone is facing, we feel it is in everyone’s best interest to not go in that direction.

“While I won’t speculate on when our final vote will take place, we’re committed to make sure that all of the semifinalists receive the exact same level of consideration,” Roberts said. “We were extremely fortunate to be able to complete all of the interviews with the 15 semifinalists before the shutdown everywhere began.

“While the tools necessary in allowing our board members the opportunity to review the interviews were slow coming, we expect to have MP3 recordings of all of them in the near future. That fact will play a crucial role in being able to complete the process quickly when the timing is right to move forward.

“While I know the suspense has been building as to who our seven drivers will be, I’m asking for understanding, patience and support from everyone at this time,” said Roberts. “Rest assured that we will be focused on our finalists being named in plenty of time to gear up for our next Kulwicki Cup competition.

“These are unprecedented times in the world of motorsports and sports in general,” Roberts said. “We all are so eager to get back out there competing on the short tracks across North America and hope that day is coming soon.

“Our program is very unique in that the contest for the Kulwicki Cup is staged both on and off the track. Getting back to where the drivers and teams can return to the speedways to wage battle in all areas is the first hurdle we face. Then, another one of the major facets our organization must consider is the community service aspect. With ‘social distancing’ being mandatory for safety at this time, the impossible question to answer is when it will be appropriate for our competitors to engage with the public in their activities outside the racing venues.

“We feel very confident that we’ll have a much better handle on what we’re facing at this time next month,” said Roberts. “Our organization will be meeting on several occasions to discuss the many scenarios that we could be faced with relative to this edition of our program. We will also continue our efforts to have all of our operational supplies such as decals, patches, hats and other items ready when we can get everything rolling again. I can assure you that we will be fully prepared to act expeditiously.

“In the meantime, we are urging all of this year’s semifinalists to be positive and optimistic in their social media activities,” Roberts said. “We are all in this together and we’re confident that our sport will bounce back bigger and better than ever.”

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting Speed51.com, the organization’s official media partner.

# # #

2020 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SEMIFINALISTS NAMED
-Team of Seven KDDP Drivers Competing for 2020 Kulwicki Cup Will Come from Group of 15 Racers-

CONCORD, N.C. (March 2, 2020) – The seven drivers who will represent the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) for the 2020 racing season will come from a diverse group of 15 semifinalists that were announced on this morning’s edition of Speed51.com’s “The Morning Bullring.” The drivers range in age from 15 to 23 years of age and represent nine different states and one Canadian province.

“The process to select our 2020 KDDP driver lineup has already required some extremely difficult choices by our advisory board members,” said KDDP executive director Tom Roberts. “There were more than 30 different drivers who received votes during the initial round of judging and the board did a fantastic job in narrowing it down to 15 semifinalists. They certainly face an incredible task in selecting just seven drivers out of this group to carry the KDDP colors and compete for the Kulwicki Cup this season.

“The desire to be a KDDP driver continues to grow in the short track racing world each year and I think this distinct group of semifinalists certainly reflects that,” Roberts said. “The quantity of applicants for our 2020 program was very impressive, but it was the quality of competitors who applied that was most striking to me. We had numerous track and series champions among those who didn’t make our semifinalist list this time around.

“Our board members did an absolutely incredible job in choosing these 15 semifinalists,” said Roberts. “I would have welcomed any of the applicants that the board considered into the group. While they were able to narrow it down to these 15 drivers, there were at least another 30 who would have been quality candidates for the seven finalist spots for our 2020 program.”

The 15 KDDP semifinalists for 2020 include, in alphabetical order: (Twitter & Highlights)

Wyatt Alexander, 20, Ellsworth, Maine - @WAlexander_96
Youngest ever champion of Wiscasset Speedway’s Boss Hogg 100
Danny Benedict, 23, Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada - @Dannybenedict54
2019 KDDP Finalist, 2018 Provincial NASCAR Whelen All American Series Champion
Jackson Boone, 19, Franklin, Tennessee - @jacksonboone7
2019 Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Pro Late Model Champion
RJ Braun, 19, Wales, Wisconsin -
2019 Big 8 Rookie of the Year, 2019 Slinger Speedway SLM Rookie of the Year
Chad Butz, 20, Howard, Wisconsin - @ButzCbr8
Youngest Super Late Model winner in Norway Speedway (Michigan) history at the age of 15
Luke Fenhaus, 15, Wausau, Wisconsin - @luke_fenhaus
2019 KDDP Finalist, 2018 State Park Speedway SLM track champion, five feature victories
Marcel Gravel, 23, Wolcott, Vermont - @Gravel86Marcel
2017 Milk Bowl pole position winner & all time Thunder Road track record holder
Austin Herzog, 17, Clovis, California - @Austin11Herzog
2019 Nut Up Pro Late Model Champion at Madera Speedway
Garrett Huffines, 18, Selah, Washington - @GarrettHuffines
2019 Fall Classic winner (Yakima Speedway) & Pro Late Model track champion
Ryan Kuhn, 20, East Bridgewater, Massachusetts –
2018 Seekonk Speedway Late Model Champion
Reilly Lanphear, 20, Duxbury, Vermont - @reillylanphear
Going full time on American Canadian Tour after racing Late Models at Thunder Road
Jacob Nottestad, 18, Cambridge, Wisconsin - @Jnottestad97
2019 Late Model Track Champion at Slinger Speedway with 9 feature wins and 9 fast times
Kole Raz, 16, Lake Oswego, Oregon - @RazKole
2019 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Arizona State Champion
Riley Stenjem, 19, Stoughton, Wisconsin - @77stenjem77
Won 2 of 3 Late Model features at 2019 Jefferson Speedway Wisconsin State Championships
Brooke Storer, 21, Land O' Lakes, Florida - @brookestorer9
2018 Auburndale Speedway Sportsman Champion, two Wheel Man Racing Series feature wins

“While I’m certain that all 15 of these young racers are thrilled to be among our semifinalists, I want to extend a special message to all of the other applicants who were not selected,” said Roberts. “Keep honing your skills on and off the track, keep chasing those checkered flags and please consider applying again for the 2021 edition of our program.

“With only seven of these 15 semifinalists advancing to be a finalist this season, that is the exact same message I’ll be giving the eight drivers who don’t make it this year. Just having the distinction of being a KDDP semifinalist is truly an accomplishment in itself and something to be very proud of.

“The next step in the process to determine the 2020 KDDP class will be the interview sessions the board members will be having with each of the semifinalists,” said Roberts. “While our board will be getting to know all the semifinalists better, we encourage everyone to follow these 15 young racers on Twitter and other social media platforms. They are all outstanding young racers who have already accomplished a great deal in their brief careers.”

Driver interviews will take place from March 10 through March 12. After a final review and vote by the advisory board, the 2020 KDDP team of seven drivers is expected to be announced live on the Monday, March 30 edition of Speed51.com’s “The Morning Bullring.”

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting Speed51.com, the organization’s official media partner.

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JEREMY DOSS CLAIMS 2019 "KULWICKI CUP" CHAMPIONSHIP
-Promising Young California Driver Comes on Strong in Final Two Months of Annual Competition-

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 14, 2019) – After recording a stunning finish to a spectacular season, Upper Lake, California's Jeremy Doss has claimed the 2019 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) Kulwicki Cup Championship. The hard-charging 22-year-old secondgeneration racer posted three wins during the final month of competition, including an impressive $10,000-to-win victory in the October 5 Nut Up 150-lap Short Track Shootout at Madera Speedway.

Coupling strong on-track finishes with diligent community service work and impactful social media activities lifted Doss to the top of the standings after last week's final vote.

The final 2019 KDDP "Kulwicki Cup" point standings look like this:

1) – Jeremy Doss – 1,233
2) – Justin Carroll – 1,227
3) – Derek Griffith -- 916
4) – Luke Fenhaus -- 750
5) – Danny Benedict -- 649
6) – Carson Kvapil -- 335
7) – Paul Shafer Jr. -- 249

"Both Jeremy and Justin Carroll were so incredible this year and our voters were faced with judging the closest competition in our program's history during their final evaluations," said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. "All of our voters were quick to recognize the blockbuster job both drivers did in representing Alan and our organization in their off-track undertakings. I was personally touched by the unique and effective measures utilized to educate a new generation about who Alan was and what he stood for. Their off-track activities were so impressive and they truly did make a difference in their communities.

"Season-long on-track performance was a major factor during the final voting," Roberts said. "I applaud both drivers and their teams for attempting to race as many times and at as many tracks as they could. They both were determined to proudly carry our colors and spread the Kulwicki legacy as much as possible this season.

"Jeremy came off a successful 2018 season running the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series, where he won three races and the points championship," said Roberts. "He won again at All American Speedway in Roseville, California, on April 14 in SRL competition, before transitioning over to the Pro Late Models. He debuted his flashy black No. 75 race car in winning fashion on June 15 on the Roseville one-third-mile oval. During the summer months, Jeremy and the striking winning car he named 'Bonnie' became the most formidable duo on California short tracks in many years. For the season, Jeremy posted wins in an incredible 57 percent of his races (12 wins in 21 outings) during the 2019 KDDP competition and mentored three other young racers along the way.

"Justin was so impressive in his overall presence both on and off the track this season," Roberts said. "He learned so much by being in our program during the 2018 season and really turned heads this year. Folks will forever remember the beautiful Hall of Fame tribute car he ran first in the CARS Tour Throwback 276 at Hickory Motor Speedway. Running at new tracks and competing in 10 more races than he did last season (competed in 32 races from April 1 through October 31 this year), Justin came home the winner in 25 percent of his events. His valiant effort in the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway, where he fought back from adversity to post a solid seventh-place finish, was representative of his never-quit demeanor that he displayed the entire season.

"Jeremy was a participant in our program back in 2016 and he finished fourth in the competition that season," said Roberts. "Justin finished third in our 2018 final standings. It was so admirable to see the improvement both of these young drivers made this season. The way that they both ramped up their program involvement was so outstanding and we'll always have so much respect for them. In the end, Jeremy received more first-place votes and scored more competition points.

"Derek Griffith came on so strong in the final few months of the season," Roberts said. "He finished sixth in the program last year and came back to finish a strong third in the standings this year. While he increased his off-track activities substantially this season, his on-track improvement and overall performance was so striking. Derek posted three times the number of victories this year (six in 2019 versus two in 2018). Most impressive was his stirring performances on the challenging Oxford Plains Speedway. After posting an impressive runnerup finish in the prestigious Oxford 250 in August, Derek recorded his breakthrough win on the three-eighths-mile oval on September 15.

"Luke Fenhaus finished fourth in our KDDP competition this year and he turned so many heads along the way," said Roberts. "He caught the attention of so many fans and racing insiders as a member of our 2019 team of drivers. He's only 15 years old and already has a Super Late Model track championship (State Park Speedway in Wausau, Wisconsin) under his belt. His performances at Slinger Speedway, where Alan cut his racing teeth, were remarkable this season. He has already been pegged as a future star in our sport and it's going to be fun watching his progress in the next couple of seasons.

"Danny Benedict's young career continued on an upward trend during the 2019 season and his contributions to our program were so appreciated," Roberts said. "He continued his winning ways at Sunset Speedway and turned on some very excited Canadian fans to the Polish Victory
Lap. His foray into the tough APC Late Model Series this season was so impressive. At the end of the year, everyone certainly knew who Danny was and respected his talent and competitive spirt.

"Carson Kvapil's season was hampered by not getting to compete in as many Super Late Model races as he'd anticipated," said Roberts. "While he continued to be a terror in Outlaw Kart competition, he also showed so much potential in the late model races he ran. He and his dad were able to acquire a car from Toby Nuttleman's team late in the season and had some solid performances down the stretch.

"Pauly Shafer would definitely get our 'hard luck award' if we gave one," Roberts said. "He was able to score a huge victory in September's Tony Bettenhausen Classic 100 at Grundy County Speedway, but the adversity he encountered most of the season was pretty mind-boggling. Pauly graduated from college back in the spring and has taken on a huge role in the family business. His ability to balance the demands on his time was extremely commendable."

The 2019 seven-driver KDDP team combined for 31 wins and 83 top-five finishes during the seven months of competition.

Doss becomes the second KDDP champion hailing from west of the Mississippi River. He joins Ty Majeski of Seymour, Wisconsin (2015), Alex Prunty of Lomira, Wisconsin (2016), Cody Haskins of Marietta, Georgia (2017) and Brett Yackey of Greeley, Colorado (2018) as the organization's fifth title winner.

Doss and the other six members of the 2019 KDDP class will be honored during the KDDP's annual banquet set for Thursday, Dec. 12 in the Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Highlighting the activities for the evening (two days prior to what would have been Alan Kulwicki's 65th birthday) will be the presentation of the winner's check for $54,439 and the special KDDP "Kulwicki Cup" champion's trophy to Doss. Kenny Wallace, renowned racer, broadcaster and motorsports personality, will serve as the featured speaker. Official media partner Speed51.com will offer a free live-streaming broadcast of the event.

While the 2019 season is over, drivers can start applying for the 2020 Kulwicki Driver Development Program beginning on Monday, November 25. Please visit www.kulwickiddp.com on or after that date for the application and additional information. All applications are due on December 31, 2019.

# # #

For additional information on the Kulwicki Driver Development Program, please visit the official website at www.kulwickiddp.com. Follow us on Twitter at @KulwickiDDP and keep up with the organization's latest news on official media partner Speed51.com.

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KENNY WALLACE IS FEATURED SPEAKER FOR 2019 KDDP BANQUET
-Event Set for December 12 Fetes Drivers & Namesake Kulwicki; Features Live Speed51 Coverage -

CONCORD, N.C. (November 6, 2019) – Kenny Wallace, renowned racer, broadcaster and motorsports personality, will serve as the featured speaker for the 2019 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) Awards Banquet on Thursday, December 12. The annual affair, which will celebrate the organization’s fifth season and what would have been Alan Kulwicki’s 65th birthday, will be held in The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway and feature a live streaming broadcast on Speed51.com.

“It’ll be an honor and pleasure to come and speak to the organization that continues Alan Kulwicki’s legacy today,” Wallace said. “I am really looking forward to it.”

“I was offered a job by Alan before I became a race car driver,” Wallace said. “I got to know him very well when I was a crew member for my brother Rusty. Later I became a race car driver and raced against Alan, so I got to know him in a lot of different ways.

“Alan had a brilliant mind and was a great race car driver,” added Wallace. “He was ahead of his time. After a race in Dover I asked Alan why he was so tired. The answer he gave me told me everything I needed to know. Alan said to me he was tired because he gave it everything he had in the 400-lap race. It made me question myself if I gave it everything I had. He could do everything on his own and that is what I admired most about Alan. He was on an island by himself and we all learned a lot from him.”

Wallace, a St. Louis native, is the youngest of the three-brother second-generation racers born to Russ and Judy Wallace. He earned his nickname, "Herman," early in life when local Lake Hill Speedway promoter Bob Mueller made note of Wallace's boisterous behavior when taking up for his father (a champion racer in his own right), likening him to the mischievous cartoon character “Herman the German.”

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BATTLE FOR 2019 KULWICKI CUP GOING DOWN TO THE WIRE
-Final Few Weeks Will Determine This Year's KDDP Champion in Closest Contest Ever-

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 11, 2019) – In what is shaping up to be the closest battle in the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) history, the month of October will determine the winner of the rich and prestigious Kulwicki Cup Championship for 2019. After two of three judging/voting periods, Concord, North Carolina's Justin Carroll leads Upper Lake, California's Jeremy Doss by eight points (1,043-1,035).

As of the end of the second reporting period on September 30, here's how the point standings look:

1st - Justin Carroll - 1,043 2nd - Jeremy Doss - 1,035 3rd - Derek Griffith - 813 4th - Luke Fenhaus - 697 5th - Danny Benedict - 565 6th - Carson Kvapil - 262 7th - Paul Shafer Jr. - 248

With only the month of October remaining to be considered in the battle for the 2019 Kulwicki Cup Championship, both on-track and off-track activities are more important than ever in the five-year history of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program.

"This one is definitely going down to the wire," said Tom Roberts, who heads the KDDP organization. "The old adage of it's not over till it's over is certainly the case here. When Brett Yackey led Justin Mondeik by only 42 points entering the final month last year, I figured there was no way it could be closer. Man, was I ever mistaken!

"Justin Carroll was in our program last year and he learned so much about what it takes to win the Kulwicki Cup," Roberts said. "When he came out so strong at the beginning of the year, it really didn't surprise me that he had a good lead in the first standings (through July 15). Jeremy Doss was a KDDP driver back in 2016 and it took him a few months to really get rolling.

"What was so evident to me during the latest standings is how much value our voters put in on-track performance and quality wins," said Roberts. "They inquired about strength of starting fields, number of cars and quality of competition. I feel like all of that information is so important in a competition such as ours. We are so fortunate to have special smart phone racing apps which provide us that data.

"With that in mind, it was no surprise to see Derek Griffith on such an upward climb in our points," Roberts said. "Derek got on a winning streak in the tough PASS North competition and really beefed up his off-track activities. The latest standings certainly reflect that.

"Not only have our drivers been getting the job done on the track this season, their community service activities have been extremely impressive," said Roberts. "Their methods of paying tribute to Alan have been so unique and well appreciated and the manner in which they reinforce those activities with social media has been exceptional.

"While it looks like Justin, Jeremy and Derek have separated themselves from the others, it will be very interesting to see what Luke Fenhaus, Danny Benedict, Pauly Shafer and Carson Kvapil have up their sleeves for the final weeks. I'm sure they'll continue to be active out there in gaining attention to our program, while also increasing their points in our final standings."

As of this period's cutoff date (September 30), only Paul Shafer, Jr. and Carson Kvapil have competed in less than 15 races (although both topped that number this past weekend at Oktoberfest). The current 2019 KDDP competition (on-track) points look like this: (points & number of races/wins/top-5s/top-10s)

Jeremy Doss - 126 (18/9/17/18)
Justin Carroll - 114 (28/6/16/20)
Derek Griffith - 97 (19/5/11/13)
Danny Benedict - 94 (25/2/13/20)
Luke Fenhaus - 90 (22/2/11/16)
Paul Shafer, Jr. - 46 (14/1/3/7)
Carson Kvapil - 38 (14/0/3/6)

The KDDP points system is based on a combination of judging input from members of the advisory board and the drivers' on-track performance. Voters are asked to rank the drivers from first to seventh in their job of representing the organization and points (from 70 for first to 10 for seventh) are awarded for those rankings. Each voter is given 10 discretionary "bonus" points to award the drivers for "exceptional contributions" to the program. Community engagement, program representation and social media activities account for much of those points. The remainder of the points come from actual racing statistics (based on each driver's best 15 race finishes Race wins award 10 points, with 2nd-5th-place finishes getting 6 points, 6th-10th 4 points, 11th-15th 2 points and 15th-plus 1 point.

During the annual competition, two regular season rounds of judging points are averaged (however, bonus points continue to accrue) and added to a final round of voters' judging points. The overall competition points (maximum 150 points for 15 wins) are applied and the driver with the largest points total will be the Kulwicki Cup Champion.

When the KDDP Advisory Board members reconvene early next month, they will cast their final votes which will award one of these 2019 drivers a check for $54,439 and the unique and prestigious Kulwicki Cup champion's trophy that goes with it. They will join the illustrious list of KDDP champions which also includes Ty Majeski (inaugural 2015 season), Alex Prunty (2016), Cody Haskins (2017) and Brett Yackey (2018).

"I want to extend a special thanks to all of our KDDP board members for continuing to do such an exemplary job during the voting process," said Roberts. "They continue to be totally professional in their evaluations and I have so much personal respect for all of them. I also want to give a ton of credit to all of our former champions for their input and valuable insight.

"The final few weeks of our competition this season promise to be the most exciting in our program's history," Roberts said. "These drivers are outstanding when it comes to representing our program and no matter who comes out on top, we're guaranteed to have a fantastic champion.

"All of the drivers have been so supportive of each other throughout the season and their camaraderie has been so impressive," added Roberts. "They are all winners on and off the track. We're really looking forward to getting them all together in Charlotte in December for our annual KDDP awards banquet and celebrate what would have been Alan's 65th birthday."

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The 2019 season marks the fifth full year for the KDDP. The seven drivers receive a one-time stipend of $7,777 to cover operational expenses. The organization works to provide the drivers assistance in important aspects such as publicity, marketing, sponsorship development and industry networking during the season as they compete for the "grand prize." The Kulwicki Cup winner will pick up an additional check worth seven times the initial award ($7,777 x 7 = $54,439) and a special unique trophy.

The Kulwicki Cup competition runs from April 1 through October 31. The final voting is targeted for the first week in November, with the 2019 KDDP "Kulwicki Cup" Champion expected to be announced on Thursday, November 14. The champion and all the other competitors will be honored at the organization's annual awards banquet, scheduled for Thursday, December 12, in The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The KDDP urges you to keep up with all of its news and activities by regularly visiting Speed51.com, the organization's official media partner.

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KDDP DRIVERS PRESENT & PAST READYING FOR SUNDAY'S OXFORD 250 -Derek Griffith, Cole Butcher & Dave Farrington All Dreaming of Victory in Prestigious Race-

OXFORD, Maine (August 22, 2019) – It's the big one in New England. It is the Super Late Model race that is discussed all season long. Its history and prominence are so great that racers all across North America simply refer to it as "The 250." Entering this weekend's 46th edition of the Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway, the race's "prestige factor" continues to grow. Celebrating the victory after 250 laps on the 3/8ths-mile egg-shaped oval in Oxford, Maine, is more coveted than ever.

"I try to keep my emotions in check in everything I do, especially when I'm at the race track," said Hudson, New Hampshire, racer Derek Griffith, a second-year member of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program. "But to tell you the truth, I know I'll cry if I can win it. It would mean so much to me and my team. It would be a dream come true.

"I know the tears would come because that track has beat me up so much through the years," continued Griffith. "Since I came over to the PASS Series (Pro All Stars Series) on a full-time basis, I've logged more laps on that track than anywhere, but I've had the worst luck there than any place we race.

"I must have raced there about 30 times overall, but this will be only my fourth 250," Griffith added. "Through the years, we've had fast race cars there, but never had the luck we needed."

For Griffith, the 22-year-old hard charger who has three PASS North SLM victories and is fourth in points, he feels like the timing couldn't be better to pull out of his garage and make the 2½-hour haul up the road to Oxford.

"I'm really happy to be going back there this weekend with the way we've been running lately," said Griffith, who is tied for third in the most recent 2019 Kulwicki Cup point standings, after finishing sixth in last year's KDDP competition. "We have picked up so much and made so many gains over the last few times we've raced there.

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JUSTIN CARROLL IS EARLY LEADER IN 2019 KDDP POINT STANDINGS
-Jeremy Doss Getting Into His Groove & Tight Battle for Third in Battle for Prestigious Kulwicki Cup-

CONCORD, N.C. (August 8, 2019) – Justin Carroll, a 23-year-old rising racing star from Concord, North Carolina, is the early leader in the 2019 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) “Kulwicki Cup” point standings. With three months remaining to determine this year’s champion, Carroll leads 22-year-old Upper Lake, California’s Jeremy Doss by 99 points (563 for Carroll to Doss’s 464). The battle for third is a tight one, with 22-year-old Hudson, New Hampshire’s Derek Griffith holding a one-point lead over Luke Fenhaus, a 15-year-old racer from Wausau, Wisconsin (374 points for Griffith to 373 for Fenhaus).

Here are the current Kulwicki Driver Development (KDDP) point standings: (as of 7/15/19)

1st          -              Justin Carroll      -              563
2nd        -              Jeremy Doss      -              464
3rd         -              Derek Griffith    -              374
4th         -              Luke Fenhaus    -              373
5th         -              Danny Benedict -              290
6th         -              Carson Kvapil     -            158
7th         -              Paul Shafer, Jr. - 91

“Although it’s really way too early to predict the outcome of this year’s battle for the Kulwicki Cup, it shouldn’t be too surprising to see Justin and Jeremy battling it out for the lead at this point in the season,” said Tom Roberts, the KDDP’s organizational leader. “Both of these young drivers are in our program for their second year, with Justin finishing fourth in the points last season and Jeremy finishing fourth back in 2016.

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PAUL SHAFER JR. FOCUSED ON WINNING ARCA MIDWEST TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP
-Like Alan Kulwicki, 2019 KDDP Driver “Pauly” Shafer Known As An Unconventional & Atypical Racer-
(NOTE: SPECIAL PAUL SHAFER JR. Q & A FOLLOWS THE RELEASE)

CONCORD, N.C. (May 1, 2019) – Just like NASCAR Champion and Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki did three decades ago, 2019 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) competitor Paul Shafer Jr. marches to the beat of a different drummer.

Kulwicki was labeled as quirky, unique and unorthodox. Those adjectives also suit Shafer perfectly. Off the track, Kulwicki was known to be the life of the party. The same can definitely be said about Shafer. However, at the speedway and on the track, Kulwicki was meticulous with details, hands-on with execution and driven to succeed. That is also the case for the rising young racing star affectionately known in the motorsports world simply as “Pauly.”

“Any comparisons to Alan Kulwicki that I receive are considered as ultimate compliments,” said the soft-spoken, yet hard-charging 22-year-old racer from Portage, Indiana. “I’m so proud to be wearing his KDDP colors this season and we can’t wait to get back out on the race track.”

Just as Kulwicki was successful in mixing his early racing career with the pursuit of a college degree (received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 1977), Shafer has followed a similar path. He is set to get his accounting degree from the Valparaiso University College of Business on May 19.

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2019 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
-Team of Seven KDDP Drivers Racing from Coast to Coast in Representing 1992 NASCAR Champ-

CONCORD, N.C. (March 25, 2019) – Officials of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) announced today the seven drivers who will represent the organization during the 2019 racing season. These young racers will be helping keep the memory and legacy of 1992 NASCAR Cup Champion and Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki alive, while also competing for the rich ($54,439) and prestigious annual Kulwicki Cup Championship. The announcement was made live on this morning’s edition of Speed51.com’s “The Morning Bullring.”

The drivers range in age from 15 to 23 years of age and represent five states and one Canadian province.

The seven drivers, in alphabetical order, are:

DANNY BENEDICT, 22, KAWARTHA LAKES, ONT (@DannyBenedict54)
The second Canadian to compete for the Kulwicki Driver Development Program crown, Danny Benedict hopes to follow countryman Cole Butcher’s incredible success over the past two seasons. The 2018 NASCAR Whelen All American Series (NWAAS) Provincial Champion in Ontario, Benedict will again compete at his home track of Sunset Speedway in 2019 and will join the highly competitive APC United Racing Tour for pro late models. A power line technician apprentice, Benedict has won 10 career late model races, including the Velocity 250 in 2017 and 2018, the biggest race at Sunset Speedway.

JUSTIN CARROLL, 23, CONCORD, NC (@toast57)
Justin Carroll returns to the Kulwicki Driver Development Program after finishing fourth in the 2018 standings. Carroll will again carry the torch for the Late Model Stock Car (LMSC) division in the KDDP, competing for the CARS Tour championship and racing throughout North Carolina and Virginia all summer long. Carroll and his family-owned team are working with noted crew chief Jason Stanley for the first time in 2019 and hope to add to Justin’s career total of 10 LMSC victories. Carroll scored the inaugural Throwback 276 win at Hickory Speedway in 2017 and picked up the checkered flag in the Rodney Cook Classic at Ace (NC) Speedway in 2018.

JEREMY DOSS, 22, UPPER LAKE, CA (@jeremydoss75)
Jeremy Doss returns to the Kulwicki Driver Development Program for the second time, having finished fifth in the 2016 standings. Doss won the 2018 Spears SRL Southwest Tour points championship and is a two-time Pacific Challenge Series champion (2012 and 2016). A winner of over 40 super late model races, Doss plans on defending his SRL championship in 2019, while also running part-time at several Northern California tracks with his family-owned team. Doss will also travel to several of the bigger West Coast races, including the Montana 200 and the Summer Showdown at Evergreen Speedway, as his schedule allows.

LUKE FENHAUS, 15, WAUSAU, WI (@luke_fenhaus)
This high school freshman stormed onto the Central Wisconsin Super Late Model scene in 2018, winning five races and the track championship at State Park Speedway in a hotly contested battle with 2018 Kulwicki Driver Development Program runner-up, Justin Mondeik. Fenhaus was also Rookie of the Year in the Midwest Truck Series, capturing four victories. In 2019, Fenhaus will defend his title at State Park Speedway and compete in a handful of both ARCA Midwest Tour and Wisconsin Challenge Series races. When not behind the wheel of his race car or attending school, Fenhaus helps out on his family’s grain farm.

DEREK GRIFFITH, 22, HUDSON, NH (@DerekGriffith12)
Derek Griffith will again compete for the Kulwicki Cup in 2019, hoping to improve upon his sixth-place finish in 2018. Griffith and his family-owned team claimed the Pro All Star Series (PASS) National Championship in 2018, winning two early season races at Dillon (SC) Motor Speedway and Thompson (CT) Speedway, and posting consistent finishes to close out the year. Griffith finally captured a long-deserved victory during Speedweeks at New Smyrna (FL) Speedway, winning the week-ending 100-lap finale in a hard fought battle with Bubba Pollard. In 2019, Derek will again chase the PASS National and North series championships and plans on competing in both the Speed 51 Select Challenge at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis and the Canadian Short Track Nationals at Jukasa Motor Speedway.

CARSON KVAPIL, 16, MOORESVILLE, NC (@Carson_Kvapil)
The 16-year-old son of former NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil, Carson will compete full-time for Brad Mannstedt under the tutelage of noted crew chief Toby Nuttleman in 2019. Sitting in a Super Late Model for the first time in 2018, Carson won an ARCA Midwest Tour race at Golden Sands Speedway and a TUNDRA series race at Dells Raceway Park. A sophomore at Mooresville (NC) High School, Carson is a 58-time winner in outlaw karts and is a two-time Open Division champion at Millbridge (NC) Speedway. In 2019, Carson will compete for the ARCA Midwest Tour championship and tackle the Red, White, and Blue series at Wisconsin International Raceway, the Triple Crown at Madison International Speedway and other major events.

PAUL SHAFER, JR., 22, PORTAGE, IN (@ShaferRacing7)
This Valparaiso University senior has not only established himself as a racer to beat throughout the Midwest, but is also one of the most beloved drivers in the pits because of his easy-going nature and quirky sense of humor. Behind the wheel, though, Shafer is all business, winning the Tony Bettenhausen 100 at Grundy County Speedway and an ARCA Midwest Tour show at Jefferson Speedway in 2018. The 2013 Illiana Motor Speedway track champion plans on competing for the ARCA Midwest Tour championship again in 2019. He will also defend his Tony Bettenhausen 100 title and plans on trekking north to Madison International Speedway for the Triple Crown Series. Shafer with graduate from Valparaiso with a degree in Accounting this May.

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2019 KDDP SEMIFINALISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY’S “THE MORNING BULLRING”
-Will Mark the Latest Example of Speed 51’s Popular New Weekly Program’s News-Breaking Function-

CONCORD, N.C. (Feb. 22, 2019) – The semifinalists for the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) class of 2019 will be announced live during Monday morning’s (February 25) episode of Speed51.com’s “The Morning Bullring.”

Originating from Studio 51 in Concord, North Carolina, every Monday at 7:30 a.m. ET, the live show is hosted by Bob Dillner and Casey LaJoie. Each show features exclusive interviews and in-depth discussion about the hottest topics from the short track racing world. Racing enthusiasts who can’t catch the live show on Speed51.com or on their Facebook page can enjoy the replay and podcast made available by Speed51.com after each episode concludes.

“We jumped at the opportunity to have our semifinalists announced on ‘The Morning Bullring,’” said Tom Roberts, Executive Director of the KDDP. “This new show is one of the best things to ever happen to short track racing from a media standpoint. Not only is it fun and entertaining, it’s one of the most informative programs out there today.

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** NEW**

2019 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM APPLICATION

Download PDF | WORD

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DR. JERRY PUNCH IS FEATURED SPEAKER AT KDDP AWARDS BANQUET
-Evening Also Includes Short Track “State of the Union Address” by Respected Racer Bubba Pollard-

CONCORD, N.C. (November 27, 2018) – Noted auto racing and college football broadcaster Dr. Jerry Punch will serve as the featured guest speaker at this year’s Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) awards banquet. The evening will also feature a short-track racing “State of the Union Address” by respected veteran racer Bubba Pollard. The annual gala event is set for Thursday, December 13, in the Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway and will feature a live streaming broadcast.

Punch grew up in Newton, North Carolina, and got his first taste in broadcasting when he was selected to be part of a local radio team representing Newton-Conover High School. He was a walk-on at North Carolina State and served as a backup quarterback playing for legendary coach Lou Holtz. After graduating magna cum laude in 1975 with a degree in Zoology, Punch went on to receive his medical degree from Wake Forest School of Medicine in 1979. During his med school years, he subsidized his educational expenses through prize money he earned racing at short tracks in his home state.

Punch began his professional broadcasting career in 1980 as a reporter for Motor Racing Network (MRN). In 1982, he served as an emergency room physician at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, while also continuing his growth in broadcasting. He moved up the road to serve as director of emergency medicine at Bunnell Community Hospital in Palm Coast, Florida, when he began working for ESPN as a pit reporter for NASCAR races in 1984. That began a stellar career Punch enjoyed with “The Worldwide Leader in Sports” that spread to not only position him as one of the most recognized and popular motorsports broadcasters, but also included decades of college football coverage.

“We are so pleased to have Dr. Punch join the group for our annual celebration and can’t wait to hear him speak,” said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. “During all of his years working with ESPN, ‘Doc Punch’ developed extremely close relationships with many of the drivers. That certainly was the case with Alan Kulwicki. He was the TV reporter there interviewing Alan when he won his first NASCAR Cup race in 1988 at Phoenix. It was also ‘Doc Punch’ who was there at Atlanta interviewing Alan after he won the NASCAR Cup Championship in 1992. It’s so appropriate to have ‘Doc Punch,’ who knew Alan so well and appreciated him so much, as our featured speaker during the season that Alan was finally voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

“Alan Kulwicki epitomized the ultimate underdog,” said Punch. “He was certainly the most focused and determined driver I have ever been around. He always had the mentality of a winner and a champion. Even though he was the little guy, operating as a driver and owner with much fewer resources and personnel compared to the bigger teams, he never let that be an obstacle and get in the way of achieving his dream.

“We enjoyed a great relationship from the first time we met at the race track,” Punch said. “I had actually gotten familiar with Alan back in 1985 when I was working the Busch Series race at Milwaukee and he won the pole. When he moved to the South to run for the Cup Rookie of the Year in 1986, I already had my eye on him as a driver with a bright future. I knew how dedicated Alan was and understood that the garage area was his workplace. I think that the mutual respect we had for each other was evident in every interview we did together. I was so happy to see him get voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame this year as he is so deserving. I’m thrilled to be able to share my memories of him with the KDDP group gathered there in a few weeks.”

Pollard, the 31-year-old driver who hails from Senoia, Georgia, is on course to be one of the most successful competitors in motorsports history. The third-generation racer won local bicycle races as a kid on a two-wheeled vehicle that he built himself. He progressed through Legend Cars into Pro Late Models back in 2002, winning six features and the track championship at Senoia Speedway. He ventured into Super Late Model racing in 2003 and started racking up victory after victory. Pollard broadened his racing horizon through the years and began to chase checkered flags in the biggest races across North America. In 2011, Pollard was chosen as the inaugural Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Driver of the Year and voted as the Speed51.com Driver of the Year by fans across the country.

Pollard’s remarkable racing resume includes victories in most every prestigious short track event from coast to coast. Just last year, he returned to Slinger Speedway in Wisconsin for the second year to win the Slinger Nationals on Alan Kulwicki’s “home track.” This season, Pollard took the checkered flag in the Oxford 250 in Maine in his first-ever visit and claimed the victory in the inaugural Canadian Short Track Nationals at the Jukasa Motor Speedway in Cayuga, Ontario, Canada.

“Bubba Pollard is unquestionably the most respected and popular short track racer in North America today,” said Roberts. “His legend continues to grow every time he takes to the track. When Bubba speaks, everybody listens. The phrase ‘been there, done that’ is so appropriate when it comes to discussing Bubba and his incredible career. Very deservingly, he has become a racing icon to all the fans, media members and promoters alike. We are thrilled to have Bubba join us for the evening and hear his unique perspective about our sport.”

“Alan Kulwicki was always one of my biggest heroes growing up,” said Pollard. “My dad and I always looked up to him because he worked on his own cars and we respected the way he handled himself. He was always smooth as a competitor and was able to get the most out of all of his equipment. What he was able to achieve as an owner/driver was unheard of and he earned so much respect during his short career.

“I’ve been following the Kulwicki program for several years now and appreciate so much what they’re doing for short track racing,” Pollard said. “I was honestly flattered when they asked me to attend this year’s banquet and speak. I’m really looking forward to it.”

The banquet will occur on the eve of what would have been Kulwicki’s 64th birthday and will celebrate the fourth full year for the organization that bears his name. All seven competitors who represented the KDDP during the 2018 racing season will be recognized. Highlighting the activities for the evening will be the presentation of the winner’s check for $54,439 and the special KDDP “Kulwicki Cup” trophy to 2018 champion Brett Yackey of Greeley, Colorado.

Speed 51.com, the official media partner of the KDDP, will provide free live streaming coverage of the event beginning at 7 p.m. ET on December 13. Speed 51’s Bob Dillner will serve as emcee for the evening.

“We are so blessed to enjoy the outstanding relationship we have with Bob and his Speed51 team,” Roberts said. “They have been with us since the planning stages of our organization and their support through the years has been invaluable. Our banquet may be closed to the public as for actual attendance, but thanks to Speed51.com, everyone across the globe will be able to log on, tune in and enjoy all the evening’s activities.”

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BRETT YACKEY CLAIMS 2018 “KULWICKI CUP” CHAMPIONSHIP
-Third-Generation Colorado Driver’s Title Bid Boosted by Incredible Finish to Impressive Season-

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 20, 2018) – After posting an incredible finish to an impressive season, Greeley, Colorado’s Brett Yackey has claimed the 2018 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) Kulwicki Cup Championship. The hard-charging 18-year-old third-generation racer recorded three of the biggest wins of his young career during the final weeks of the competition and padded his points lead during the organization’s final voting.

When the seven months of the annual KDDP competition (April through October) had concluded, Yackey had accrued 1,099 points to Gleason, Wisconsin’s Justin Mondeik’s 957. Both Yackey and 22-year-old Mondeik were finalists in the 2017 Kulwicki Cup contest, with Yackey finishing third and Mondeik fifth.

The final 2018 KDDP “Kulwicki Cup” point standings look like this:

1) – Brett Yackey - 1099
2) – Justin Mondeik - 957
3) – Cole Butcher - 869
4) – Justin Carroll - 644
5) – Brittney Zamora - 561
6) – Derek Griffith - 419
7) – Molly Helmuth – 253

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2018 KULWICKI CUP BATTLE GOING DOWN TO THE WIRE
-Points Tighten as Final Few Weeks Will Likely Decide This Year’s KDDP Champion-

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 11, 2018) – With only the final weeks of October remaining in the battle for the 2018 Kulwicki Cup Championship, both on-track and off-track activities are more important than ever in the four-year history of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program. It is apparent that what the seven KDDP drivers accomplish during the remaining days of the competition will determine the final point standings for 2018 and see one of those drivers claim the rich and prestigious Kulwicki Cup.

“I’ve personally always believed in the popular adage of first impressions making lasting impressions,” said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. “There’s actual research that supports that axiom. But when it comes to our organization’s contest to determine our annual champion this year, it looks as if it will be the last impressions that prove to be first in importance.”

After the KDDP’s second voting period that ended on Sunday, Sept. 30, the point standings have tightened up to show that only 42 points now separate new leader Brett Yackey of Greeley, Colorado, from second-place Justin Mondeik of Gleason, Wisconsin. Porter's Lake, Nova Scotia’s Cole Butcher is running a solid third and could vault to the top after the third and final voting. Brittney Zamora, of Kennewick, Washington, has been the driver on the move since the last standings were released. The hard-charging 19-year-old racer has catapulted up to fourth and could be a serious challenger when the final points are tallied next month. Concord, North Carolina’s Justin Carroll, Derek Griffith of Hudson, New Hampshire and Seattle, Washington’s Molly Helmuth round out the seven-driver 2018 roster.

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KULWICKI’S HOF IMAGE COMES FROM LEGENDARY LENSMAN RUSS LAKE
-Veteran Motorsports Photographer Thrilled with Selection; Looking Forward to Attending Induction-

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 25, 2018) – Russ Lake first photographed Alan Kulwicki racing at the old Hales Corners Speedway during Kulwicki’s 1973 rookie season on the Milwaukee area third-mile dirt oval. Some 45 years later, it is one of legendary lensman Lake’s prized images that has been selected to serve as Kulwicki’s primary photo for his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

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BENNY ERTEL RECALLS RACING’S GREATEST ALL-STAR PIT CREW
-Veteran Racer Shares Many Special Memories of Incredible Charlotte Race from 32 Years Ago-

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 27, 2018) – As the NASCAR drivers, teams and fans head back to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the annual fall racing weekend, veteran motorsports management pro Benny Ertel recalled a special race held there 32 years ago. The official results sheet shows that Ertel drove the No. 12 Miller American Pontiac from a 12th-place start to a 12th-place finish in the Oct. 1, 1986 Bullfrog Knits 150. In reality, no documented statistics will ever fully explain what occurred during that Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series event on the 1.5-mile CMS quad-oval.

The event will always hold the distinction of featuring the greatest all-star pit crew ever assembled for a race. Take a look at the official personnel roster for Benny’s No. 12 team that day:

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Kulwicki Driver Development Program driver Derek Griffith gets up to speed during the 2017 edition of the prestigious Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway. He and Canada’s Cole Butcher are both members of the 2018 KDDP class and will be carrying the familiar logo on their cars this weekend at the Maine short track.

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BUTCHER & GRIFFITH LOOK TO TURN HEADS IN SUNDAY’S OXFORD 250
-2018 KDDP Drivers & 2016 Kulwicki Cup Runner-up Farrington Prepared for Rich & Prestigious Race-

OXFORD, Maine (August 21, 2018) – Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) drivers Cole Butcher and Derek Griffith enter this weekend’s rich and prestigious 45th Annual Clark’s Scrap Metal Oxford 250 looking to rebound from the disappointment they endured in the 2017 edition of the race. Last year’s Pro All Stars Series (PASS) battle at the legendary Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine was mostly forgettable for Butcher and Griffith, who finished 36th and 38th, respectively.

The 2017 Oxford 250 was an exceptionally difficult pill to swallow for Butcher, the hard-charging Porter’s Lake, Nova Scotia driver. In the thick of the battle for another Maritime Pro Stock Tour (MPST) points championship, Butcher was attempting to compete in both the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour race at Petty International Raceway in New Brunswick and the Oxford 250 on the same weekend. (That’s a 366-mile drive, plus clearing U.S. Customs and Border Protection en route.) After Saturday’s race at Petty was postponed until Sunday, the 2016 MPST champ opted to compete at Oxford Plains instead. When the 2017 racing season concluded, Butcher lost the Pro Stock Tour championship to Shawn Turple by a single point (2,467 to 2,466).

For this year’s Oxford 250 weekend, Butcher and his family-owned team are taking a different approach.

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U-27 Wiggins H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Team
WIGGINS RACING U-27 TEAM HONORS ALABAMA GANG’S DAVEY ALLISON
-HydroFest 2018’s “Home Team” Proud to Carry New NASCAR HOF Member’s Image on Hydroplane-

Image 1 | Image 2

GADSDEN, Alabama (June 20, 2018) – Racing’s “Alabama Gang” will be thrilling fans once again this weekend as the Gadsden, Alabama-based Wiggins U-27 H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Team announced today they will honor legendary Hueytown, Alabama driver Davey Allison in this weekend’s Guntersville Lake HydroFest 2018. Allison, a winner of 19 races and 14 pole positions in only six full seasons on NASCAR’s top tour, was recently named as a member of the 2019 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The Wiggins crew will pay tribute to Allison, one of the most popular drivers in stock car racing history, by running a special tribute decal on the U-27.

“Growing up here in Alabama, my dad and I were huge fans of the ‘Alabama Gang,’” said Charley Wiggins, co-owner (with father Milton) of the U-27 Team. “I was a regular going to all the Talladega races since I was nine years old and I became one of the biggest Davey Allison fans around.

“To tell you the truth, when we lost Davey, my interest in NASCAR faded for a while,” Wiggins said of Allison’s passing on July 13, 1993, as the result from injuries sustained in a helicopter crash. “Davey was my driver and there was such a huge void without him racing. I really think there are many fans out there, especially here in Alabama, who feel the exact same way.

“For our team and especially me personally, it’s such an honor to be able to run his picture on our boat and pay tribute to him like this,” said Wiggins, the sole H1 Unlimited team owner from the Southeast. “I know all his many fans will appreciate it and enjoy celebrating Davey being voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame this way.”

“When we were working on the announcement last week that the team would be honoring Alan Kulwicki by putting his tribute decal on the U-27, Charley was quick to say that Davey was always his favorite driver,” said Tom Roberts, the Guntersville resident who heads the Kulwicki Driver Development Program. “I could sense just how much Charley wanted to honor Davey in a similar manner.

“The Allison Family will always be like an extended family of my own,” said Roberts, who served as Bobby Allison’s public relations representative for Miller Brewing from 1984 through 1988. “With both Alan and Davey being voted into the 2019 Hall of Fame Class, I thought it would be appropriate if Charley’s team could honor them by running the decals for both of these special drivers.”

“I reached out to the Allisons and they were so supportive of the idea,” Roberts said. “Bobby and Bonnie signed off on it almost immediately. It took a day or so to finally connect with Liz (Davey’s widow), but she was absolutely ecstatic that Charley wanted to pay tribute to Davey like this.

“Although they can’t be here to see the boat live and up close, we’ll definitely be passing along images of the U-27 to them,” said Roberts. “We also hope to capture some of the fan excitement to show them. I think it will be quite amazing to see the crowd support of the U-27 this weekend. Not only is Charley’s team the only one from this region, now they will have a member of racing’s legendary ‘Alabama Gang’ visible on their boat, too.”

“With Alan riding on the cockpit and Davey on the engine cover, it’ll be like old times at Talladega with those two drafting each other,” Wiggins offered with a chuckle. “Davey and Alan were both Ford drivers for their entire NASCAR racing careers, so that should certainly add to the meaningfulness of having both NASCAR Hall-of-Famers on our U-27.”

This weekend’s Guntersville Lake HydroFest 2018 (June 22-24) will feature both the H1 Unlimited and Grand Prix World (GPW) hydro classes. Wiggins Racing will be fielding entries in both classes, with veteran Cal Phipps driving both boats.

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U-27 Wiggins Racing–H1 Racing Team Paying Tribute to Kulwicki
-Latest NASCAR Hall-of-Famer’s Photo on Hydroplane’s Cockpit for HydroFest 2018-

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (June 12, 2018) – Owners of the Gadsden, Alabama-based U-27 Wiggins Racing – H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Team announced today that they will be paying tribute to 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame member Alan Kulwicki by carrying his image on the cockpit of their boat during the upcoming Guntersville Lake HydroFest 2018.

“I always had so much respect for Alan and what he was able to accomplish in NASCAR in such a relatively short period of time,” said U-27 Wiggins Racing team owner Charley Wiggins. “We can certainly identify with Alan, as our team is a small family-run operation that takes great pride in getting the most out of our equipment and limited personnel. It’s a sincere honor to be able to pay tribute to Alan this way. Like so many other racers and fans out there, we were cheering when his name was announced as a member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2019.”

Wiggins comes from a racing family. His uncle, John Wiggins, was a noted successful drag racer who campaigned the famous “Glow Worm” dragster all over the Southeast. His father, Milton, is co-owner of the team and first raced outboards as a youngster back in 1954. Over the years, Milton moved to the inboard category of boats powered by automotive engines and eventually to the GP Grand Prix class. Charley followed his father’s footsteps and became a successful boat racer in his own right, driving since he was nine years of age and growing through the ranks all the way to pilot the famed U-6 Miss Madison Unlimited Hydroplane during the 2000 season.

“One of the things that impressed me the most about Alan was his educational background,” said Wiggins. “He was not only a driver and team owner, he also had an engineering degree. That was unheard of back then and I feel like it was such an asset. To be successful in our contracting business (Chase Building Group, Inc), I earned my degree in Building Science (has a B.A. degree from the College of Architecture, Design and Construction at Auburn University). I had a few classes in engineering, but I wish I could have taken more. The education and degree I have works perfectly on the construction side of my life, but I wish I had done additional engineering studies to help over on the racing side.

“We’re really looking forward to the big race weekend in Guntersville,” said Wiggins. “The promotion of our racing there has been referred to as being like NASCAR on the water. With that in mind, it’ll be really cool to have a NASCAR champion and Hall-of-Famer like Alan Kulwicki riding on the cockpit of our U-27 out there.”

While the special decal commemorating Kulwicki’s spot in the 2019 HOF Class will debut on Wiggins’ Unlimited Hydroplane in two weeks in Guntersville, racing fans from Nova Scotia, Canada, to Seattle, Washington, will become familiar with it during the remainder of the 2018 racing season.

“We want to thank Charley and everyone associated with Wiggins Racing for helping us introduce the decal in such a spectacular fashion,” said Tom Roberts, a Guntersville resident who was Kulwicki’s media representative during his entire career and now serves as the Executive Director for the Kulwicki Driver Development Program. “I know Alan would get such a huge kick out of seeing himself riding on the cockpit of the U-27. I certainly will.

“After Charley’s team carries the decal in the HydroFest, we will be sending out a supply to every driver who has carried the KDDP colors over the last four years,” Roberts said. “We’ll be asking them to proudly display the decals on their race cars, pit boxes and support vehicles in celebrating Alan’s election to the Hall of Fame.”

The Guntersville Lake HydroFest 2018, set for June 22-24, will feature both the H1 Unlimited and Grand Prix World (GPW) hydro classes. Wiggins Racing will be fielding entries in both classes, with veteran Cal Phipps driving both boats.

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Additional background on Wiggins Racing:

· In 2003, the Wiggins Racing Team won Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association (ULHRA) championship events at Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada, and won the General Motors Cup, or “Super Bowl of Hydroplane Racing,” in Seattle, Washington, with driver Cal Phipps, a multi-time champion in six classes of boat racing.

· The team raced sporadically over the next few years, winning an event in 2008 at Pickwick Dam in Hardin County, Tennessee.

· Wiggins Racing took a break from active competition during the next few years. Instead, they focused on starting a contracting business specializing in mid-size commercial construction (Chase Building Group, Inc.) and maintaining a successful boat restoration business (also housed in their complex located off Sutton Bridge Road between Gadsden and Rainbow City).

· After preparing and racing Grand Prix World hydro boats for several seasons, the Wiggins Team went all out back in 2015, when they purchased the U-17 “Our Gang Racing” Unlimited Hydroplane. They competed as the U-27 Dalton Industries H-1 Unlimited and, again with Phipps behind the wheel, finished third in the series points. For their first-year effort as unlimited owners, Wiggins Racing was recognized with both the Crew of the Year and Owner of the Year awards for the 2015 season.

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KULWICKI’S NASCAR HALL OF FAME NOD A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION
-KDDP Drivers Past & Present Reflect on 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion's Pending Hall of Fame Induction-

CONCORD, N.C, (May 31, 2018) – When Alan Kulwicki was named to the 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class last Wednesday afternoon, it was reason to celebrate for his many fans and supporters who have been pulling for his inclusion since he was first nominated back in 2015.

That was certainly the case for everyone associated with the Kulwicki Driver Development Program. Last Wednesday was nearly four years ago to the day that Tom Roberts, Paul Andrews and Tony Gibson were among the group gathered at a press conference to announce the formation of the KDDP. That media event at The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway took place the very same day that the Hall of Fame announced its 2015 class.

"I distinctly remember (PRN Radio's) Doug Rice and others feverishly checking their phones to see who had made the Hall," recalled KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. "I was so excited to announce the formation of the KDDP and that Paul and Tony were our first board members. But at the same time, I remember thinking 'Man, wouldn't it be great if this program could also help Alan's cause for getting into the Hall of Fame, too?'”

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NEW ENGLAND DRIVERS GRIFFITH & FARRINGTON BOND OVER KULWICKI LEGACY
-2018 KDDP Driver Derek Griffith Receiving Mentorship & Advice from 2016 Program Runner-Up Dave Farrington-

CONCORD, N.C. (May 10, 2018) – New England drivers are a tight bunch. Sure, they have their differences on and off the track, but they tend to always look out for each other when they are on the road. While racers from the Northeast may enjoy an unparalleled level of camaraderie, there is still a home state pride that is second to none among those from Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, respectively.

For 2018 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) finalist Derek Griffith and 2016 program runner-up Dave Farrington, a strong bond really did not exist between the two top Super Late Model competitors until recently. During the 2018 racing season, the 25-year-old veteran Farrington is providing mentorship and advice to the hard-charging 21-year-old Griffith as he hopes to be the first Kulwicki Cup champion from New England.

While the two drivers had raced against each other for several years, they really had not talked much at the track until last season. That all changed last May when Griffith and Farrington were attempting to compete in the PASS North race on the 4/10ths-mile oval at Montmagny, QC, Canada. While Griffith and his Hudson, New Hampshire-based team had no troubles crossing the Canadian border, Farrington and his team were waylaid. In fact, three of Farrington’s crewmen were turned away by border officials. Farrington drove them all back home to his Jay, Maine, race shop, slept for a few hours and hit the road early the next morning all by himself.

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“2018 Kulwicki Driver Development Program competitor Derek Griffith (left) is getting mentorship and advice this season from Dave Farrington (right), who carried the KDDP colors during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The two racers are among the top New England Super Late Model drivers and have bonded over continuing the Kulwicki legacy.”

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KDDP DRIVERS ACTIVE ON & OFF TRACK AS 2018 SEASON REVS UP
-Mondeik & Butcher Strike Balance Between Community Service Projects & Preseason Prep Work--

CONCORD, N.C. (April 26, 2018) – By the time late April rolls around, most North American racers have been on the track, whether in competition or preseason testing. But for drivers in the Upper Midwest and Canada, this spring has been exceedingly difficult with lingering adverse weather wreaking havoc on their plans. Facing a battle against Mother Nature in order to start chasing checkered flags, several members of the 2018 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) roster have utilized the time to get entrenched in worthwhile causes off the track.

Gleason, Wisconsin’s Justin Mondeik can’t get over yet another major storm that hit his hometown last weekend. “We got over 20 inches of snow in Gleason and a foot where I go to school at Michigan Tech (in Houghton, Michigan),” said Mondeik. “Typically, going home means getting away from all the snow, but this weekend it was worse back there.”

A member of the 2017 KDDP class, Mondeik is hoping to build off a strong finish to last season that saw him consistently finish in the top-10. “We really came on at the end of the year, which was a huge boost of confidence after the rough start we had,” said Mondeik. “I’ve never been more confident as we enter 2018.”

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2018 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM COMPETITORS ANNOUNCED
-Team of Seven KDDP Drivers Racing All Over North America in Representing 1992 NASCAR Champ-

CONCORD, N.C. (March 16, 2018) – Officials of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) announced today the seven drivers who will represent the organization during the 2018 racing season. These young racers will be helping keep the memory and legacy of 1992 NASCAR Cup Champion Alan Kulwicki alive, while also competing for the rich ($54,439) and prestigious annual Kulwicki Cup Championship.

The seven drivers, in alphabetical order, are:

COLE BUTCHER, 21, PORTER’S LAKE, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA:

The 2016 Maritime Pro Stock Tour (MPST) Champion and 2017 series runner-up, Cole Butcher has seven MPST victories since 2015. Last year, Butcher won his second Atlantic Cat 250 at Scotia (Halifax, NS) Speedworld and made several trips south of the border, posting strong finishes at Oxford Plains Speedway and Hickory Motor Speedway. He also competed in the Snowball Derby for the first time, finishing 15th after a strong early run. Butcher's family-owned team will compete for the MPST title again in 2018 and will continue a relationship with Donnie Wilson Racing for several U.S. starts, including the All American 400 in Nashville, Tenn., and a return trip to the Snowball Derby in Pensacola, Fla. Butcher returns to the Kulwicki Driver Development Program fold after posting a fourth-place finish in 2017.

JUSTIN CARROLL, 21, CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA:

When all was said and done with the 2017 racing season, Justin Carroll had a most impressive year. Carroll won the CARS Tour "Throwback 276” at Hickory Motor Speedway, racing cleanly while three-wide with his fellow competitors for the final twenty laps before coming out on top. To cap it off, Carroll's paint scheme that night paid tribute to Wisconsin short track legend Dick Trickle, a longtime on-track rival of Alan Kulwicki and good friend away from the track. A multiple-time winner in both Late Model Stock Cars and Pro Late Models, Carroll and his family-owned team will participate in both CARS Tour and NASCAR Whelen All American Series action again this season. Carroll was a 2017 Kulwicki Driver Development Program semifinalist.

DEREK GRIFFITH, 21, HUDSON, NEW HAMPSHIRE:

There is perhaps no other Super Late Model racer in the Eastern United States that has put more miles on their hauler over the past two seasons than New Hampshire's Derek Griffith. Traveling from the snowy North to the World Series of Asphalt Racing in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., the past two winters, Griffith has also come South for several PASS South and National Tour races. He picked up an early season win in February in PASS action at Dillon Motor Speedway, outdueling several of the country's top Super Late Model teams. A 28-time winner in his career, Griffith will again compete for the PASS North championship, run with the Granite State Pro Stock Series (he is the 2015 series champion), and other races yet to be announced. Griffith was a 2017 Kulwicki Driver Development Program semifinalist.

MOLLY HELMUTH, 22, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON:

A three-time Most Popular Driver at her home track of Evergreen (Wash.) Speedway, Molly Helmuth is expanding her racing schedule significantly in 2018, both in quantity and geographic area. Helmuth will compete at Evergreen, run in the Northwest Super Late Model Series and venture to compete in the East Coast in CARS Tour Super Late Model Tour action. Helmuth will partner with Will Jones and his J&J Racing Unlimited team for the entire nine-race CARS Tour season. Helmuth is a 2017 graduate of Western Governors University, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing.

JUSTIN MONDEIK, 21, GLEASON, WISCONSIN:

Over the final two months of the 2017 racing season in the Midwest, very few drivers could have improved more than Wisconsin's Justin Mondeik. After missing the first ARCA Midwest Tour race of the season and destroying his primary car in a frightening wreck at Gateway International Speedway in June, Mondeik and his family-run team went on a tear. Mondeik rattled off multiple top-10 finishes and greatly improved his qualifying prowess. Mondeik finished 10th in the 2017 ARCA Midwest Tour points and just missed out on the Rookie-of-the-Year crown. In 2018, Mondeik will compete for ARCA Midwest, TUNDRA Series, and State Park (Wausau, Wis.) Speedway championships, plus compete in additional races in Central Wisconsin. He is currently attending Michigan Tech University and is hoping to graduate with a Mechanical Engineering degree in 2019. Mondeik finished fifth in the 2017 Kulwicki Driver Development Program standings.

BRETT YACKEY, 18, GREELEY, COLORADO:

The son of Colorado racing legend Bruce Yackey, Brett Yackey has established himself as a racer to watch heading into the 2018 season. A multiple-time winner at I-25 (Pueblo, Colo.) Speedway, Yackey finished third in the season standings at the highly competitive Colorado National (Dacono, Colo.) Speedway (CNS). A high school senior with a 3.75+ GPA, Yackey will compete for the track title at CNS again in 2018, along with select races at other tracks in the Rocky Mountain region. He was the 2016 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Colorado State Rookie of the Year. Yackey finished a close third in the 2017 Kulwicki Driver Development Program standings.

BRITTNEY ZAMORA, 18, KENNEWICK, WASHINGTON:

A freshman studying Elementary and Special Education at Washington State University, Brittney Zamora burst onto the Super Late Model scene in 2017 with two race wins and the Northwest Super Late Model Series points championship. Zamora was the first female racer to win a SLM championship in the Pacific Northwest. This season, Zamora will race for the track title at Evergreen (Wash.) Speedway and compete in several big shows on the West Coast, including the Montana 200 in Kalispell, Mont., and the Fall Classic at The Bullring in Las Vegas.

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CODY HASKINS CLAIMS 2017 “KULWICKI CUP” CHAMPIONSHIP
-“Hands-On” Georgia Driver Outpoints Minnesota’s Ostdiek by Slimmest of Margins-

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 17, 2017) – By the slimmest of margins, the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) is proud to announce that Marietta, Georgia's Cody Haskins is the program's 2017 champion. Haskins, who won two races and finished in the top-five 13 times, edged out Lakeville, Minnesota's Michael Ostdiek 965-952 after on-track results and community engagement points were taken into account.

The final 2017 KDDP “Kulwicki Cup” point standings:

1) – Cody Haskins - 965
2) – Michael Ostdiek - 952
3) – Brett Yackey - 844
4) – Cole Butcher - 607
5) – Justin Mondeik - 532
6) – Braison Bennett - 472
7) – John Peters – 331

"It's really no surprise that the season title came down to Cody and Michael because they have been neck and neck since the late spring,” said Tom Roberts, Executive Director of the KDDP. “They were nearly equal on and off the track, but Cody really impressed our board with his hands-on approach at the track and his massive amount of off-track activities after his season wrapped up in early October. It doesn’t come as a shock that the two drivers who were invited to return to the program in 2017 finished in the top two spots.”

For Haskins, this championship is the culmination of a yearlong journey that began on a late night drive home after the 2016 KDDP banquet last December. "Cody has often said that the 2016 banquet was one of his most humbling experiences,” said Roberts. “Finishing where he did in the 2016 standings (fifth of the seven drivers) motivated him to improve for 2017. His Alan Kulwicki-like hands-on approach offered a notable parallel to the 1992 NASCAR champion and his on-track results were consistent. But what really put Cody over the top this season was his commitment to engaging with his neighbors and the fans."

An executive with KRC Power Steering, Haskins participated in fundraisers for the American Cancer Society, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, the American Red Cross, Goodwill and the Shriner's Hospital. He also helped raise money for the family of Terry Evans, a fellow racer who was killed in an accident after leaving Myrtle Beach (SC) Speedway in July.

“Like several of our drivers, Cody also spent time with school kids in and around his hometown, visiting a number of schools and churches throughout the season,” Roberts said. "It sure seemed like that whenever there was an open weekend in the racing schedule, Cody and his team were somewhere signing autographs and meeting young race fans. What set Cody apart for me, personally, was that even on his wedding day, he and his new wife found the time to visit a local food pantry and help those less fortunate. That just shows what kind of character he has."

If there was any driver in this year’s KDDP class who understood the power of working closely with young people, it had to be Ostdiek. The Iowa State University student from the Twin Cities suburbs focused his off-track energies on his own quarter-midget driver development program, which continues to shape and mold the next generation of Midwest short track racers.

"Michael has really emerged as not only a top young talent on the track, but has established himself as a leader off of it as well,” Roberts said. “His driver development program is second-to-none and his commitment to fundraising and improving the lives of those around him continues to impress.”

Ostdiek won the 2017 ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year, edging out fellow KDDP finalist Justin Mondeik. He picked up three race wins at his home track of Elko (MN) Speedway, along with six top-five finishes throughout the season. "I think Michael impressed a lot of people this year and he will only improve in 2018,” said Roberts. “I know that Gregg McKarns and all the ARCA Midwest Tour community are proud that he represented them so well and they look forward to having him back in the fold next year."

Colorado's Brett Yackey finished a close third, followed by Nova Scotia's Cole Butcher, Wisconsin's Justin Mondeik and Braison Bennett, and Maine's John Peters. Those remaining five drivers all acquitted themselves well on-and-off the track in 2017, with Yackey really standing out throughout the season.

"For a high school senior, Brett really impressed us throughout the year,” said Roberts. “He raced hard at Colorado National against some of the best competition in the West and then impressed us with his off track work.” Among his many off-track activities, Yackey helped raise over $4,000 for former Colorado National Speedway driver Dalton Hewitt's cancer fund, selling baked good, burritos, and hosting a silent auction. It was incredible that he was able to balance all of that with also being a star athlete at Greeley Central High School.”

Cole Butcher, who posted two wins, including the prestigious Atlantic Cat 250, and 10 top-10 finishes, was a big supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, hosting two young race fans and their families at Scotia Speedworld in June. Justin Mondeik showed great improvement on the track during the season, and played a critical role in helping raise funds for the Northwoods Veterans Post in Merrill, Wisconsin. Braison Bennett embodied the Kulwicki spirit in many ways; owning, maintaining, and fixing his own race cars on a limited budget, but still able to find victory lane at Wisconsin International Raceway. Bennett, along with Maine's John Peters, both suffered incredibly bad luck this season, but both were able to overcome and post strong finishes. At his home track of Beech Ridge (ME) Motor Speedway, Peters hosted a "Kulwicki Kid" program for seven young fans, selected through a fan drawing on social media, providing them with a up-close-and-personal look at short track racing and sending them home with a number of prizes, including a racing helmet.

"All of our drivers did a remarkable job this year and our board members were superb in completing their voting assignment,” Roberts said. “They continued to place great value on community involvement, off-track projects and social media activities. They awarded bonus points for drivers going the extra mile in representing our organization. With all things being equal and with some better racing luck, any of the drivers could have walked away with the Kulwicki Cup this year. I am so proud of each of them and I know Alan would be also.”

The KDDP points system is based on a combination of judging input from members of the advisory board and the drivers’ on-track performance. Voters are asked to rank the drivers from first to seventh in their job of representing the organization and points (from 70 for first to 10 for seventh) are awarded for those rankings. Each voter is given 10 discretionary “bonus” points to award the drivers for “exceptional contributions” to the program. Community engagement, program representation and social media activities account for much of those points. The remainder of the points come from actual racing statistics. Race wins award 10 points, with 2nd-5th-place finishes getting 6 points, 6th-10th 4 points, 11th-15th 2 points and 15th-plus 1 point.

Here is a look at the final “on-track” competition points (from 4/1/17 through 10/31/17):

Cody Haskins         -           98 (2 wins, 13 top-5s)
Brett Yackey            -           96 (3 wins, 9 top-5s)
Michael Ostdiek      -           90 (3 wins, 6 top-5s)
Braison Bennett     -           88 (1 win, 11 top-5s)
Cole Butcher           -           87 (2 wins, 10 top-5s)
Justin Mondeik       -           64 (0 wins, 2 top-5s)
John Peters             -           54 (0 wins, 3 top-5s)

For the third and final round of voting, the two regular season judging points were averaged (however, bonus points continued to accrue) and added to the final vote’s judging points. The overall competition points (maximum 150 points for 15 wins) were applied and the driver with the largest points total, Haskins, earned the 2017 Kulwicki Cup championship.

Haskins is the KDDP's third champion and the first from outside of Wisconsin, following Ty Majeski (2015) and Alex Prunty (2016). While he has big shoes to fill, Roberts feels that Haskins is ready to take the next step.

"Cody has achieved a great deal in late model stock car racing throughout the Southeast and I know that he plans on trying to take the next step in his career,” said Roberts. “It's also impressive that he has seen great success working as a mentor and car owner for Jensen and Taylor Jorgensen, both of whom have a bright future in short track racing. While his 2018 plans are not set in stone, we expect big things for Cody. He has a personal drive much like Alan possessed. He knows every nut and bolt on the race car and expects a lot of himself and those around him. A determination like Cody's can only lead to success."

Haskins and the other six members of the 2017 KDDP class will be honored during the organization’s banquet set for Thursday, Dec. 14 in the Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Highlighting the activities for the evening (which would have been Alan Kulwicki’s 63rd birthday) will be the presentation of the winner’s check for $54,439 and the special KDDP “Kulwicki Cup” Champion’s trophy to Haskins. NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Mark Martin will be the featured speaker and official media partner Speed51.com will provide a free live-streaming broadcast of the event.

While the 2017 season is over, drivers can start applying for the 2018 Kulwicki Driver Development Program today. Please visit www.kulwickiddp.com for the application and additional information. All applications are due on December 31, 2017.

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KDDP 2018 Application
Download Here

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KDDP POINTS BATTLE INCREDIBLY TIGHT ENTERING FINAL MONTH
-Only October Remains in 2017 Battle to Determine Rich & Prestigious Kulwicki Cup Championship-

CONCORD, N.C. (October 4, 2017) – With only the month of October remaining to determine the winner in the 2017 edition of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) competition, a mere 21 points separate the top three drivers. Lakeville, Minnesota’s Michael Ostdiek leads with 859 points, followed by Marietta, Georgia’s Cody Haskins with 842 points and Greeley, Colorado’s Brett Yackey with 838 points. Porters Lake, Nova Scotia's Cole Butcher holds down the fourth spot with 607 points.

After the second of three judging periods has been completed by the KDDP’s advisory board, here is the way the 2017 standings stack up:

Michael Ostdiek      -           859
Cody Haskins         -           842
Brett Yackey            -           838
Cole Butcher           -           607
Justin Mondeik       -           533
Braison Bennett     -           515
John Peters             -           427

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MARK MARTIN FEATURED SPEAKER AT KDDP AWARDS BANQUET
-NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Enjoyed Special Friendship with Alan Kulwicki-

CONCORD, N.C. (September 19, 2017) – Mark Martin, NASCAR Hall-of-Famer and winner of 40 premier series races, will serve as the featured guest speaker at the annual Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) awards banquet. The annual gala event is set for Thursday, December 14, in the Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway and will feature a live online broadcast.

“We are extremely delighted to have Mark join us as our featured speaker for this year’s banquet,” said Tom Roberts, executive director of the KDDP. “Mark and Alan had a special friendship that dated all the way back to their short-track racing days on the bullrings of the Midwest. Many folks are not aware that the two hard-charging drivers actually had their teams headquartered in the same building back in the mid-‘80s.

“It will be such a thrill to have Mark there speaking to our drivers and guests in the audience and to all the others across the world watching online,” Roberts added. “There was an incredible level of competitive spirit and mutual respect shared by Mark and Alan and it will be fascinating to see and hear Mark discuss it live.”

Martin began his racing career on the dirt tracks near his Batesville, Arkansas home. He moved on to asphalt late model racing and joined the American Speed Association (ASA) series, winning the Rookie-of-the-Year title in 1977. He went on to claim 22 victories and four championships (1978, 1979, 1980 & 1986) in ASA competition.

Martin’s incredible NASCAR big-league racing career record boasts 40 victories in what is now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and 49 wins in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition. He was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998 and was a Motorsports Hall of Fame of America inductee in 2015. Martin’s spectacular 30-year driving career culminated into him being named as a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

“I had the honor and challenge of racing with Alan for years,” Martin said. “His achievements are legendary and it makes me proud to see the KDDP helping others to have a shot to make their dreams come true.”

The banquet will celebrate the third season for the organization and culminate with the awarding of the prestigious Kulwicki Cup trophy and check for $54,439 to the 2017 KDDP champion. Seven drivers from across North America (Braison Bennett of Neenah, Wisconsin; Cole Butcher of Porter’s Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada; Cody Haskins of Marietta, Georgia; Justin Mondeik of Gleason, Wisconsin; Michael Ostdiek of Lakeville, Minnesota; John Peters of Westbrook, Maine and Brett Yackey of Greeley, Colorado) have competed for the award this year and the winner will be named on November 15.

“Having Mark there with us will certainly add to the fun and special memories made that night,” Roberts added. “I can’t think of a better way to commemorate another great season for our organization and honor Alan on what would have been his 63rd birthday.”

Speed 51.com, the official media partner of the KDDP, will provide free live streaming coverage of the event beginning at 7 p.m. ET on December 14. Speed 51’s Bob Dillner will serve as emcee for the evening.

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RAZOR-THIN KULWICKI CHAMPIONSHIP COMING DOWN TO THE WIRE
-Six Weeks Remain in 2017 KDDP Competition; Points Update Scheduled for September 27-

CONCORD, N.C. (September 15, 2017) -- This weekend marks the “six-weeks-to-go-point” in the 2017 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) and the competition at the top of the standings could not be any closer. Take a quick look at the current “on-track” points, with two separate evaluations remaining by the KDDP advisory board before the 2017 Kulwicki Cup Champion is named:

Michael Ostdiek - 88 (3 wins)
Brett Yackey - 88 (2 wins)
Braison Bennett - 88 (1 win)
Cole Butcher - 76 (1 win)
Cody Haskins - 76 (1 win)
John Peters - 52
Justin Mondeik - 48

“What’s so cool and unique about our program is that the on-track performance is only one aspect that enters into the equation in winning our prestigious (and rich; worth $54,439) Kulwicki Cup award,” said KDDP executive director Tom Roberts. “After we announced the initial point standings back in August, all of our drivers have stepped up their performances in both on and off-track activities.

“What has impressed me the most is the dedication all of these drivers share,” Roberts said. “Whether they are balancing racing and school, racing and work or racing and family, these young men are representing our program in really remarkable fashion and we’re so proud of all of them.”

Since early August, KDDP drivers have posted seven wins and 16 top-five finishes, with Lakeville, Minnesota's Michael Ostdiek leading the way. Ostdiek has posted three wins in NASCAR Whelen All American Series (NWAAS) action at Elko (MN) Speedway. "While Michael has struggled somewhat recently in ARCA Midwest Tour racing, he has really stepped up his game at his home track, despite running only part time,” said Roberts. “Now he's back in school at Iowa State, hitting the books and looking to close out his season strong. The tremendous job he has done with young fans at his home track has been so impressive. Michael is such a likable young man and is starting to develop a sizable fan following, not just in Minnesota, but on a national scale, too.”

Colorado's Brett Yackey has stepped up his performance as well, garnering two checkered flags at I-25 (CO) Speedway and running up front at Colorado National Speedway in Erie, Colorado. Yackey, a high school senior, led his Greeley North High School football team to its first win in almost two years, gaining 315 total yards. "I don't know what I'm more impressed by; Brett's recent wins or his amazing play on the football field," noted Roberts. "For his first full season in a super late model, Brett has made incredible progress. He is in the mix against tough competition at Colorado National every week and I expect that he will get his breakthrough win there sometime soon."

Nova Scotia's Cole Butcher picked up the victory in the prestigious Atlantic Cat 250 at Scotia Speedworld on August 13 and continues to consistently post top-five finishes in Maritime Pro Stock Series action. "It was a thrill to see Cole's Atlantic Cat 250 win in person and I’ll always have great memories of being there celebrating the huge accomplishment with his family and team,” said Roberts. “We are excited that he is going to hook back up with Donnie Wilson and run some super late model races at the end of the year south of the border. It would not surprise me in the least to see him in victory lane stateside.”

If the KDDP program gave out a hard luck award, it would have to go to Neenah, Wisconsin's Braison Bennett. At the outset of 2017, Bennett planned on running for TUNDRA Series Rookie of the Year and for track championships at Wisconsin International Raceway (WIR) and Slinger (WI) Speedway. Bennett has persevered through miserable luck, having been taken out in multiple accidents not of his own making. His small, self-owned team has thrashed night after night to get one of his cars ready for the track. His hard work paid off with a strong second-place finish in the Big 8 Series race at the Dixieland 250 early last month and he scored his first win of the season on August 31 at WIR. "In many ways, Braison is what the Kulwicki program is all about," said Roberts. "Alan suffered through a lot of adversity early in his career, but look how it turned out for him. Braison just keeps pushing – never giving up -- and we are impressed with what he has been able to accomplish this year."

After scoring a win his first night out at Greenville-Pickens (SC) Speedway back in April, two-time KDDP participant Cody Haskins has posted multiple top-five and top-10 finishes, but has yet to revisit Victory Lane. Haskins expanded his personal driver development program for Jensen and Taylor Jorgensen, overseeing their progression into Pro Truck and Pro Late Model series racing, while also raising money for and visiting patients at the Shriner's Hospital in Greenville. "We have been so proud of Cody this year," said Roberts. "His performance on the track has been consistent, but he has really excelled off the track. Like all of our drivers, Cody is a strong advocate not just for our program, but for Alan's legacy, too."

Like fellow Wisconsin native Bennett, Gleason, Wisconsin's Justin Mondeik has struggled through some bad luck this year, too, but has made great progress throughout the season. Mondeik overcame a spectacular accident in ARCA Midwest Tour action at Gateway International Raceway back in June, returning to the tour without missing a race and continuing his aggressive central Wisconsin schedule at Wausau, Plover, and Marshfield. Mondeik and his family-run team have made great strides this season, becoming more consistent during the race and improving his qualifying. "Justin has a never-say-die attitude and we have tremendous respect for him as a person and as a driver,” said Roberts. “He shows up, works hard and races clean. While he doesn't have a win yet this year, the top-fives and top-10s are starting to come. He understands what it takes to be a successful racer these days and his rapport with his sponsors and fans is second to none.”

For Westbrook, Maine's John Peters, on-track incidents and adversity are both obstacles he can relate to. Running among the top-three drivers early in the annual Boss Hog 150 at Wiscasset (ME) Speedway, Peters got caught up in a wreck not of his own making. Trying to avoid a stalled car in the middle of the track, Peters ended up in a horrific crash. In addition to ripping the right side of his race car off and destroying the rear clip, the hard impact caved in the center section of the chassis and broke the motor mounts on his family-owned car. Even worse, he began to suffer from concussion-like symptoms and had to go through concussion protocols and a CT scan. Peters and his team decided to carry on in 2017, purchasing a car from fellow competitor Mike Landry, and returned to the track late last month. In a recent Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) race at Star (NH) Speedway, Peters finished second, his best finish of the year. "John has overcome a lot this season, and we're glad to see him back on the track and running so well," noted Roberts. "We were especially pleased with his Kulwicki Kid program at Beech Ridge this year. This program is all about sharing Alan's story with a new generation, and John did a great job of that. It was so heartwarming to see photos of all the kids and the huge smiles on their faces.”

The second 2017 KDDP point standings will be released on September 27, exclusively on Speed51.com, the organization’s official media partner.

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JOHN PETERS LOOKS TO REBOUND WITH NEW CAR & EXTRA OPTIMISM
-Promising Young KDDP Driver Eager to Bounce Back from Adversity at Beech Ridge on Saturday-

CONCORD, N.C. (August 23, 2017) -- For better or for worse, a racing season can change in an instant. A bit of good luck can propel a struggling racer into victory lane; a bit of bad luck can result in a blown engine, a wrecked race car, or a hurt race driver. For Westbrook, Maine's John Peters, some bad luck on July 30 threw his 2017 season into a tailspin.

Running among the top-three drivers early in the annual Boss Hog 150 at Wiscasset (ME) Speedway, Peters got caught up in a wreck not of his own making. Trying to avoid a stalled car in the middle of the track, Peters ended up in a horrific crash. In addition to ripping the right side of his race car off and destroying the rear clip, the hard impact caved in the center section of the chassis and broke the motor mounts on his family-owned car. Even worse, the Kulwicki Driver Development Program driver began to suffer from concussion-like symptoms and had to go through concussion protocols and a CT scan.

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2017 KDDP POINTS BATTLE SHAPING UP TO BE CLOSEST EVER
-Ostdiek Leads in Initial Kulwicki Cup Voting; Five of Seven Drivers Receive First-Place Votes -

CONCORD, N.C. (August 4, 2017) – The battle for the 2017 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) “Kulwicki Cup” is shaping up to be the closest in the organization’s history. In this season’s first voting report by board members, Lakeville, Minnesota’s Michael Ostdiek leads Marietta, Georgia’s Cody Haskins by a mere two-point margin, 454 to 452. Greeley, Colorado’s Brett Yackey is a close third with 425 points.

“The KDDP points are so tight and I think it’s indicative of the hard work our seven drivers have been doing out there so far this season,” said KDDP executive director Tom Roberts. “The fact that five of the seven drivers received first-place votes speaks volumes about the competitive environment for our program this year. All seven drivers scored bonus points this time around.

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TRAVELERS AND LOCAL STARS VIE FOR THE 38TH SLINGER NATIONALS
-Five Current & Past KDDP Drivers Hope To Be In Tuesday Night’s Starting Field-

SLINGER, Wis. (July 16, 2017) -- Nearly forty years ago, Slinger Speedway track owner Wayne Erickson and short track legend Dick Trickle got together and came up with the idea for a big money, mid-week super late model race that would pit the best from Slinger, the Central Wisconsin Racing Association, and the Midwest against one another. From that nascent idea sprang the Slinger Nationals, which for the past 37 years has provided many thrilling moments.

Last year’s battle between Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Matt Kenseth and Erik Jones was a thriller on the fastest quarter-mile in the world. While neither NASCAR Cup regular will be racing on Tuesday night, there will be plenty of short track stars on hand to put on a tremendous show for what will be a sold out crowd. Georgia’s Bubba Pollard, Arkansas’ Cole Rouse, and Florida’s Steve Dorer are pre-entered, with more drivers certain to throw their hat into the ring this week.

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BRETT YACKEY: THIS RISING YOUNG RACING STAR TRULY IS AN ATHLETE
-KDDP’s “Colorado Kid” is Also Three-Sport Letterman at Greeley Central High School -

Greeley, Colorado’s Brett Yackey is a three-sport athlete at Greeley Central High School and is also one of the most promising young stock car drivers in the nation. The six foot, 185 pound soon-to-be senior wears the No. 32 jersey for the Wildcats football team and also sports that number on the Super Late Model race car he competes in at Colorado National Speedway in Dacono and at other tracks. Yackey is one of seven drivers from across North America who is participating in the Kulwicki Driver Development Program and competing for the $54,439 grand prize. (Photo by Christi Yackey)

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CONCORD, N.C. (June 28, 2017) – The age-old debate about race car drivers being athletes certainly does not pertain to third-generation Colorado racer Brett Yackey. The 17-year-old Kulwicki Driver Development Program competitor is a three-sport star athlete for Greeley Central High School, located in the city some 60 miles northeast of Denver.

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KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SEASON PICKING UP STEAM
-All Seven KDDP Drivers Showing Progress in Pursuit of 2017 Kulwicki Cup-

CONCORD, N.C. (May 25, 2017) – Heading into the Memorial Day weekend, the 2017 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) is beginning to hit its stride as all drivers will begin to see regular action in the coming weeks. Whether is it was rain, cold weather, college classes, or just bad luck, the racing season is really just getting started for several program participants.

“The 2017 season’s battle for the Kulwicki Cup started back on April 1, but this spring has been brutal for trying to get races in," said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. "The guys worked hard all winter to get their equipment ready for the track as soon as the weather turned, but it has been a challenge for sure."

While still very early in the season, Porter Lake, Nova Scotia's Cole Butcher and Marietta, Georgia's Cody Haskins have established themselves as potentially the drivers to beat with very strong finishes against good competition.

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MONDEIK & OSTDIEK BEGIN KULWICKI & ARCA MIDWEST TOUR CAMPAIGNS
-Sunday’s Joe Shear Classic at Madison International Speedway is Season Opener for KDDP Duo-

CONCORD, N.C. (May 5, 2017) – Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) drivers Justin Mondeik and Michael Ostdiek kick off their 2017 racing seasons in Sunday’s 200-lap Joe Shear Classic ARCA Midwest Tour battle at Madison International Speedway. Both drivers are stepping up to run super late models almost exclusively this season and are competing against each other for the series’ coveted Rookie of the Year title. Both are also hoping to be in the mix for the prestigious and lucrative annual KDDP Kulwicki Cup Championship.

For Mondeik, the 2017 season marks the culmination of a steady climb up the short track ranks – from 4-cylinders, to limited late models and now to a full slate of super late model racing.

“We’re really looking forward to competing for the ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year and overall championship this year,” said the 20-year-old charger who hails from Gleason, Wisconsin. “We’ll also be competing in the TUNDRA Series this season. We will be racing more than 40 times this year. It’s going to be a challenge, that’s for sure. We will be running against so many proven winners in every race. It’s not just two or three cars that can win; the whole pack has a shot.”

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COLE BUTCHER HOPES TO BE “IN THE HUNT” AT THE EASTER BUNNY 150
-Promising Young Canadian Driver Looking to Continue Turning Heads in Saturday’s Battle at Hickory-

CONCORD, N.C. (April 13, 2017) -- Entering the third season for the Kulwicki Driver Development Program, the organization has looked far to the North to find talent. Cole Butcher of Porter’s Lake, Nova Scotia, caught the eye of the KDDP staff at the 2016 Snowflake 100 last December at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. Butcher turned heads with a strong top-10 run, putting his car near the top of the speed charts for most of the practices and making even the most seasoned short track racing followers scratch their heads and say, “Cole who?”

The hard-charging 20-year-old has been tearing up the short tracks of the Maritime Provinces in Eastern Canada for the past few years, picking up numerous victories and the 2016 Maritime Pro Stock Series Championship. While he will defend his championship in 2017, Butcher is looking south to make a name for himself and test his abilities against the best in short track racing. This weekend, Butcher will team with 2016 Southern Super Series Champion Donnie Wilson to run the Easter Bunny 150 at the legendary Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Butcher’s camp made a connection with Wilson and hit it off, leading to the Snowflake ride in Florida and this weekend’s race at Hickory.

“We have a super late (model) that we will run with the PASS North a few times, but it makes more sense for us to work with Donnie and his team at Hickory,” said Butcher of this weekend’s Pro All Stars Series (PASS) battle on the 0.363-mile bullring located in Newton, North Carolina. “Donnie has a tremendous program right now and has been great to work with so far. The competition will be really stout at Hickory and we are really looking forward to the challenge.”

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2017 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM COMPETITORS ANNOUNCED
-Team of Seven KDDP Drivers Racing From Canada to Colorado in Representing 1992 NASCAR Champ-

CONCORD, N.C. (March 23, 2017) – Officials of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) announced today the seven drivers who will represent the organization during the 2017 racing season. The seven drivers hail from five different states and Canada and range in age from 17 to 25.

The seven drivers, in alphabetical order, are:

BRAISON BENNETT, 21, NEENAH, WISCONSIN

The son of legendary Wisconsin short track racer Lowell Bennett, Braison made a name for himself in 2016, winning late model track championships at Wisconsin International Raceway (WIR) and Slinger Speedway. In his first full season running super late models, Braison earned the Rookie of the Year title in the highly-competitive TUNDRA Series, picking up several top 10 finishes. An auto mechanic by trade, Braison will defend his track crowns in 2017, run the TUNDRA Series full-time in a super late model, and will expand his super late model schedule as time allows. Braison takes pride in going the extra mile for his fans, giving away trophies and apparel to young fans, and promoting the sport by participating in parades and other community events.

COLE BUTCHER, 20, PORTER’S LAKE, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA

The first Canadian competitor selected for the Kulwicki Driver Development Program, Cole Butcher has established himself as one of the drivers to beat in the Maritime Provinces, winning the Maritime Pro Stock Series title in 2016. He also won the prestigious Atlantic Cat 250, and traveled over a thousand miles to compete in the 2016 Snowflake 100 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. A Business Administration student at the Maritime Business Academy, Butcher will defend his Maritime title in 2017, run select PASS North races as his schedule allows, and make a return trip to Pensacola in December. Butcher and his family are very active with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, having granted wishes to more than 15 children and raising more than $200,000 for the program.

CODY HASKINS, 25, MARIETTA, GEORGIA

A 2016 Kulwicki Driver Development Program finalist, Cody Haskins makes his return to the program with new race cars, an expanded schedule, and something to prove. At the end of the 2016 season, Haskins liquidated his racing inventory, ended his season earlier than expected and started from scratch preparing for 2017. The new cars paid off as Haskins swept the season opening doubleheader at Greenville-Pickens (South Carolina) Speedway earlier in March. A vice president at KRC Power Steering Components, Haskins will branch out this season, running the full CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car schedule, select NWAAS races in South Carolina and hopes to return to super late model racing later in the year.

JUSTIN MONDEIK, 20, GLEASON, WISCONSIN

Hailing from Northern Wisconsin, Justin Mondeik has made a name for himself running the tracks that used to make up the ultra-competitive Central Wisconsin Racing Association (CWRA), winning Rookie of the Year at State Park, Golden Sands, and Marshfield Speedways in 2016. He branched out into ARCA Midwest Tour competition for the first time, finishing 8th in his first race at State Park, where he was a track champion in 2015. For 2017, Mondeik plans to race nearly 40 times, tackling the full ARCA Midwest Tour & TUNDRA Series schedules and other special events as his time allows. This fall, he will enter Michigan Tech University and begin working toward his Mechanical Engineering degree.

MICHAEL OSTDIEK, 19, LAKEVILLE, MINNESOTA

The third-place finisher in the 2016 Kulwicki Driver Development Program, Iowa State University sophomore Michael Ostdiek became a force to be reckoned with throughout the Midwest. A winner in both Elko (Minnesota) Speedway super late model and Big 8 Series competition, Ostdiek and his family-owned team will run the full 2017 ARCA Midwest Tour schedule and selected Big 8 races & local races at his home track at Elko. A Marketing and Management major, Ostidek comes from a racing family. His grandfather, John, once owned Elko Speedway and Raceway Park in Minnesota. Michael started his own driver mentorship program in 2016, assisting young quarter midget racers.

JOHN PETERS, 20, WESTBROOK, MAINE

After just missing the cut for the 2016 Kulwicki Driver Development Program, Maine’s John Peters will compete for the Kulwicki Cup in 2017. A regular competitor at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine, Peters will expand his schedule this year, tackling several PASS North and Granite State Pro Stock Series races. Peters picked up his first late model victory at Beech Ridge in 2016, and finished in 8th position in the season point standings. A Business Administration student at Southern New Hampshire University, Peters is a sponsorship-generating and marketing machine, securing funding for his own team, while also developing social media and marketing strategies for his competitors. Like all KDDP competitors, Peters is very involved in his local community, working to raise money for breast cancer research, a local food bank, and the March of Dimes, among other causes.

BRETT YACKEY, 17, GREELEY, COLORADO

The youngest competitor in the 2017 Kulwicki Driver Development Program, Colorado’s Brett Yackey is coming off a season that saw him win a title at his home track (Colorado National Speedway) and earn the 2016 NWAAS Colorado State Rookie of the Year. The son of perennial race winner and track champion, Bruce Yackey, Brett will step up to compete in super late model competition full time in 2017, running at both Colorado National Speedway and I-25 Speedway in Pubelo, Colorado. A high school junior, Brett has been giving back to his community since a young age, raising money for Brent’s Place, a local charity, and visiting patients at the Denver Children’s Hospital.

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SEMIFINALISTS FOR 2017 KDDP LINEUP ANNOUNCED
-Team of Seven Kulwicki Development Drivers Will Come from This Group of 15 Contenders-

CONCORD, N.C. (Feb. 21, 2017) – After several weeks of reviewing an impressive group of applicants for the 2017 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP), the organization’s advisory board has chosen 15 semifinalists. These drivers will now participate in interview sessions, culminating with the selection of a seven-driver roster that will represent the KDDP this season and compete for the prestigious annual Kulwicki Cup.

The seven selected drivers will each receive a one-time stipend of $7,777 to cover operational expenses. The organization will work to provide the drivers assistance in important aspects such as publicity, marketing, sponsorship development and industry networking during the season as they compete for the “grand prize.” The Kulwicki Cup winner will pick up an additional check worth seven times the initial award ($7,777 x 7 = $54,439) and a special unique trophy. Seymour, Wisconsin’s Ty Majeski was the 2015 Kulwicki Cup winner during the inaugural year for the program and Lomira, Wisconsin’s Alex Prunty claimed the 2016 title.

“The process to select our 2017 KDDP driver lineup has already required some extremely difficult choices by our board members,” said KDDP executive director Tom Roberts. “There were more than 25 different drivers who received votes during the initial round of judging and the board did a fantastic job in narrowing it down to 15 semifinalists. They certainly face an incredible task in selecting just seven drivers out of this group to carry the KDDP colors and compete for the Kulwicki Cup this season.

“A fact that the board members agreed on after reviewing all the applications was that asphalt short-track late model racing has a very healthy future,” said Roberts. “There were many drivers not selected who will definitely be qualified candidates for our program in the next few seasons. The top-15 this year range in age from 16 to 25 and the average age is 20.3 years. We had numerous applicants who were 16 or younger. We urge them all to get another year of experience under their belts and apply again for our 2018 program next December.”

The 15 KDDP semifinalists for 2017 include, in alphabetical order:

WYATT ALEXANDER, 17, ELLSWORTH, MAINE

2016 - Winner, Dave Farrington, Jr. Scholarship in Honor of Alan Kulwicki (given to HS student with plans on studying engineering in college)

2015 - Boss Hogg 100 feature winner at Wiscasset (ME) Speedway

BRAISON BENNETT, 21, NEENAH, WISCONSIN

2016 - TUNDRA Series - Rookie of the Year

2016 - Wisconsin International Raceway - late model series champion

2016 - Wisconsin International Raceway - Red, White, and Blue late model series champion

2015 - Golden Sands (WI) Speedway - SLM Rookie of the Year

JESSE BERNHAGEN, 23, MARKESAN, WISCONSIN

2016 - 5 late model feature wins, including multiple wins at Dells (WI) Raceway Park

COLE BUTCHER, 18, PORTER’S LAKE, NOVA SCOTIA

2016 - Maritime Pro Stock Series - season champion, 3 feature wins

2016 - Atlantic Cat 250 feature winner at Scotia Speedworld

JUSTIN CARROLL, 20, CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA

2016 - Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway - back-to-back LMSC feature wins

DEREK GRIFFITH, 20, HUDSON, NEW HAMPSHIRE

2016 - Pro All Stars (PASS) North Series - 7th place, 1 feature win, 4 top fives

2016 - Oktoberfest feature winner at Lee USA (NH) Speedway

2016 - DAV Fall Classic feature winner at Seekonk (NH) Speedway

CODY HASKINS, 25, MARIETTA, GEORGIA

2016 - Kulwicki Driver Development Program Finalist - 6th place

2016 - 11 top fives in NWAAS Late Model Stock Car series

ANDY JONES, 23, GURNEE, ILLINOIS

3 career Midwest Truck Series feature wins

Multiple-time Legends Car champion at Grundy County (IL) Speedway and Madison (WI) International Speedway

JUSTIN MONDEIK, 20, GLEASON, WISCONSIN

2016 - Golden Sands (WI) Speedway, Marshfield (WI) Super Speedway, and State Park (WI) Speedway - SLM Rookie of the Year

2015 - State Park (WI) Speedway - late model track champion

HALEY MOODY, 22, KINSTON, NORTH CAROLINA

2015 - NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver of the Year

2014 - Southern National (NC) Motorsports Park - late model track champion and ROY

AUSTIN NASON, 21, ROSCOE, ILLINOIS

2016 - ARCA Midwest Tour - 8th place

2016 - Kulwicki Driver Development Program Semi-Finalist

2015 - ARCA Midwest Tour - 4th place, Rookie of the Year

MICHAEL OSTDIEK, 19, LAKEVILLE, MINNESOTA

2016 - Kulwicki Driver Development Program Finalist - 3rd place

2016 - Big 8 Series - 2nd place, 1 feature win

2016 - NWAAS Division II - 3rd place; 4 feature wins at Elko (MN) Speedway

JOHN PETERS, 20, WESTBROOK, MAINE

2016 - Beech Ridge (ME) Motor Speedway - 8th place, 1 feature win

2016 - Kulwicki Driver Development Program Semi-Finalist

LOGAN RUNYON, 20, CAMBRIDGE, OHIO

2016 - Columbus (OH) Motor Speedway - 4th place, Most Improved Driver

BRETT YACKEY, 16, GREELEY, COLORADO

2016 - Colorado National Speedway late model track champion

2016 - Colorado State Rookie of the Year, NWAAS Division 1

The interviewing process of these drivers will occur during the next few weeks. After a final review and vote by the advisory board, the 2017 KDDP team of seven drivers is expected to be announced on Monday, March 20. The competition for the 2017 Kulwicki Cup begins on April 1 and runs through October 31.

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For additional information on the Kulwicki Driver Development Program, please visit the official website at www.kulwickiddp.com . Catch us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/KDDP/435099609983775?ref=hl and follow us on Twitter at @KulwickiDDP.

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ALEX PRUNTY CLAIMS 2016 “KULWICKI CUP” CHAMPIONSHIP
-Rising Wisconsin Racing Star Outpoints Maine’s Farrington by Slimmest of Margins-

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 23, 2016) – Alex Prunty, a 24-year-old rising racing star from Lomira, Wisconsin, has won the 2016 “Kulwicki Cup” Championship, officials for the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) announced today. Prunty won the title by eight points (533-525) over New England standout Dave Farrington, Jr., from Jay, Maine.

“I applaud our advisory board for the outstanding job they did in evaluating the seven drivers and want to say a special thanks to last year’s inaugural champion Ty Majeski for also taking part in the process,” said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. “The battle for this year’s Kulwicki Cup title was as exciting and intense as it could be. Unlike last season when our champion (Majeski) had such a spectacular fall that he distanced himself from the competition, this contest was incredibly close and went down to the wire.

“The final point standings certainly reflect the importance of everything that goes into winning our prestigious award. It’s not just what you do on the race track that counts. Our mission is to help worthy drivers toward reaching their dreams while at the same time keeping Alan Kulwicki’s memory and legacy alive. I think our board and Ty did an excellent job in keeping that goal paramount in this undertaking.

“The board members and Ty were superb in completing their assignment,” said Roberts. “They considered each driver’s on-track accomplishments and continued to place great value on community involvement, off-track projects and social media activities. They awarded bonus points for drivers going the extra mile in representing our organization.”

The final 2016 KDDP “Kulwicki Cup” point standings:

1) – Alex Prunty – 533

2) – Dave Farrington Jr. – 525

3) – Michael Ostdiek -- 496

4) – Jeremy Doss – 488

5) – Brandon Setzer – 246

6) – Cody Haskins – 204

7) – Quin Houff – 175

“While Alex held a considerable points lead for the most of the season, Dave was relentless in his efforts on and off the track,” said Roberts. “Both drivers faced some of the toughest competition out there on a weekly basis. In the end, it was the overall judging & bonus points that gave Alex the edge. They truly are both championship-caliber competitors.”

Prunty moved up to Super Late Models for the 2016 season and won races at Slinger Speedway and at Dells Raceway Park. He earned Rookie of the Year honors at Slinger and finished third in the track’s SLM division points for the year. He was lauded during the judging process for his off-track activities including starting the Alan Kulwicki Memorial Go-Kart Program for young racers and constantly spreading the Kulwicki theme to schools, libraries and businesses in the area. He received national attention for the Alan Kulwicki memorial helmet he debuted at the Slinger Nationals and wore much of the season. He was a social media savant; constantly posting about his racing, his numerous off-track activities and the KDDP program in general. He shared a tremendous communication level with all the other drivers.

Farrington, the only driver to be a member of both KDDP classes, posted five wins and 18 top-five finishes during the competition, including his first career victories at his home track, Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. He carried the Kulwicki colors in a remarkable 38 races at 10 tracks in four states. Farrington received special accolades from the voting panel for his off-track activities that included starting the Dave Farrington Jr. Scholarship Fund given to a deserving high school student, visiting hospitals and contributing his time to numerous community activities. He ran several special color schemes during the season, featuring tributes to Kulwicki and Dennis Czarnyszka, a board member who passed away in June. He even changed his car number to “7” (Kulwicki’s number) for the final races of the season. Farrington also received praise for his social media activities during the year.

“Although the contest for the Kulwicki Cup ultimately came down to the battle between Alex and Dave, Michael Ostdiek and Jeremy Doss are to be commended for hanging in there and making the points situation interesting until the very end,” said Roberts. “Those two drivers both earned more on-track points than the others and their off-track activities were duly noted by the voters. Brandon Setzer came on strong at the end on and off the track. He was moving up in the standings and his community service work was impressive. Cody Haskins and Quin Houff both started strong in every aspect, but equipment failures and issues out of their control took their toll before the season ended.

“Alan would have been so proud of all of these racers,” said Roberts. “When you look back on the season, each of them certainly benefitted from our support and progressed in some unique fashion during the year. They were great representatives for the KDDP and we will forever appreciate their efforts. They are all special young competitors who have promising careers in racing if given the right opportunities.”

Prunty and the other six members of the 2016 KDDP class will be honored during the organization’s banquet set for Wednesday, Dec. 14 in the Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Highlighting the activities for the evening (which would have been Alan Kulwicki’s 62nd birthday) will be the presentation of the winner’s check for $54,439 and the special KDDP Kulwicki Cup Champion’s trophy to Prunty. The event will feature a live online broadcast by Speed51.com, the official media partner of the KDDP.

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2017 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM APPLICATION

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Established in 2015 by the family of 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Alan Kulwicki, the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) is the premier short track driver development program for pro and super late model drivers in North America. The role of the KDDP is to help worthy drivers achieve their dreams, while at the same time keeping alive the legacy of Alan Kulwicki. The program will provide assistance to up-and-coming racers in several ways. A one-time stipend will provide financial support in covering operational expenses, transportation costs, entry fees, development of promotional and marketing materials, and assistance with necessary equipment. Staff and friends of the KDDP will assist participants in areas such as sponsorship development; publicity, marketing, and social media; business education; and industry networking and relationship building.

Seven drivers will be selected to participate in the season-long race for the 2017 Kulwicki Cup. Each driver will receive a $7,777 stipend at the beginning of the season, and will compete against one another for the $54,439 grand prize and a coveted, one-of-a-kind trophy. Drivers are required to compete in a MINIMUM of fifteen races over the course of the season. Program participants will be judged on race results, off-track civic participation, program promotion, fan interaction, and stewardship for Alan's story

DownLoad Application

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FARRINGTON & SETZER LOOKING TO END CAMPAIGNS ON HIGH NOTE
-KDDP Competitors Hoping To Turn Heads at Seekonk & Hickory Speedways This Weekend-

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 27, 2016) -- With just one weekend remaining in the Kulwicki Driver Development Program “Kulwicki Cup” competition, drivers at opposite ends of the standings are looking for a strong finish to the 2016 season.

Jay, Maine’s Dave Farrington, Jr. has been on an absolute tear over the past couple of weeks, racing six times since October 7 and picking up two valuable wins. Shortly after the September judging cycle for the KDDP program had ended, Farrington picked up a win at Wiscasset Speedway. He followed it up with another victory at the Maine short track on October 8.

Farrington raced three times during the weekend of October 14, including two trips to Unity Speedway and a strong top-10 at Oxford Plains Speedway. This past weekend, Farrington came from the rear of the field to take the victory in the 75-lap Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) feature at the Waterford Speedbowl in Connecticut.

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ALEX PRUNTY CONTINUES TO LEAD “KULWICKI CUP” POINT STANDINGS
-Farrington Second; Ostdiek on the Move; Doss in Position to Leap; 2016 Battle Far From Being Over-

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 30, 2016) – Alex Prunty’s incredible rookie season in Super Late Models sees him continue to lead in the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) “Kulwicki Cup” point standings. The 23-year-old Lomira, Wisconsin driver has won SLM features on his home track at Slinger and at the Dells Raceway Park. Prunty has scored more than 15 top-five finishes, including seven second-place finishes. He was a legitimate challenger for the Slinger Speedway SLM championship, finishing a strong third in the points.

With the month of October remaining to decide the 2016 “Kulwicki Cup” champion, Prunty holds the lead over Jay, Maine’s Dave Farrington Jr., with rising racing star Michael Ostdiek and West Coast hot shoe Jeremy Doss in hot pursuit.

“Alex has had an impressive season for a rookie driver in Super Late Model racing against some of the toughest competition out there,” said KDDP executive director Tom Roberts. “Dave picked up his first career wins at Beech Ridge this season and challenged for the track championship all season long before finishing third in points. Michael has really come on strong and is turning heads on a weekly basis now. Jeremy won the prestigious Montana 200 and is positioned to make a strong run to the finish in his attempt to win our program’s championship.

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HOUFF & SETZER LOOKING FOR 2016 TURNAROUND AT CONCORD
-Kulwicki Driver Development Program Competitors Ready for Saturday’s CARS Tour Battle-

CONCORD, N.C. (August 25, 2016) – Heading into this weekend’s CARS Tour Lead 2 Real Estate Group 200 at Concord Speedway, Virginia’s Quin Houff and North Carolina’s Brandon Setzer are both looking for a 2016 turnaround. Entering the season, both drivers were seen as top contenders for the 2016 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) championship, but the dark clouds of bad luck have followed these young drivers most of the season, putting them well behind in the annual Kulwicki Cup standings.

Houff, who drives a house car for LFR Chassis, started off the season strong with a victory in the CARS Tour lid lifter at Southern National Motorsports Park in April. Since then, though, the young driver has struggled with mechanical troubles and has had a hard time finishing races. “We have really had an up and down year,” said Houff. “We got that early win, and felt really good about where we were, but ever since the Nashville Southern Super Series race, the car just hadn’t been the same.”

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DAVE FARRINGTON JR. PREPARING FOR BIG WEEKEND AT BEECH RIDGE
-Maine’s KDDP Driver ‘Double-Dipping;’ Racing in Both ACT 100-Lap Feature & 40-Lap Pro Series Battle-

CONCORD, N.C. (August 1, 2016) – On a normal Monday, Dave Farrington Jr. could be found pulling a 12-hour shift at General Dynamic’s Bath Iron Works shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine. But this is no typical Monday. Instead, Farrington is taking a day off from his position as an area supervisor building United States Navy warships and can be found in his race shop located 65 miles away.

“It’s one of the biggest racing weekends of the year coming up at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway and we’re determined to be as prepared as we possibly can,” said Farrington, the only driver to be part of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) for both seasons that it has been in existence. “It’s our goal to win both our 40-lap NASCAR Pro Series feature and the 100-lapper for the American-Canadian Tour there on Saturday night. It’ll be a huge challenge, but we will be ready and are really looking forward to it.”

In order to accomplish his goal, Farrington is busy preparing two different race cars for Saturday’s action on the 1/3-mile asphalt oval located in Scarborough, Maine. With all of the prep work between now and Saturday done by just Dave and his father, it is quite amazing to consider the schedules the Farringtons face between now and then.

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“ONE MAN BAND” HASKINS SEEKS STRONG FINISH TO 2016 SEASON
-Georgia’s Determined KDDP Representative Epitomizes Doing Things the “Alan Kulwicki Way”-

CONCORD, N.C. (July 29, 2016) – At only 24 years of age, Georgia's Cody Haskins has achieved some remarkable things in both his racing career and his professional life. By day, he serves as a Vice President at KRC Power Steering Pumps, consulting with some of NASCAR's finest engineers on a daily basis. By night, you will find Haskins in his race shop in Dawsonville. Just like his peers, he can be found testing shocks, working on the motor and cleaning parts, getting ready for the weekend's events at his three main race tracks; Anderson, Greenville-Pickens or Myrtle Beach.

But what distinguishes Haskins from other racers is that many nights he is all alone in the shop. In fact, even at the race track, aside from his spotter and sisters Madison and Blakely Sheriff, who take care of his social media and PR, Haskins is the only one that touches his two race cars. "Ever since I started, I've owned my cars, paid for them, and drove them,” said Haskins. “It's all my responsibility. Last year we ran great, so it was easy. But this year, it's been a struggle, so we're chasing right now. But it's going to turn around; we’re confident of that."

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ALEX PRUNTY LEADS FIRST 2016 “KULWICKI CUP” POINT STANDINGS
-KDDP Board Notes Importance of Competition Level, Social Media Skills & Community Involvement-

CONCORD, N.C. (July 8, 2016) – In somewhat of a surprise, the early leader in the 2016 Kulwicki Driver Development Program’s “Kulwicki Cup” point standings has yet to win a race this season. In the organization’s initial evaluation, which considered the seven drivers’ on and off-track performances from April 1 through June 30, Wisconsin’s Alex Prunty holds a slim 12 point lead over Maine’s Dave Farrington Jr. California driver Jeremy Doss is in third and closing the gap.

The early standings look like this:

1) – Alex Prunty – 463

2) – Dave Farrington Jr. – 451

3) – Jeremy Doss – 411

4) – Quin Houff – 319

5) – Michael Ostdiek – 280

6) – Cody Haskins – 269

7) – Brandon Setzer – 148

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TIGHT COMPETITION EVIDENT IN BATTLE FOR 2016 KULWICKI CUP
-Seven Drivers Competing for Prestigious Award; First KDDP Points Update Slated for July 6-

CONCORD, N.C. (June 23, 2016) – Heading into the final weekend of June, the seven Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) drivers are embroiled in a tight competition for the top spot in the first point standings of the season, set to be released on July 6.

In 2015, eventual Kulwicki Cup champion Ty Majeski led the standings from wire-to-wire, chalking up a remarkable 19 wins during the KDDP competition. Behind him, though, drivers like Steve Apel, Cole Williams, and Reagan May racked up multiple wins and top-five finishes, keeping the points chase close until Majeski went on a hot streak late in the season.

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SETZER LOOKS TO RETURN TO FORM AT TRI-COUNTY SPEEDWAY
-One of Hottest Young SLM Drivers in 2015; Second-Generation Driver Ready to Roll-

CONCORD, N.C. (June 10, 2016) – At the close of 2015, Newton, North Carolina’s Brandon Setzer was one of the hottest super late model drivers in the country. Coming off a CARS Tour season that saw him win two races and pick up both the Mason Dixon Meltdown at Hickory Speedway and Thanksgiving Classic at Southern National Motorsports Park in November, Setzer had his hopes set high as the calendar turned to 2016.

An early season accident at Speedfest in January, though, turned out to be a significant setback for the team owned by his father, former NASCAR Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series standout Dennis Setzer.

“We had a great run going and got into a wreck racing for the lead after a restart,” Setzer said. “Even after we replaced the front and rear clips, the car just has not been as good as it was last year. You know, these things are so sensitive: a tube could be flexing more, not as much -- you just never know. But, we have had a strong couple tests since the last CARS race and we are in good shape headed into the weekend back at Tri-County.”

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FARRINGTON HUNGRY FOR MORE AFTER FIRST BEECH RIDGE VICTORY
-Former Track & Maine State NASCAR Champion Thinks Best Is Yet To Come In 2016 Season-

CONCORD, N.C. (June 9, 2016) – Dave Farrington Jr. ran his first NASCAR Whelen All American Series race at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway back in May of 2010. Some 35 Pro Series features later, Farrington was finally able to take his bright orange family-owned No. 23 Ford Fusion to Victory Lane last Saturday night at the 1/3-mile track in Scarborough, Maine.

“It was an emotional win for sure,” said Farrington, the only driver to be part of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) for both seasons that it has been in existence. “We’ve been so close for so many times during the last five years and that certainly made our breakthrough victory so special. Plus having all our great sponsors and the KDDP riding along with us added to the significance of what happened Saturday night.

“After the big win, somebody asked me how many races we’d finished as runner-up at Beech Ridge. I could only say ‘far too many.’ We won the track championship back in 2014 without winning a race, but we finished second in four races there that year.

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JEREMY DOSS ENJOYING EARLY 2016 SEASON SUCCESS
-Promising Young California Driver Has Momentum Heading Into Stockton 99 PCS Battle-

CONCORD, N.C. (May 18, 2016) – Upper Lake, California’s Jeremy Doss has been on a roll so far during the early part of the 2016 racing season. The popular and promising 19-year-old driver has already scored two wins and three top-five finishes this year. He is quickly establishing himself as the next big racing star to come out of the West.

Driving the family-owned Earnest Performance-S&S Sports Enterprises-Pathfinder Chassis Ford Fusion, Doss scored a convincing win in the last Pacific Challenge Series (PCS) race at Ukiah Speedway on May 8 and won the feature event at Rocky Mountain Raceway in Utah on May 14.

“We’ve had a great start to the season so far,” said Doss, who began his career winning races and championships in Legends cars at Ukiah. “We were really competitive in the Winter Showdown at Kern County (finished third) and have carried that momentum through April and May.”

For Doss, the win at his Ukiah home track held special meaning. “It’s always great to win in front of family, friends, and your fans. They support us no matter what,” said Doss, the all-time winningest driver in PCS history (17 features).

After three of the scheduled 13 PCS races have been put into the record book, Doss holds a slim two-point lead over his JD Motorsports teammate Jeff Bischofberger. The former Spears Southwest Tour Rookie-of-the-Year senses that the PCS is definitely on the rise. “We were excited to join back up with the PCS this year,” said Doss. “There are several good cars at each show, there isn’t a ton of travel and the tire rules (one set of American Racers per race) are really favorable. As time goes by, I think we will see even more cars join the tour.”

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“KULWICKI KID” HEADED TO HAWKEYE DOWNS THIS WEEKEND
-Michael Ostdiek Enjoying Distinction of Being One of the Seven KDDP Drivers for 2016-

CONCORD, N.C. (May 5, 2016) – Michael Ostdiek completed his last final exam for the semester at Iowa State University on Tuesday. He now can place his full focus on his budding career as a stock car driver until classes begin again in late August.

“I’ve officially finished my freshman year at Iowa State and we’re ready to really get after it,” said the 18-year-old driver from Lakeville, Minnesota. “First up on our schedule now is heading down to Cedar Rapids for the season-opener at Hawkeye Downs on Saturday afternoon. It’s just a regular show for their late models, but we’re looking to use it in preparation for when the Big 8 Series heads back there in a few weeks (for the June 3 ‘Clash at the Downs’).”

In his only start so far this season, Ostdiek qualified fifth (of 30 cars) and finished sixth in the April 17 Spring Classic Big-8 Late Model battle at Rockford Speedway.

“It was only two weeks after we learned we had been added to the KDDP (Kulwicki Driver Development Program) roster and we hoped to have a good run wearing their decals and patches for the first time,” said Ostdiek. “When you consider that our power steering went out early in the feature and we held on to finish sixth, it was a pretty solid showing. It was my best finish in three races there.

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THE 2016 KDDP SEASON BEGINS WITH A BIG BANG
-Houff, Haskins & Doss Already Turning Heads Early; Looking For More Success This Weekend-

CONCORD, N.C. (April 8, 2016) -- The 2016 Kulwicki Driver Development Program started off strong with a resounding victory by Mount Sidney, Virginia’s Quin Houff in the CARS Tour opener at Southern National Motorsports Park in North Carolina. Houff and two of his fellow 2016 KDDP competitors -- Marietta, Georgia’s Cody Haskins and Upper Lake, California’s Jeremy Doss, will take to the track this weekend as this season’s action begins to heat up.

Houff, who won the CARS Tour race at Tri-County (N.C.) Speedway last season, started third and dominated the 150-LAP super late model feature this past Sunday at SNMP. He edged out 2016 KDDP semifinalist and 2015 CARS Tour SLM Champion Cole Timm for the victory. For Houff, the win was a long time coming for his LFR Chassis team and the early season success has the #beatincancerwithduke driver looking for many more wins.

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MICHAEL OSTDIEK ADDED TO 2016 KULWICKI DEVELOPMENT ROSTER
-18-Year-Old Hard-Charging Racer & Iowa State Student Says Opportunity Is “Dream Come True”-

CONCORD, N.C. (April 4, 2016) – Michael Ostdiek, a promising 18-year-old driver from Lakeville, Minnesota, has been added to the 2016 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) roster. Ostdiek, a freshman at Iowa State University who plans on majoring in engineering or marketing, was ecstatic when he received the news over the weekend.

“Being named a member of the KDDP team and participating in their program is a dream come true for my team and me personally,” said Ostdiek, the former Great North Legends champion, Elko (Minn.) Speedway Driver of the Year and 2015 NASCAR Whelen All American Series Minnesota Rookie of the Year. “I am so excited to get this opportunity and what it means to us will make a major difference in our plans for this season.

“With the KDDP support, we’ll be adding several more races to our schedule this year,” Ostdiek said. “We’ll be running all the Big 8 Series races and now we’ll be able to add more TUNDRA events and travel to more of the ARCA Midwest Tour races. This will also now allow us to make it over to WIR (Wisconsin International Raceway near Kaukauna, Wisconsin) and compete in the Red, White and Blue Series beginning in June.

“One of the biggest aspects of the program that I know we will benefit from will come from the marketing and PR standpoint,” said Ostdiek. “There are still so many race fans out there who do not know who we are and what we are all about. Until now, what publicity we have gotten has come from whatever my family could generate. I have been pretty active on social media over the last few years, but the support from the KDDP will definitely work in our favor.

“With my family’s background in auto racing (grandfather John Ostdiek owned Elko Speedway and Raceway Park in Minnesota for several years beginning in 1976), I have always been a big student of racing history, especially in the Midwest,” Ostdiek added. “I was just an infant when my parents brought me to the race track for the first time. My dad (Dan) was a huge fan of Alan and that ZEREX color scheme he ran was one of his favorites.

“It’s a true honor to get this opportunity to be one of the KDDP drivers,” said Ostdiek. “I can’t wait to get the decals put on the car and patches put on my uniform. I was already optimistic about having a good season this year, but now I’m thinking we can have a great year out there.”

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2016 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM LINEUP ANNOUNCED
-Team Of Seven KDDP Drivers Racing From Coast To Coast In Representing 1992 NASCAR Champ-

CONCORD, N.C. (March 17, 2016) – Officials of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) announced today the seven drivers who will represent the organization during the 2016 racing season. The seven drivers hail from six states spread from coast to coast. They range from 18 to 24 years in age.

The seven drivers, in alphabetical order, are: Story

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SEMIFINALISTS COMPETING FOR 2016 KDDP LINEUP ANNOUNCED
-Team Of Seven Kulwicki Development Drivers Will Come from This Group Of 17 Contenders-

CONCORD, N.C. (Feb. 17, 2016) – An incredibly impressive number of applicants for the 2016 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) has been reduced to 17 semifinalists, officials of the organization announced today. These drivers will now participate in interviews with the program’s advisory board members and seven competitors will be chosen from the group to represent the KDDP this season.

“This is a true statement as to the quality of applicants we received this time around,” said KDDP executive director Tom Roberts. “Our original goal was to pare the group down to 14 semifinalists, but after multiple votes and tiebreakers the field was narrowed down to 17 drivers.

“I applaud the tremendous job our board members have done so far in this process,” said Roberts. “I personally do not have a vote, but I challenged myself to select 14 drivers out of all the applications we received. I could not do it because I honestly felt like there were more than 30 qualified and deserving drivers who applied for our program.

“Competitors from eight states stretching from Maine to California are represented in the group selected by our board,” Roberts added. “There is so much depth in talent among these drivers. The group contains accomplished veterans, track champions and several promising young drivers who could be on the cusp of having breakout racing seasons this year. The board will face a monumental task in selecting our seven-member 2016 KDDP class from this group, but we are eager to get that process under way next week.”

The 17 KDDP semifinalists for 2016 include, in alphabetical order:

Justin Crider, 19, Statesville, N.C.
2 Top-5s in CARS Tour LMSC series; 2015 Kulwicki Driver Development Program participant

Natalie Decker, 18, Eagle River, Wis.
2015 NASCAR D4D participant

Jeremy Doss, 19, Upper Lake, Calif.
7 super late model victories in 2015

Dave Farrington, Jr., 24, Jay, Maine
2014 NWAAS Maine State Champion; 2015 Kulwicki Driver Development Program participant

Jared Fryar, 21, Trinity, N.C.
1 SLM victory at Central Texas Speedway in 2015

Garrett Hall, 21, Scarborough, Maine
2015 runner-up at Beech Ridge (ME) Motor Speedway

Cody Haskins, 24, Marietta, Ga.
2015 Rupert Porter Memorial 100 winner at Anderson (SC) Speedway

Quin Houff, 18, Mount Sidney, Va.
1 CARS Tour Super Late Model feature victory

Jordan Ives, 17, Gladstone, Mich.
3 LM feature wins at Norway (MI) Speedway in 2015

Bobby Kendall, 20, Montello, Wis.
2014 Fast Dash Champion at Dells Raceway Park

Reagan May, 22, DePere, Wis.
6 LM feature wins in 2015; 2015 Kulwicki Driver Development Program participant

Austin Nason, 20, Roscoe, Wis.
8 LM feature wins in 2015; 2015 ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year

Michael Ostdiek, 18, Lakeville, Minn.
2015 NWAAS Minnesota State Rookie of the Year

John Peters, 18, Westbrook, Maine
1 LM win at Wiscasset (ME) Speedway

Alex Prunty, 23, Lomira, Wis.
2015 Slinger Speedway LM Champion; 2015 Dells Raceway Park SLM Rookie of the Year

Brandon Setzer, 22, Newton, N.C.
2 CARS Tour Super Late Model feature victories

Cole Timm, 17, Mooresville, N.C.
2015 CARS Tour Super Late Model Series Champion

The interviewing process is being scheduled for the next two weeks. After a final vote by the seven-member advisory board, the 2016 KDDP team of seven drivers is expected to be announced on March 11.

# # #

RACING LEGEND RUSTY WALLACE FEATURED SPEAKER AT KDDP BANQUET
-NASCAR Hall-Of-Famer Was Close Friend Of Alan Kulwicki; Is Inspiration To Young Competitors-

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 25, 2015) – NASCAR Champion and Hall-of-Famer Rusty Wallace will serve as the featured speaker at the inaugural Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) banquet on Dec. 14. The first-year organization’s celebration event will be held in the Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“We are thrilled to have Rusty as our featured speaker at the inaugural KDDP banquet,” said KDDP executive director Tom Roberts. “His close friendship with Alan back in the day and his connection with what our program is all about made him such a perfect fit for our occasion. We are so appreciative that he was able to work it into his busy schedule and join us there for our special occasion.”

“When I learned all the background about the KDDP and what the organization does for young racers out there, I said I’d be thrilled to be there,” said Wallace, who won 55 NASCAR Sprint Cup races and claimed the 1989 premier series points championship during his illustrious racing career. “It will be a fun night at the Speedway Club meeting and chatting with the class of seven drivers who represented the KDDP this season.

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TY MAJESKI CLAIMS 2015 INAUGURAL KULWICKI CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
-Rising Racing Superstar Has Incredible Season; Impressive On & Off Track Representing KDDP-

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 18, 2015) – Ty Majeski’s incredible 2015 racing season will reach a peak on Dec. 14 when he is crowned the inaugural Kulwicki Cup Champion. Majeski and the other six members of the first-ever class of Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) drivers will be honored on that night next month at the organization’s banquet in the Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Highlighting the evening’s activities will be the presentation of the champion’s check for $54,439 and special one-of-a-kind champion’s trophy to Majeski.

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SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH TY MAJESKI, KULWICKI CUP CHAMPION
-Inaugural 2015 KDDP Champion Cites Program for Pushing Him to Excel & Succeed-

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 18, 2015) – Ty Majeski, a rising 21-year-old racing star from Seymour, Wisconsin, has won the inaugural Kulwicki Cup for his performance during in 2015. Majeski reflected on his racing season and what it was like to be among the first class of seven drivers to represent the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) and participate in the season-long competition: (Note: Responses are exactly as given and not altered in any manner.)

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2016 KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM APPLICATION AVAILABLE
-Seven Drivers Will Be Selected To Compete For 2016 Kulwicki Cup; Download Application Online-

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 14, 2015) – The official application for the 2016 Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) is now available online and by request.

As was the case with the incredibly successful 2015 inaugural year for the program, seven drivers will be selected to participate in the KDDP class of 2016. Chosen by the organization’s seven-member advisory board, each driver will receive a $7,777 stipend at the beginning of the season.

Then, those drivers will compete against one another for the annual Kulwicki Cup award. The overall winner receives a $54,439 grand prize (7 X $7,777) and a coveted, one-of-a-kind trophy.

Drivers are required to compete in a MINIMUM of fifteen races over the course of the season. Program participants will be judged on race results, off-track civic participation, program promotion, fan interaction, and stewardship for Alan’s story

Established in 2015 by the family of 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Alan Kulwicki, the Kulwicki Driver Development Program is the premier short track driver development program for pro and super late model drivers in North America. The role of the KDDP is to help worthy drivers achieve their dreams, while at the same time keeping alive the legacy of Alan Kulwicki. The program will provide assistance to up-and-coming racers in several ways. A one-time stipend will provide financial support in covering operational expenses, transportation costs, entry fees, development of promotional and marketing materials, and assistance with necessary equipment. Staff and friends of the KDDP will assist participants in areas such as sponsorship development; publicity, marketing, and social media; business education; and industry networking and relationship building.

“We are awaiting the final voting results to determine our inaugural 2015 Kulwicki Cup champ and are looking forward to our KDDP banquet in Charlotte next month, but the 2016 season is just around the corner,” said KDDP executive director Tom Roberts. “We’re making the 2016 application available now in order to give everyone adequate time to get them submitted by our Dec. 31 deadline.”

The final 2015 Kulwicki Cup point standings will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 18 on Speed51.com, the official media partner of the KDDP. The champion and all members of the inaugural 2015 class will be recognized at the KDDP banquet set for Dec. 14 in The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The event will feature a live online broadcast by Speed51 TV.

To complete the 2016 KDDP application, please follow this link and complete . This is the prefered method: docs at Google Applications can also be requested by mail at KDDP, P.O. Box 1020, Guntersville, AL 35976. Copies of the application will also be available during the upcoming annual Snowball Derby weekend at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla.

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THELMA KULWICKI MOURNED BY RACERS, FRIENDS & CONSTITUENTS
-Family Matriarch Remembered For Her Kindness, Generosity & Determination-

MILWAUKEE (Oct. 20, 2015) – Thelma Kulwicki was laid to rest yesterday at St. Adalbert's Cemetery in Milwaukee. Fittingly, her grave is directly beside husband Gerald’s, who passed away in 2008. A stone’s throw across the massive neatly-kept graveyard lays the final resting place of her stepson Alan, the 1992 NASCAR Champion.

Mrs. Kulwicki passed away peacefully at her Milwaukee home last Tuesday evening. She will be forever remembered for her kindness, generosity and determination.

“She was so special and never realized she meant so much to so many people,” said Julie Horanski, who delivered the opening remarks at Mrs. Kulwicki’s memorial service on Monday at St. Matthias Catholic Church. Horanski dated Alan and accompanied him to the 1992 NASCAR Awards Banquet in New York. She remained a close family friend after Alan’s untimely death in a plane crash on April 1, 1993.

“Thelma lived a full life during her 89 years here on earth,” added Horanski. “We certainly mourn her passing, yet we should be happy and celebrate what a wonderful and kind lady she was. Heaven has added another special angel.”

Mrs. Kulwicki’s love for automobile racing extended far beyond just being a fan who attended races with her husband to cheer her stepson on. Her charitable endeavors to the sport over the years have included the establishment of engineering scholarships at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

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KDDP NAMES SPEED51.COM AS "OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER"
-Kulwicki Driver Development Program Thrilled To Have Alliance With "Short Track Source" -

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 28, 2014) – Officials of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) announced today that Speed51.com will be the "official media partner" for the organization.

"We are thrilled and excited to have formed this special alliance with Speed51.com," said KDDP Executive Director Tom Roberts. "Speed51.com is the nation's preeminent site for asphalt short track racing. It is the perfect vehicle to help us spread the word as we move forward with our new program."

"We are very honored to be a part of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program," Bob Dillner, Speed51.com owner said. "Alan Kulwicki was a unique individual who did things differently back when he raced and has become a standard that we see in the sport today. We are excited to help promote a program that is helping the next generation of drivers in our sport."

The KDDP was established earlier this year by the family of late NASCAR Champion Alan Kulwicki. The program's mission is to help worthy drivers along in their careers, while simultaneously keeping Alan's memory and legacy alive. The organization announced earlier this week that seven drivers will be selected to compete for the inaugural "Kulwicki Cup" award during the 2015 racing season.

"When Alan was running the short tracks of the Midwest, we could follow his progress in the racing papers like Midwest Racing News, Checkered Flag Racing News and others," said Roberts. "Those publications were so instrumental in helping get the word out about Alan and so many other young racers back then. The times have changed and taken its toll on print media. That's why Speed51.com has become so important. It has assumed the mantle as the premier news source for short track racing and has carried on the heritage of all those old great racing trade papers.

"Not only do I visit Speed51.com on a regular basis, I have personally been a registered member of the site for quite some time now," said Roberts. "It is truly your one-stop information source for all short track racing news. Their 'Trackside Now' reporting and '51 Live TV' events have taken short track media coverage to a new level.

"Bob Dillner and I have been friends for many years and I have so much respect for what he has done to help keep our sport vibrant during some tough economic times," Roberts added. "Bob and wife Angie have put together an incredible staff of professionals at Speed51 and we are so pleased to have the opportunity to work with them."

# # #

KULWICKI DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM DETAILS ANNOUNCED
-Seven Drivers Will Be Selected To Contend For Inaugural “Kulwicki Cup” During 2015 Season-

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 25, 2014) – Officials of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) announced the details of their exciting new program today. The specifics call for the organization to select seven drivers who will contend for the inaugural “Kulwicki Cup” during the 2015 racing season.

The KDDP was established earlier this year by the family of late NASCAR Champion Alan Kulwicki. The organization’s mission is to help worthy drivers along the way in reaching their dream, while at the same time keeping alive Alan’s memory and legacy.

“The operating point for all of our activities will revolve around the number 7,” said Tom Roberts, executive director of the KDDP. “Not only does every race fan out there associate Alan with that number, it also has incredible significance elsewhere. In numerology, the number 7 represents the thinker and the seeker. Those were certainly descriptive of Alan. Many say there is even something spiritual about the number.

“We will be selecting seven drivers from the applications we collect to vie for our inaugural Kulwicki Cup award,” said Roberts. “Each of the seven drivers will receive a one-time stipend of $7,777 early in the season. The Kulwicki Cup winner will pick up an additional check worth seven times that amount ($7,777 x 7 = $54,439). There will also be a really cool trophy and special surprises in store for our Kulwicki Cup recipient.

“The financial support we will be offering to the selected drivers will come in handy in covering things like entry fees and operational expenses, but that’s only the beginning,” Roberts explained. “We will also be assisting those seven drivers in other important aspects in racing such as publicity, marketing, sponsorship development and industry networking.”

The KDDP is a non-profit organization made up of a small staff and management team. The program has an advisory board comprised of seven members. The group includes Kulwicki’s former colleagues, members of the racing community and legal, financial and accounting professionals.

“We have an extremely well-rounded team affiliated with the KDDP and our group can offer so much support to aspiring young racers,” said Roberts. “There are many drivers out there who have the potential to be successful. It is our mission to be instrumental in helping them achieve their goals.

“It is due to the graciousness and dedication of the Kulwicki Family that the KDDP was founded,” Roberts added. “We are committed to helping drivers in numerous ways, while at the same time keeping Alan’s dream alive. We hope to educate many about who Alan was and what he stood for along the way. It promises to be a fun and rewarding journey.”

The selection of the seven KDDP drivers will be done via an application basis. All the applications received will be reviewed by the organization and the seven drivers will be named early next February. The application form can be downloaded or requested on the official KDDP website (www.KulwickiDDP.com). The deadline for receiving entries is Friday, Dec. 26, 2014.

* * *

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION/EXECUTION INFORMATION

The Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) has been established by the family of late NASCAR Champion Alan Kulwicki to help worthy drivers along the way in reaching their dream, while at the same time keeping alive Alan’s memory and legacy.

The program will provide assistance to up-and-coming racers in several different ways. A one-time stipend will provide financial support in covering operational expenses, transportation costs, entry fees and assistance with necessary equipment. Staff and friends of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program will assist participants in areas such as sponsorship development; publicity, marketing, social media, business education, industry networking and relationship building.

KDDP is aimed at the "grass roots” racer. The program hopes to identify and assist a driver in the early stages of his or her career. While Alan Kulwicki did it “his way,” going from a track champion at Slinger (WI) Speedway, to winning American Speed Association (ASA) races across the United States, to an owner-driver on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit in just a few short years. Only through Alan’s drive, his determination, and the dedication of a handful of talented crew members was he able to become the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion.

The Kulwicki Driver Development Program hopes to play a significant role in developing the next generation of America’s short track racers, serving as a steward not only for Alan’s legacy, but for the growth of asphalt late model racing. If Alan were with us today, he would have his eye on the short tracks, looking for the next young racer with the drive to succeed. Through strategic partnerships and relationships, the KDDP hopes to become a crucial link in helping a handful of young men and women achieve their racing dreams.

Drivers will have experience in late model racing. There is no age limit, but preference will be given to candidates between the ages of 18 and 25.

* * *

7 drivers from across the nation will be selected by the KDDP to contend for the “Kulwicki Cup.”
One-time stipend to each competitor of $7,777 at beginning of 2015 racing season
Aforementioned support to the 7 drivers throughout season.
7 drivers selected agree to abide by rules & regulations established by KDDP. Included in agreement will be mandatory ID on car & driver’s uniform and code of conduct.
“Kulwicki Cup” winner is not totally based on their on-track results, but on their overall “performance” on and off the track. The winner, selected by the KDDP (with potential involvement from fans/media/general public) best exemplifies the “Alan Kulwicki style” of competitor.
Voting will be done on quarterly basis and results publicized in far-reaching manner including news releases, web sites and social media platforms.
Winner will be announced on November 7, 2015.
“Kulwicki Cup” winner receives check for $7,777 X 7 ($54,439), distinctive trophy & more.
Winner will be honored at “Kulwicki Cup” dinner/banquet held on December 14th (Alan’s birthday) at selected location to be announced during the 2015 season.

* * *

CURRENT KDDP TEAM ROSTER:

Executive Director: Tom Roberts, 35-year motorsports industry veteran, with broad-based experience working with sponsors, drivers, teams and race tracks.

Program Trustees:

Jan Beatty, Senior Trust Officer, Wells Fargo
Mark R.A. Horn, Member, Moore & Van Allen PLLC

Advisory Board Members: (additional information available on KDDP site)

Paul Andrews, former crew chief for Alan Kulwicki’s 1992 NASCAR Championship team and now general manager of Cunningham Motorsports
Dennis Czarnyszka, a former American Bowling Congress (ABC) marketing executive who was instrumental in helping promote Kulwicki throughout his career
Tony Gibson, former car chief for Alan Kulwicki’s 1992 NASCAR Championship team and now crew chief for Kurt Busch’s No. 41 NASCAR Sprint Cup Team at SHR
Tom Grady, motorsports law “pioneer” who has been actively involved in racing for 30 years
Fr. Dale Grubba, a Wisconsin priest, author of several motorsports books including the comprehensive book on Alan Kulwicki (“Alan Kulwicki, NASCAR Champion: Against All Odds”) and acclaimed racing photographer
Jim “Thumper” Rauth, longtime Kulwicki family friend who was involved in the Alan Kulwicki Park and Brooks Pavilion projects and remains active with them today
Carter Thompson, a partner in a prominent Charlotte public accounting firm who has 19 years of experience and has worked closely with clients in the motorsports and automotive industry

# # #

The KDDP is a program that has been established by the family of late NASCAR Champion Alan Kulwicki to help worthy drivers along the way in reaching their dream…while at the same time keeping Alan Kulwicki's memory and legacy alive.

The program will provide "help" in several different ways. It will provide financial support in covering operational expenses, transportation costs, entry fees and assistance with necessary equipment. It will also provide other resources such as sponsorship, publicity and business education and industry networking and relationship building.

KDDP is aimed at the "grass roots racer." The objective is to identify and assist a driver in the earlier stages of his or her career. A great example would have been identifying and offering assistance to Alan Kulwicki when he was a regular competitor on the short track in Slinger, Wisc., and in the process of moving on to the ASA Series. However, with the relationships the KDDP will be building, it could definitely become a "pre-cursor" that could help "feed" drivers on to the driver development programs that already exist.

2022 Kulwicki Driver Development Program Champion Crowned

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