BRISTOL, TN. (MARCH 18, 2012) – The 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season started in a familiar fashion for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program and the Rev Racing team of drivers with two finishing inside the top-ten here, at the world’s fastest half mile, last night.
Ryan Gifford piloted his No. 2 Universal Technical Institute/Toyota Camry to a third place finish and his teammate, Kyle Larson, fought a loose condition but managed to secure a ninth place finish for his No. 6 Toyota Camry in his first career K&N start.
“We had a really good UTI/Toyota Camry all week,” said Gifford. “It was a great start to the season and I’m excited about what’s in store for the rest of the year. My crew chief (Dennis Conner) did a super job giving me a very fast car. I didn’t get it to the top this time, but we’ve got the team in place to make that happen soon enough”
The night started with a few challenges for the Rev Racing program as Gifford’s teammate, Bryan Ortiz, a native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, had a track bar bracket break during the qualifying attempt in his No. 4 Toyota Camry and had to start at the rear of the 35 car field. Larson qualified sixth, Gifford seventh and teammate Jorge Arteaga, a native of Aguascalientes, Mexico, one of three Rookie-of-the-Year contenders from Rev Racing, started the night in the twenty-third starting position.
Arteaga brought out the second caution of the night on lap 30 when he made contact with the front stretch retaining wall while trying to avoid a sliding car off of turn four. While the damage was repaired, Arteaga went several laps down and finished the night in thirtieth position.
At the caution Larson was in third position, Gifford in fifth and Ortiz had already moved up eleven spots to twenty-fourth. They continued to battle for top positions until the halfway break at lap 69. At the break Gifford was still in fifth, Larson had dropped to ninth and Ortiz had moved up to nineteenth.
After the break, Gifford, Larson and Ortiz continued to display their talent and at the night’s last caution on lap 119, all three found themselves inside the top-fifteen.
If a rookie debut at Thunder Valley, and the first ever K&N Pro Series East race at the venue, wasn’t enough excitement then a Green, White, Checkered finish no doubt had the hearts pounding for the young NASCAR Drive for Diversity drivers.
“After the start we had, I was just happy to be in the race and to be in a good position at the end,” said Ortiz.
Ortiz moved up twenty positions to fiftieth before the final restart and ended the night in fourteenth position, earning him the Coca-Cola Move of the Race Award.
“All of the drivers did a very good job at one of NASCAR’s most challenging tracks,” said Jefferson Hodges, Rev Racing’s Director of Competition. “A top-three; a top-ten; making up twenty-one positions on this track, as a rookie driver, and in your debut race and for another rookie driver to remain competitive after a wreck on lap 30; what more can I say? I’m extremely proud of this entire team. This is going to be an exciting year for Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program.”
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 3, 2013) — As the NASCAR Drive for Diversity (#NASCARD4D) program approaches its 10-year anniversary, NASCAR and Rev Racing have selected the participants for the 2013 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine. The drivers will participate in a rigorous on- and off-track evaluation process for the opportunity to join the NASCAR D4D program and compete for Rev Racing during the 2014 season. The combine will be held at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va., from Oct. 21-23.
The annual Combine is the first step in identifying and developing the future stars of the sport. Kyle Larson and Darrell Wallace Jr. are among the drivers who have graduated from the NASCAR D4D program after attending the annual combine and driving for Rev Racing. Ryan Gifford, who currently drives for Rev Racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut driving for Richard Childress Racing on Aug. 3.
“The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program has contributed to the success of some of the most promising young drivers and crew members in our sport,” said Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR vice president, public affairs and multicultural development. “The drivers announced today will have an opportunity to compete at the 2013 D4D Combine and earn a place on the 2014 NASCAR Drive for Diversity/Rev Racing roster.”
NASCAR officials and Rev Racing representatives chose the 20 up-and-coming drivers from 95 applicants representing the United States, Canada and Latin America.
“We are excited about this year’s group of Combine participants,” said Max Siegel, owner/CEO of Rev Racing. “They represent a great cross-section of talent and experience, and any one of them would make a great addition to the 2014 Drive for Diversity team.”
The 2013 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine participants include:
Thirty drivers from different forms of racing across the United States will showcase their skills in front of NASCAR executives and officials at the annual Drive for Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine presented by Sunoco, as they vie for one of 10 spots with Revolution Racing for the 2010 season. The Combine kicks off the new academy-style development for Drive for Diversity, with 10 drivers competing for the program under a single team ownership structure. The scouting event will take place October 16-20 in Charlotte, N.C., and Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.
“The drivers invited to the Combine will compete for an opportunity to be a part of the inaugural class in the D4D programs new academy-style driver development program,” said Marcus Jadotte, Managing Director of Public Affairs for NASCAR, who oversees the sanctioning body’s diversity initiatives, “As the Drive for Diversity initiative enters its seventh year, the program’s focus on driver testing and training will better position drivers to succeed and advance in our sport.”
“The Drive for Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine presented by Sunoco is an integral part of the D4D initiative,” said Max Siegel, Chief Executive Officer of The 909 Group. “We are looking forward to this year’s event and are confident the drivers invited to participate in the Combine will raise the bar in terms of talent and competition.”
Since the creation of Drive for Diversity in 2004, 31 competitors have driven for the initiative in NASCAR’s developmental series, winning 35 races. The 2009 driver class combined for six wins, 51 top fives and 125 top 10s. Driver Paul Harraka captured two wins and Rookie of the Year in NASCAR’s premiere development series, the NASCAR Camping World Series West.
The 30 drivers participating in this year’s Combine, including 12 members of the 2009 Drive for Diversity class, will participate in both on- and off-track evaluation over a four-day period. The on-track session will be conducted in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series late models and NASCAR Camping World Series cars at Motor Mile Speedway. Off the track, the drivers will be evaluated during media and sponsor relations activities.
The drivers attending the Combine will also be featured in a television series, “Changing Lanes,” developed in collaboration with the NASCAR Media Group and set to air in early 2010 on BET. The eight-part series will showcase the development of young Drive for Diversity competitors trying to make it in the big-time world of NASCAR racing.
Ten drivers will be selected to compete for Revolution Racing under the Drive for Diversity umbrella in 2010. Six drivers will compete in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and four will compete in the NASCAR Camping World Series East.
The following drivers will participate in this year’s Drive for Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine presented by Sunoco: