NASCAR Drive For Diversity Combine

Day 2 October 22 NASCAR Drive For Diversity Combine

Coach Phil Horton addresses the drivers before their fitness assessment tests
Monday at Hampton University. (Jason Christley/NASCAR)

Langley Speedway’s repaving last winter provided an added challenge for the 20 drivers participating in the 2013 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine. Not only did the already tough .4-mile oval get faster, it meant even the drivers who had previously competed in the Combine there faced new conditions.

Driver on iRacing Simulators
(Getty Images for NASCAR)

The drivers passed that test Tuesday with flying colors.

After spending Monday at Hampton University with the fitness and iRacing evaluations, the drivers were eager to climb into one of three Late Models outfitted for the day-long practice session Tuesday. Each of the 20 drivers went out for individual sessions in the morning, and then returned to the car for longer single-car runs in the afternoon.

"It is a very demanding track," said Rev Racing CEO and owner Max Siegel. "We chose it initially so we can get a feel for the skills of the drivers. Our evaluation has expanded. We're giving them more seat time out there on the track. And just working here with the management at Langley Speedway and the NASCAR officials has been a great step for the program."

For many, like Paige Decker of Eagle River, Wis., it wasn’t just a new track, but a different car.

"I'm comfortable on this track, so it was really just learning how to ease into the gas," said Decker. "I'm used to driving a Super Late Model, so I'm trying to tone down my driving a lot for this kind of car."

Decker participated in the Combine last year. This year, her younger sister Claire and cousin Natalie also earned the opportunity to try out for the 2014 Rev Racing team.

Day 1 October 21 NASCAR
Drive For Diversity Combine

Driver on iRacing Simulators
(Getty Images for NASCAR)

Twenty drivers arrived in Hampton, Va., eager to show off their driving skills at the 2013 Drive For Diversity Combine. First, though, they were put through the paces Monday with the equally important off-track assessments at Hampton University.

This is the third year the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program – created in 2004 and now executed by Rev Racing – has partnered with Hampton. The NASCAR D4D program is designed to identify and train young female and diverse drivers at the grass roots level who demonstrate necessary talent to climb the ranks within the motorsport industries.

The drivers, who represent 12 U.S. states and Mexico and come from a wide array of racing experience, took part in physical training assessment as well as driver evaluation on Rev Racing’s iRacing simulators Monday.

“All of the drivers in this combine are going to come away from this experience better prepared as drivers,” said Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR vice president of public affairs and multicultural development. “In addition to gaining valuable seat time and direction from some of the leading officials in the sport, they’re also going to better understand the physical training that’s required to be successful in the sport.

“There really are no losers. One group – the group that’s selected – will obviously have an opportunity to race with Rev Racing. Those who aren’t selected will come away from this experience as better drivers.”

Langley Speedway hosted the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine
for the third straight year. (Getty Images for NASCAR)

The 2013 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine participants include:

1. Devon Amos, 22 Rio Rancho, N.M.
2. Annabeth Barnes, 18 Mooresville, N.C.
3. George Beasley, 21 Las Vegas, Nev.
4. Nicole Behar, 15 Otis Orchards, Wash.
5. Ryan Bernal, 19 Hollister, Calif.
6. Collin Cabre, 19 Thonotosassa, Fla.
7. Meagan Creech, 20 Ashland, Va.
8. Claire Decker, 18 Eagle River, Wis.
9. Paige Decker, 20 Eagle River, Wis.
10. Natalie Decker, 16 Eagle River, Wis.
11. Ruben Garcia, Jr., 17 Mexico City, Mexico
12. Blake Kisner, 18 Chanute, Kan.
13. Katlynn Leer, 14 St. Moulton, Iowa
14. Jack Madrid, 18 San Clemente, Calif.
15. Hannah Newhouse, 16 Twin Falls, Idaho
16. Sergio Pena, 20 Catharpin, Va.
17. Dylan Smith, 21 Randolph, Vt.
18. Kenny Stewart II, 16 Carson, Calif.
19. Cody Thompson, 20 Fremont, Calif.
20. Sam Wright, 18 Vancouver, Wash. 

An additional eight young drivers will join these 20 drivers on Oct. 23 and compete for the opportunity to drive for Rev Racing during the 2014 Summer Shootout Series in INEX Legends and Bandoleros.

1. Jairo Avila, 17 Alhambra, Calif.
2. Austin Geer, 11 Johns Creek, Ga.
3. Kylin Hammer, 11 Meadowview, Va.
4. Ryleigh Lemonds, 10 Yorktown, Va.
5. Enrique Limon, 15 Mexico City, Mexico
6. Jaiden Reyna, 7 Newport News, Va.
7. Ashley Rogero, 15 Naples, Fla.
8. Walter Thomas, 15 Indianapolis, Ind.

2013 D4D Combine Participants Announced

 20 Drivers Slated To Compete For 2014 Seat With Rev Racing

 

The NASCAR Drive For Diversity combine will be held at Langley Speedway
in Hampton, Va., from Oct. 21-23. Getty Images

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — 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:

Name & Age	City & State
Devon Amos, 22	Rio Rancho, N.M.
Annabeth Barnes, 18	Mooresville, N.C.
George Beasley, 21	Las Vegas, Nev.
Nicole Behar, 15	Otis Orchards, Wash.
Ryan Bernal, 19	Hollister, Calif.
Collin Cabre, 19	Thonotosassa, Fla.
Megan Creech, 20	Ashland, Va.
Claire Decker, 18	Eagle River, Wis.
Paige Decker, 20	Eagle River, Wis.
Natalie Decker, 16	Eagle River, Wis.
Ruben Garcia, Jr., 17	Mexico City, Mexico
Blake Kisner, 18	Chanute, Kan.
Katlynn Leer, 14	St. Moulton, Iowa
Jack Madrid, 18	San Clemente, Calif.
Hannah Newhouse, 16	Twin Falls, Idaho
Sergio Pena, 20	Catharpin, Va.
Dylan Smith, 21	Randolph, Vt.
Kenny Stewart II, 16	Carson, Calif.
Cody Thompson, 20	Fremont, Calif.
Sam Wright, 18	Vancouver, Wash.

An additional eight young drivers will join these 20 drivers on Oct. 23 and compete for the opportunity to drive for Rev Racing during the 2014 Summer Shootout Series in INEX Legends and Bandoleros.  

Name & Age	City & State
Jairo Avila, 17	Alhambra, Calif.
Austin Geer, 11	Johns Creek, Ga.
Kylin Hammer, 11	Meadowview, Va.
Ryleigh Lemonds, 10	Yorktown, Va.
Enrique Limon, 15	Mexico City, Mexico
Jaiden Reyna, 7	Newport News, Va.
Ashley Rogero, 15	Naples, Fla.
Walter Thomas, 15	Indianapolis, Ind.

All of the drivers attending the Combine will be mentored and coached by the Rev Racing staff, along with the team’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East drivers Mackena Bell, Ryan Gifford, Bryan Ortiz and Daniel Suarez.

The Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau and Langley Speedway have partnered with Rev Racing and NASCAR to support the 2013 NASCAR D4D Combine. Langley Speedway will host the Combine for the third consecutive year. The paved 0.395-mile short track is one of the flattest tracks in the region with six-degree banked corners and four degrees of banking on the straightaway. Langley Speedway is an ideal track to test the abilities of NASCAR's up-and-coming talent.

Now comes the hard part. (NASCAR D4D)

After three days of evaluations – the last two of which consisted of on-track testing at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va. – Rev Racing personnel will pour over their notes from the 2012 NASCAR Drive for Diversity (D4D) Combine and pick their team for the 2013 racing season

It won’t be an easy task, which for Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity is a good thing.

“We saw a ton of talent – a lot more talent than ever before,” said Jefferson Hodges, Rev Racing’s director of competition. “And some of them were the same kids. I don’t know what they did between last year and this year, but they really stepped up their game. I was really happy about it.

“I think there are a lot more drivers that deserve an opportunity in our Late Model program than there are openings, so that part of is going to result in some tough decisions.”

“The success of that program is based on the fact that we’re able to really concentrate and develop these drivers.”

For drivers like Daniel Suarez, it’s Rev Racing’s reputation for development that makes a spot on the team so valuable. Suarez is leading the Mexico’s NASCAR Toyota Series in points and is a member of the Next9 initiative, an industry program that helps identify the next wave of NASCAR starts coming up through the ranks. In the past two years, he has run against Rev Racing drivers such as Kyle Larson, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Sergio Pena.

“It’s a really good experience being with all these drivers,” said Suarez of the Combine. “This is one of the best teams for development of young drivers who are in my position. I’m really excited to get the chance to get this opportunity to try out for Rev Racing.

“It’s a really important step for me and my career to be one of the 17 drivers [invited to the Combine], but that’s not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is to be a member of the team and I’m working really hard for that.”

Thursday’s final session was a half-day, with a handful of drivers making additional runs as officials got a second look to help gather more information. All drivers are still in the running for spots on the 2013 Rev Racing team, which will be selected from among the 2012 Rev Racing drivers and the Combine participants.

That selection will take place following the completion of the 2012 season. Rev Racing still has a pair of NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races on the schedule.

The first NASCAR race weekend of 2013 is the UNOH Battle At The Beach on the .4-mile oval on the backstretch of Daytona International Speedway during February’s Speedweeks, which will feature both a NASCAR K&N Pro Series race as well as a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model event.

Headquartered in Concord, N.C., Rev Racing, owned by Max Siegel, operates the NASCAR Drive For Diversity program, which is the industry's leading developmental program for multicultural and women drivers and pit crew members. Rev Racing fields cars in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.

The Combine has been held the last two years at Langley, a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series sanctioned track. The track’s characteristics help play a large role in evaluating drivers.

“The track is tough. It’s hard,” said Jefferson, who has more than 15 years experience with Late Models throughout the southeast. “Turns 3 and 4 are simple. It’s just a corner. But 1 and 2 is extremely difficult. So it really separates the great drivers from the good drivers.”

The drivers at the Combine boast a variety of backgrounds in racing, from open-wheel to stock car. Limited experience in full-fendered cars, though, did little to slow down the competitors. Collin Cabre, a Florida driver with extensive sprint car experience, said the challenges of those cars actually helps drivers to adapt quickly to their new surroundings.

“These two days have been an incredible experience,” said Collin Cabre. “Running from a sprint to a Late Model is totally different. They’re both fast in their own ways.

“What might spook another driver won’t spook a sprint car driver; what they say is out of shape and what I say is out of shape is totally different. They might say it’s totally sideways and it’s not really,” said Cabre. “The cars are very well set up. Rev Racing did a great job setting them up in the shop. They’re a pleasure to drive and I hope I’ll be driving them more.” 

Participants of the NASCAR Drive For Diversity Combine pose for a photo at
Langley Speedway on October 17, 2012 in Hampton, Virginia.
(Credit: Tom Whitmore/Getty Images for NASCAR)

The NASCAR D4D program created in 2004 is now executed by Rev Racing. Currently the top two rookies in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Larson and Bryan Ortiz are in the 2012 D4D class, while Larson and Wallace, a Rev Racing graduate, made their national series debuts this year. Earlier this season, Wallace became the first African-American to win a pole award in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, while Larson has been impressive in several NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts.

Drivers at the Combine include:

Devon Amos, Rio Ranch, N.M.; Dustin Ash, Las Vegas; Annabeth Barnes, Hiddenite, N.C.; Collin Cabre, Thonotosassa, Fla.; Kayla Cazares, Goffstown, N.H.; Amber Colvin, Mooresville, N.C.; Jessica Dana, Olympia, Wash.; Paige Decker, Eagle River, Wis.; Cassie Gannis, Phoenix, Ariz.; Lindsay Katz, Kalmazoo, Mich.; Jack Madrid, San Clemente, Calif.; Kate McCall, Port Orange, Fla.; Dallas Montes, Bakersfield, Calif.; Hannah Newhouse, Twin Falls, Idaho; Dylan Smith, Randolph, Vt.; Daniel Suarez, Monterrey, Mexico; Erica Thiering, Sherwood Park, Alberta.

For more information on NASCAR diversity initiatives visit NASCARDiversity.com or follow @NASCARDiversity on twitter. Rev Racing’s official website and Twitter is RevRacing.net and @RevRacin.