Who is Dylan Kwasniewski? 18-Year-Old #NASCAR Star

Dylan Kwasniewski, driver of the #31 Rockstar/FOE Chevrolet, stands on the grid
during qualifying for the NASCAR Nationwide Series DRIVE4COPD 300 at
Daytona International Speedway on February 21, 2014 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images North America)

Birthdate: May 31, 1995 (18)

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev. 

At the age of 4 1/2 Dylan jumped into the seat of his first kart in Norwalk, Connecticut.Capturing his first win shortly after turning 5, he was hooked on racing.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion; first driver to win K&N East and K&N West titles.
• The youngest pole winner, race winner and champion in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West history.
• Member of NASCAR Next program.

YEAR-BY-YEAR NASCAR K&N PRO SERIES RECAP:

2013-EAST: Became the first driver in the history of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series to capture championships in both the East and West series … Earned the championship on the strength of six wins, three poles and 10 top 10s in 14 races … Wins came at Bristol, June Iowa (top East finisher), Langley, VIR, Greenville (Sept.) and Road Atlanta … His six wins are tied with Brad Leighton (1999) for the second-most in a single season in series history … Led a series-high 394 laps. 

2012-WEST: Captured championship in second season with three wins — Stockton, Iowa (top West finisher) and Roseville. 

2011-WEST: Finished fifth in points, with 13 starts … Became youngest series driver to win Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award, youngest to win a series race and youngest to win a series pole. 

NOTEWORTHY

Started racing go-karts in 2000 at the age of 5 … Moved to circle track racing at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway seven years later, competing in Bandolero Bandits class … Graduated to Semi-Pro Legend Car series in 2008 … Won three championships, youngest in the history of the track, and was awarded Rookie of the Year honor … Moved up to Pro Legend division in 2009, winning track championship and state championship and finishing seventh in national points … Raced ASA Speed Truck series in 2009 and 2010 … Also raced Lucas Oil Modifieds and Late Models in 2010 — competing at The Bullring; Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway; Havasu 95 Speedway near Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; and Lucas Oil I-10 Speedway in Blythe, Calif. … Named one of the NASCAR drivers 25 and under to watch in 2012 and 2013 by FoxSports.com … A member of the NASCAR Next program in 2011, 2012 and 2013 …

This youngster's last name is pronounced KWAS-ness-KEY.  Keep your eye on him . . . 2014 should prove very interesting. 

Dylan Kwasniewski claimed his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series pole for his first series start and back feat up with a top-ten finish

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Ryan Blaney To Race For Penske

RYAN BLANEY TO RACE IN PENSKE RACING
NO. 22 NATIONWIDE SERIES DODGE THIS SEASON

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 17, 2012) – Penske Racing announced today that third-generation race car driver Ryan Blaney has joined the organization and he will compete in the No. 22 Dodge in selected NASCAR Nationwide Series events over the balance of the 2012 season.

Blaney, the 18-year-old son of current Sprint Cup Series driver Dave Blaney, will make his Penske Racing debut in the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger in the Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, August 4th. Blaney will also drive for the team in at least two other races this season. He will race the No. 22 Snap-on Dodge at Richmond International Raceway and he’ll drive the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge at Kentucky Speedway.

"Ryan is a driver with a great racing pedigree and we believe he has a very bright future in NASCAR," said Tim Cindric, President of Penske Racing. "We’ve been keeping an eye on Ryan’s development and we feel he’ll be a great addition to the No. 22 Nationwide Series team."

With a winning junior developmental track record established in Quarter Midgets, Bandolero and Legends cars, Blaney has also raced successfully in Super Late Models and the ARCA Series as well as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series. Continuing his development in 2012, Blaney has made three Nationwide Series starts this season for Tommy Baldwin Racing and he was impressive in a seventh-place finish at Richmond earlier this year.

"I’m very excited about the opportunity to drive for Penske Racing for the rest of this season," said Blaney."With the team’s strong tradition of success and the winning program they’ve established in the Nationwide Series, I believe I can learn a lot and hopefully we can produce some strong finishes in the No. 22 car."

Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 359 major race wins, 419 pole positions and 23 National Championships. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.