When
Chase Elliott took the NASCAR Nationwide Series checkered flag at Texas Motor
Speedway earlier this month, he joined fellow rising star Kyle Larson in the
2014 win column.
Before
their headline-making victories on one of the sport’s biggest stages, Elliott
and Larson were the next in a wave of young talent making its way up the NASCAR
ladder.
Like
Elliott and Larson before them, the 12 drivers named today to the 2014-15
NASCAR Next class have résumés loaded with accomplishments and promise. The
roster was unveiled at Richmond International Raceway and marks the kickoff of
the fourth installment of the industry initiative designed to spotlight
NASCAR’s rising stars.
“Over
the last five years, our sport has undergone a tremendous shift, as we’ve seen
an abundance of talented, young drivers begin to achieve their potential at the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series level,” said Jill
Gregory, NASCAR vice president of industry services. “The NASCAR Next program
is an instrumental platform to help draw attention to these young drivers –
from media and fans to stakeholders and sponsors – and foster their growth
within the sport.”
The
12 new NASCAR Next drivers have already won 20 times, and hold the honors as
the youngest winners in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, NASCAR Mexico Toyota
Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, as well as youngest NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour champion and highest finishing female in NASCAR K&N Pro
Series history. The list also includes the 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
and West Sunoco Rookies of the Year.
The
team was selected through an evaluation process that included input from
industry executives and veteran racers. Drivers must be between the ages of
15-25, have tangible and expressed goals in eventual competition in the NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series and possess the potential to realize that goal.
Additionally,
each driver in NASCAR Next must be actively competing in a NASCAR touring or
weekly series – NASCAR K&N Pro Series East or West, NASCAR Whelen Modified
Tour, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
presented by Mobil 1, NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series or
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping
World Truck Series competitors also are eligible provided they are not slated
to run a full season in their respective series.
Former
NASCAR Next members who have made an impact in NASCAR’s national series include
Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Jeb Burton, Chase Elliott, Dylan Kwasniewski, Kyle
Larson and Darrell Wallace Jr.
The
NASCAR Next members for 2014-15 are:
• Cole Custer (16 years
old, Ladera Ranch, Calif., Twitter: @colecuster00) – A two-time winner in
the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2013, he opened the K&N Pro Series
West season this year with a victory from the pole in Phoenix.
• Rubén García Jr. (18,
Naucalpan, Mexico, @rubengarcia4) – The 2012 NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series
Rookie of the Year continues to improve and finished fourth in the standings
last season. Earlier this season, he made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut.
• Gray Gaulding (16,
Colonial Heights, Va., @graygaulding) – Holds the mark for youngest pole
winner in both the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West, and recorded his
first series win at Phoenix last fall.
• Ryan Gifford (25,
Winchester, Tenn., @ryangifford2) – The NASCAR Drive For Diversity
driver scored the 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East win at Richmond and
posted an impressive top-10 finish in his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut last
August in Iowa.
• Austin Hill (20,
Winston, Ga., @hillbroracing) – The winner at last year’s K&N East race
at Dover, he has two top-five finishes in this season’s four races.
• Erik Jones (17, Byron,
Mich., @erik_jones) – Made his mark on the NASCAR Camping World Truck
Series last November in Phoenix by becoming the youngest winner in series
history.
• Jesse Little (17,
Sherrills Ford, N.C., @jesselittle97) – The 2013 Sunoco Rookie of the Year
in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. He made his first series start just 11
days after turning 15 in 2012.
• Dylan Lupton (20,
Wilton, Calif., @LuptonDylan) – The 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
Sunoco Rookie of the Year picked up his first series victory at Evergreen
Speedway in August.
• Brandon McReynolds
(23, Mooresville, N.C., @Bmcreynolds28) – With starts in four different
NASCAR series, he is chasing the championship in the K&N Pro Series West,
where he is second in points.
• Ryan Preece (23,
Berlin, Conn., @RyanPreece16) – He became the youngest champion in the history
of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour last season while balancing a 43-race
schedule in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (finished fourth in the
national standings) and making his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut.
• Ben Rhodes (17,
Louisville, Ky., @benrhodes) – The current points leader in the NASCAR
K&N Pro Series East with three poles in four races, and a win at Greenville
(S.C.) Pickens Speedway. He scored an impressive top-10 finish in his
NASCAR Camping World Truck series debut at Martinsville.
• Kenzie Ruston (22, El
Reno, Okla., @KenzieRuston) – She finished sixth in last season’s K&N
Pro Series East season standings and has top 10 finishes this season at New
Smyrna and Daytona. She has the highest finish – both in a race and in
the championship standings – for a female driver in K&N Pro Series East
history.
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