Women and minorities chase NASCAR dreams

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. - The long blonde hair hanging over the back of a racing suit covered with sponsor logos makes it apparent that Kristin Bumbera is not your average racer.

Her record confirms it; the 21-year-old Late Models whiz from Sealy, Texas, not only looks like a sponsor’s dream, but she drives like one, too, having claimed two victories and 11 top-five finishes in 2008 in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at Roseville, Calif.

Bumbera is one of 25 drivers vying this week in individual testing and evaluation sessions at South Boston Speedway for one of 14 spots in NASCAR’s sixth Drive for Diversity class.

The candidates include 16 women and nine men, ranging in age from 17 to 29 and all hoping to earn a fully funded ride for 2009. The diversity program will support 10 teams in the Whelen Series, and four more in the Camping World Series, the next step up for drivers.

Bumbera, bidding for her second year in the program, also knows that no female driver has ever made a mark in NASCAR beyond some status as a pioneer, and as she looks around at the ever-expanding numbers of women getting behind the wheel, she knows that will change.

“It’s definitely coming,” she said.

In its sixth year, the Drive for Diversity program has yet to produce a household name, and only this year can claim a champion. Paul Harraka, in his second D4D season, won 11 races at All-American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., and took the championship on the final day.

Harraka, a freshman at Duke with a double major in mechanical engineering and public policy, is back seeking a third season, and said he’s getting from the program what he needs.

It “has definitely meant a lot to my career,” Harraka said, noting that it lifted him from a Legends car racer into late models, a significant jump in class, and helped him get a full-time ride with Bill McAnally Racing. “That’s what the program does, it opens doors.”

Harraka, 19, auditioned again Monday in case one of the team owners or scouts who watched the first 13 candidates take laps liked what he saw. Each driver makes 30 laps, then gets a coaching session, followed by a 10-lap run that shows, among other things, coachability.

They finish with a two-lap mock qualifying run.

The other 12 driver candidates spent part of Monday in seminars that teach them about dealing with sponsors and the media, and the two groups trade places on the second day.

Max Siegel, president of global operations for Dale Earnhardt Inc., was among the team reps on hand Monday, and said he’s looking for “tomorrow’s future stars,” drivers who have already invested in their careers and who demonstrate they can run consistent, smooth laps.

The way young drivers present and comport themselves also is a big consideration for employers, Siegel said, but in the end, “you’re only as good as you are on the track.”

DEI already employs Jesus Hernandez, who spent four years in the program.

Bobby Hamilton Jr., who owns teams in the developmental series, also sent a scout to the combine on Monday, as did several owners of teams in the various developmental series.

“There’s a lot of pressure” on the drivers, McAnally said. “They know they’ve got booths full of people up here watching every lap, watching every word they’re saying.”

For Kortney Kosiski, 18, that prospect made it all the more nerve-racking. A third generation racer who runs dirt late models in Nebraska, she had never raced on asphalt.

“I’m very nervous,” she said. “This is the chance of a lifetime.”

After four years racing Soap Box Derby cars, Kosinski moved up to Hornets in 2005, won her first dirt late model race in 2007 and had one victory and seven top-fives finishes this season.

“Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to go race those cars,” she said of the ones used in NASCAR’s premier series. She said her family’s interest in auto racing of all kinds has continued to grow ever since her grandfather, Bob Kosiski, raced in the 1960 Daytona 500.

Given the chance to move up, she said, “then I’m living the dream.”

For many, the first step is just showing they belong.

Trista Stevenson learned that at the Music City Motorplex in Pocahontas, Ill., where she raced in the Whelen Series this year after not making it through the combine last year.

Guys she races against, she said, often flash “why are you here?” looks her way.

“They don’t think that girls can do it. Why? I don’t know,” she said. “We’re just like a guy except in a girl body. They’ll rough you up and try to take you out. If you let them take you out, they’re going to do it every week. You’ve just got to pound them back and show them that I’m not going to give up just because you’re a guy and I’m a 17 year-old girl.”

Or, in the case of Michael Cherry, a 19-year-old black driver trying to make his way.

Cherry is grateful for the program that gave him a steady ride last year, even if he had to commute from his home near Tampa, Fla., to Motor Mile Speedwway in southwest Virginia.

“It gives us hope that we do have a chance to make it somewhere and show what we’ve got,” Cherry said of the program. “If it wasn’t for this program, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

Going forward, NASCAR hopes, Cherry and others will keep improving that position, too.

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Gabi DiCarlo’s Impressive Road Race Return

Gabi DiCarlo and her Great Clips Race Team continue to impress the competition. Gabi returned to road course racing this past weekend at the brand new facility known as New Jersey Motorsports Park, where she quickly adapted to the challenging track.

During the ten minute qualifying session DiCarlo piloted the Great Clips Toyota Camry around the sweeping right and left hand turns to position herself in a very respectful 16th place starting spot. [Read more]

Gabi DiCarlo Road Course

Denver, NC (September 22, 2008) - Although the cars will be much heavier and have more horsepower, Gabi DiCarlo driver of the Stringer Motorsports number 90 Great Clips Racing Toyota Camry is ready for the challenges of a road course. The ARCA RE/MAX series in which DiCarlo competes will make a stop at the brand new Thunderbolt Raceway 2.3 mile paved road course in New Jersey Motorsports Park. Gabi started her career in motorsports on road courses throughout the southwest and has proven to be very skilled in the techniques associated with the challenging circuits. [Read more]

For These Girls, Saturday Night is Race Night

Dalton Halden won’t have her driver’s license for at least four more years. In the meantime, she’ll stick to driving racecars.

Halden, from Columbia Falls, is one of six female drivers who race at Raceway Park’s high bank super oval track. Driving in the Bandolero division, the 11-year-old speedster is third in the point standings after falling out of the top spot a couple of weeks ago. Her immediate goal is to climb back into first place. Her eventual goal is a bit larger.

“I’m going to be in NASCAR,” Halden said.
[Read more]

OWENS MAKES CHICAGOLAND DEBUT

The Chicagoland ARCA 200 marks Alli Owens’ first visit to the 1.5 mile Chicagoland Speedway. Piloting one of her favorite racecars, the No. 12 ElectrifyingCareers.com Chevrolet nicknamed ‘Mudpuppy’, Owens is
optimistic.
“Mudpuppy is my second favorite car mostly because it’s very comfortable to drive,”
said Owens. “We ran it in Kentucky where I scored my career best finish. We also ran it in
Kansas and Michigan but mechanical problems kept us from finishing well. This weekend,
we put in our strongest motor and have a totally killer package.”
DGM Racing, which fields the No. 12 entry for Owens, competed at Chicagoland
Speedway from 2004-2006 with team owner Mario Gosselin behind the wheel. Each time, it
proved to be a contender.
“Our team has always been strong here and we expect that to continue this year,”
said Owens. “We didn’t have the opportunity to test, but Mario recently tested a Truck here
and the data from that is very helpful for our ARCA car.”

Pocono the Perfect Prescription for Gabi DiCarlo

Long Pond, PA (June 7, 2008) – Gabi DiCarlo and the Great Clips Racing Team were hoping for a change of fortune as they headed to the 2.5 mile Pocono International Raceway. It seems that the Pocono 200 was just what the doctor ordered for the besieged race team. After coming off a grueling six week schedule that had been filled with enough bad luck to last the whole season, DiCarlo masterfully guided the team’s Toyota Camry to a well needed 10th place finish. [Read more]

Camping World Series Debut Postponed for Tiffany Daniels

 

Denver, N.C. (May 23, 2008) - Due to restructuring within its NASCAR Camping World Series program, Eddie Sharp Racing has withdrawn the entry for Smithfield, Virginia-native Tiffany Daniels in the Strutmasters.com 150 at South Boston Speedway. This was to be Daniel’s debut in the NASCAR Camping World Series East.

 

“We are very proud of our organization,” stated team owner Eddie Sharp. “The NASCAR Camping World Series is a very impressive series and is extremely competitive. We have withdrawn Tiffany at this time simply because we knew we were not prepared to show up at South Boston with two competitive teams. Instead we have returned our focus to our full-time East driver, Craig Goess. Tiffany is still a priority to us and we look forward to entering her in a future event when we can bring two teams to the track that will meet the high standards which we hold ourselves to here at Eddie Sharp Racing.”

 

“I’m a racer, so of course it’s disappointing that I won’t be racing at South Boston,” commented Daniels. “However, I completely understand the obligations Eddie Sharp and the ESR organization have to their full-time Camping World Series East team, and respect their dedication to building a top-notch East Series program. I also appreciate Eddie’s honesty concerning the developments within the organization, and look forward to racing for ESR in the future.”

 

Daniels added, “in the meantime, I will continue to race my Late Model at various tracks across the Southeast.”

 

For more information on Tiffany Daniels and for her up-to-date race schedule, please visit www.tiffdaniels.com.

 

Eddie Sharp Racing is located in the Charlotte, NC suburb of Denver. Eddie Sharp Racing has proven to be a successful avenue of driver development, and is considered among the most elite teams in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Drivers from Eddie Sharp Racing’s ARCA program have quickly advanced to the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series, two of the highest-rated motorsport series in the world.

 

For more on Eddie Sharp Racing, please log onto www.teamesr.com.

Mandi Tonchuk wants a Racing Career

SAMSULA - May 23, 2007 - Mandi Tonchuk doesn’t mind getting a little dirty. Working on - and driving - race cars has turned into a passion for the Late Model rookie driver at New Smyrna Speedway. As the female half of D.A.D. Motorsports (Dad and Daughter), Tonchuk is hoping to parlay the family business into a full-blown racing career.

“I want to take this as far as I can,” Tonchuk said. “I love it. “The biggest thing right now is to continue to gain experience and to get my name out there. I would love to get in one of the driver development programs and continue to move up the ladder.”
[Read more]

Tiffany Daniels…Racing toward NASCAR history

 

Michael Morisi

As the news continues to highlight the top female NASCAR drivers who are hoping to be the next one to make history, one in particular stands out from the rest. Tiffany Daniels has been racing for 8 years and has been a consistent top 5 finisher. She has several wins to her credit and was the 2003 Women’s National Legends Champion. Out of the car, she has accomplished a great deal as well. A 2007 magna cum laude graduate of UNC with a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a Motorsports Concentration and a minor in Public Relations, she works full time for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates as a Support Engineer on the #40 Sprint Cup car.

Tiffany started the 2008 season splitting time with her brother who is also an accomplished Late Model driver and a sophomore at UNC in the Mechanical Engineering program. She has posted two solid runs at Southern National Speedway and South Boston this season. Her next race at South Boston will be in the Eddie Sharp #22 Camping World East car for her debut in that series on May 31.

Tiffany has been very busy off the track as well this season. Earlier this year, Tiffany participated in and completed Phase Two of the Women in the Winners Circle Foundation’s 2007-2008 Driver Development Program and along the way was presented with a prestigious honor, the Kara Hendrick Memorial Award by former Indy Car racer Lyn St. James, known as the American Woman Racing Icon of the Century, who is the founder of the Women in the Winners Circle Foundation.

“The Kara Hendrick Memorial award is given out by Lyn St. James in memory of the late Kara Hendrick, a USAC driver who was killed the day she set a track record at one of her local tracks,” explained Daniels. “Lyn gives out the award when she sees someone that has similar spirit and talent to Kara Hendrick. It is not something she gives out every year, so it is a prestigious award and I am honored that someone like Lyn thinks highly enough of me to give this award. It means a lot to know she realizes how hard I have been working and how determined I am to make it in racing, which is a tough sport. To have Lyn St. James recognize me is really special.”

“All the drivers who attend our program really want to succeed in racing, but not every driver grasps the concept of just how hard they have to work,” explained St. James. “And when they do sometimes it’s just overwhelming and often they have to take a step back and go to work. Then on occasion I see a driver who not only has the talent and potential, but takes the information and knowledge we share and runs with it. It actually motivates and empowers them to move forward. And they are able to keep their smile and spirit intact as well. Tiffany demonstrated all of that in my opinion. She has the potential to go far and carry Kara’s spirit with her.”

Tiffany is a very dynamic, educated, professional woman who has the total package. As she continues her climb toward NASCAR history, she is certain to make a lot of headlines. For more information on Tiffany, check out her web site at www.tiffdaniels.com or contact Mike@hmiteam.com or 757-822-3017

 

Photos courtesy of 51 Sports Photos

 

Gabi DiCarlo Races Way to First Top Ten Finish

KANSAS CITY, MO. (April 25, 2008) – Gabi DiCarlo picked the right time to show everyone why she has been picked to drive the Great Clips Racing Toyota Camry for Stringer Motorsports. With the team struggling with some bad luck this season Gabi drove the Toyota powered rocket from the 23 starting position to as high as 3rd and contended with the leaders late in the race. It was an impressive run, as the ARCA/REMAX series regular finished the very fast Kansas Speedway’s Kansas Lottery 150 Grand in the 9th position and garnered her first series top ten.
[Read more]

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