The Alan Kulwicki Driver Development Program has announced its seven drivers for this season.
The program honors Kulwicki, the 1992 champion in NASCAR’s premier series. Kulwicki recorded one of the greatest comebacks in series history when he rebounded from a 278-point deficit with six races left to beat Bill Elliott for the title by 10 points in the closest championship margin to that time. Named one of the NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, Kulwicki died April 1, 1993, in a plane crash en route to Bristol Motor Speedway.
The Kulwicki Driver Development Program was created to help young drivers follow their dreams as Kulwicki did. This is the second year for the program. Each driver selected receives a stipend of $7,777 to cover operational expenses. They will compete for the Kulwicki Cup and $54,439 ($7,777 x 7)
This year’s class is:
Natalie Decker
Age: 18
Hometown: Eagle River, Wisconsin
A member of the 2015 NASCAR Drive 4 Diversity program, Decker will run a Super Late Model on the ARCA Midwest Tour. She scored three feature wins at State Park Speedway last year.
Jeremy Doss
Age: 19
Hometown: Upper Lake, California
Doss has won 30 Super Late Model races on the West Coast since 2012, including 16 in the Pacific Challenge Series. He is the son of famed California Late Model racer Mike Doss.
Dave Farrington Jr.
Age: 24
Hometown: Jay, Maine
Only returning member of the 2015 Kulwicki Driver Development Program. He won the Coastal 200 at Wiscasset Speedway. He plans to run for the title at his home track, Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, along with running in PASS North and ACT Series races.
Cody Haskins
Age: 24
Hometown: Marietta, Georgia
Won the 2015 Rupert Porter Memorial 100 at Anderson (S.C.) Speedway last year. He will compete for the 2016 NASCAR Whelen All American Series national championship.
Quin Houff
Age: 18
Hometown: Mount Sidney, Virginia
Raced Super Late Models for the first time last year and scored a CARS Tour win at Tri-County Motor Speedway. He also finished fourth in the points in that series. He plans to compete in CARS, PASS and CRA events in 2016.
Alex Prunty
Age: 23
Hometown: Lomira, Wisconsin
Follows in the footsteps of his father and uncles and will seek the Super Late Model title at Slinger Speedway. He won the Late Model title and SLM Rookie of the Year honors at Dells Raceway Park last year.
Brandon Setzer
Age: 22
Hometown: Newton, North Carolina
The son of former NASCAR driver Dennis Setzer won two races and three poles on the CARS Tour last year. Brandon Setzer also won the Thanksgiving Classic at Southern National Motorsports Park. He scored a PASS South victory in earlier this month at Dillon Motor Speedway.