K&N Filters $40,000 Scholarship Test Done - Announcement of Winner Near

Riverside, CA – K&N Filters recently announced their sponsorship program to provide a young upcoming race driver with a funded 10 race season and one year driver development program scholarship. The application process was open to all drivers 11 to 19 years of age, with race winning backgrounds. The winning Driver may use the K&N Sponsorship to run 10 races in either, the USAC Junior Ford Focus Midget, USAC Ford Focus Midget or NASCAR Grand American Modified series.

NASCAR recently announced for 2010 they are reducing the minimum age to 14 in NASCAR’s Charger divisions, including the Grand American Modified Series. This opened the K&N talent search up to young drivers as young as 13, as long as they turn 14 by the 2010 season. USAC had already changed the minimum age for the Ford Focus Midget series to 14 and up … while creating a restricted series, Junior Ford Focus Midgets, for Drivers ages 12 to 15.

K&N Filter’s heritage of motorsports involvement, and specifically youth racing, in grassroots racing series across America has long been heralded. “We love being involved in both USAC and NASCAR series at all levels. K&N is the filter of choice for the majority of racers in the USAC Ford Focus Midget series … and the NASCAR Modified series. We just want to continue showing our support,“ stated Bob Harris, Corporate Race Accounts Manager for K&N Filters.



The winning driver ... soon to be announced ... will be placed with one of Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle race teams in the selected series on the West Coast. The Modifieds weigh 2550 pounds and feature 410” V-8, 520 horsepower, methanol burning engines utilizing K&N air and oil filters. The Roush Yates Ford Focus Race Engines, also featuring K&N air and oil filters, make 180 horsepower and race at 1140 pounds in the USAC Ford Focus Midgets.

To the surprise of many, the Focus Midgets post quicker lap times than the Modifieds on most short tracks. Both series are open to Drivers age 14 and up. The USAC Junior Ford Focus Midget series is in the early stages of expansion by USAC, with support from Ford Racing. The same 180 horsepower Roush Yates Engines utilize easily removed restrictors to produce 125 horsepower for Drivers 12 to 15 years of age.

In addition, the talented driver selected will be awarded a one year scholarship in Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle NASCAR career focused driver development program. The K&N scholarship winner will have a training program designed specifically for their age, experience and development stage.

“The $40,000 race sponsorship and driver development scholarship are just the next step in K&N Filters long history of supporting young racers,” stated Tony Yorkman, Sports Marketing Manager at K&N Engineering. “These are challenging times but, we are not going to stop caring about young racers. Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle is one of the top driver development programs and already has a great process in place to find talented young drivers. We are tapping into their program to help us find and develop a deserving young racer for K&N’s award.”

To properly handle K&N’s expanded sponsorship program … Sacramento, California based Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle had extended the deadline to October 12th, for young Drivers … age 11 to 19 … to send in their resume. The talent search concluded with an on-track Driver Shoot-Out with 36 of the nations’ top talented drivers on a California paved oval short track in early October. The on-track Driver Shoot-Out had been expanded, with a second date added, October 17-19th, to handle the additional talented drivers selected to compete.

Many successful car racers today, honed their skills driving something smaller, such as Karts, Legends, Dwarf Cars, Quarter Midgets, Mini/Micro-Sprints, Dirt Karts and other forms of youth racing. K&N Filters and Sunoco Racing Fuels, an additional supporting sponsor, awarded six of the Shoot Out spots free of charge to young racers from various forms of youth motorsports in the 2009 RSWC Talent Search Shoot-Out.

“K&N Filter’s support for young drivers and grassroots racing continues to amaze me. First they came on board sponsoring free spots in our annual Shoot-Out. K&N added a 10 race sponsorship and driver development scholarship this year. Then they expanded it to accommodate a wider age range of drivers and include both the USAC and NASCAR series. We are thrilled to develop young racers’ careers with K&N’s support,” said Ron Sutton.

RSWC is an established talent scout and development program, providing long term, comprehensive racing and career development for up and coming drivers focused on NASCAR careers. RSWC drivers are coached, groomed, trained and molded into what top teams look for when hiring drivers. The career development program consists of 12 veteran driver coaches, 24 classroom topics and eight organizations fielding over 20 race teams, all dedicated to develop drivers in the RSWC program. The teams are a balance of Open Wheel and Stock Car oval track race teams to develop highly versatile and accomplished winning drivers.

Young winning drivers ages 11 to 19, and their families, were encouraged to get all the information and answers to common questions from the web-site Driver Career Development Program Tour, then submit their resume in time to be considered.


To learn more about the Talent Search and Apply Next Year ... Click Here