From Dick Jordan
An unprecedented career opportunity awaits USAC’s 2011 National Ford Focus Champion as a result of a marketing agreement between USAC and Nine Racing of Laguna Beach, Calif.
The agreement provides the opportunity for the 2011 Ford Focus National Champion to test and race the legendary #9 Midget at the Bryant Heating and Cooling Indianapolis Speedrome and the opportunity to compete in the opening day 2012 USAC Regional Midget series event at the Speedrome. The costs for the test session and USAC Regional Event race will be totally underwritten by Nine Racing. “Our team is pleased to be a part of this USAC reward program for the 2011 Ford Focus Champion and we look forward to working with the champion and providing the opportunity to test this fall and race next year at the Speedrome in one of our National midgets,” states Steve Lewis.
Winners of 133 USAC National feature events, the Steve Lewis Nine Racing midget team has fostered the careers of some of USAC’s greatest stars. Among its drivers since 1979 are USAC Champions Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Mike Bliss, Kenny Irwin Jr., J.J. Yeley, Dave Darland, Dave Steele, Jimmy Sills, Jason Leffler, Stevie Reeves, Kevin Olson, Michael Lewis, Tracy Hines, Jay Drake, Bobby East, Chuck Gurney, Kody Swanson and Darren Hagen.
This is a truly significant career opportunity,” says USAC Developmental Racing Series Director James Spink. “The Nine Racing history of success is well documented and this opportunity to test and race a full sized midget for the driver that earns the 2011 Ford Focus Championship will be a big career boost for both the winning driver and the USAC Ford Focus series. We sincerely appreciate Nine Racing’s acknowledgement of the talent level in our Ford Focus series and I expect competition for this opportunity to be intense.”
In addition, the Nine Racing team has extended another special offer that will be applied to the winner of the Honda Light 160 class winner at USAC’s 2011 Mopar .25 Midget “Battle at the Brickyard.” That winner will receive a “complimentary” test session in a Nine Racing Ford Focus pavement midget, also scheduled to take place at the Bryant Heating & Cooling Indianapolis Speedrome.