Development drivers make gains in touring ranks

When it comes to driver development in NASCAR, it's a never-ending process, no matter how it's labeled.

NASCAR has always had a strong developmental ladder system, from the Whelen All-American Series racing at weekly short tracks, through the touring division, which currently includes a variety of cars racing from coast-to-coast, and even into the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series.

But NASCAR doesn't have a lock on driver development. Drivers of all ages are honing their skills in variety of short-track equipment under an equally diverse set of sanctions.

And when they graduate beyond their weekly tracks, in addition to the cornucopia of NASCAR feeder series there's also the ARCA Racing Series featuring cars more similar to what was formerly raced in the Cup Series, along with a plethora of late-model tours including ACT, ASA, PASS and USAR Pro Cup.

And while the proverbial pot's always boiling, with hundreds of names of talented drivers struggling to be noticed, several names have shown themselves to be in the forefront of the development landscape.

They're hoping to follow in the footsteps of Joey Logano, who became the youngest winner in Nationwide Series history while Joe Gibbs Racing tabbed him to fill the No. 20 Toyota vacated by two-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart; or Austin Dillon, who's driven a famed number, 3, to wins in the Truck Series at Iowa and Las Vegas; and Trevor Bayne, who returned the Wood Brothers to Victory Lane with a spectacular win in the 2011 Daytona 500.

It's worth taking a random look at some of this talent, where it's come from and what it's achieved this season.

K&N a launching pad

Whether it's current Truck Series championship points leader, rookie Cole Whitt, or action-sports stars looking to transition to stock cars, like Travis Pastrana and Ricky Carmichael, the K&N Pro Series East and West have become the launching pad for drivers looking to break their way into one of NASCAR's three national series.

Logano, Dillon and Bayne all followed that path and whether it's learning when to be patient and when to make your move on one of the bullrings the series visits or seat time at national-series tracks such as Phoenix, New Hampshire and Dover, the K&N Pro Series has become a proving ground for the next generation of hopeful Sprint Cup Series drivers.

Although there's no guarantee -- just ask two-time K&N East king Ryan Truex, who's currently struggling to find the sponsorship to continue his first major step into the Nationwide Series -- there's plenty to be gained in K&N.

"It's the patience, the close-quarters racing, and pushing these guys around," said Bayne, after the Daytona 500 win, of his series experience. "I never thought I'd be a superspeedway racer, just because short tracks were my niche. But man, it really does relate to everything we were doing here [in Cup]."

The K&N Pro Series recently had one of its biggest events of the year, the annual combination race between the East and West at Iowa Speedway, which was won by Brett Moffitt -- a Michael Waltrip Racing development driver who's following in the footsteps of Truex.

Three NASCAR developmental series are in action this weekend: the Canadian Tire Series at Delaware, Ontario; K&N West in Las Vegas; and K&N East in Jefferson, Ga. It's time to review some of those names (Images courtesy Kate Gardiner Photography/NASCAR):

Alex Bowman

All you need to know about Bowman -- aside from the fact he can be pretty darn funny -- is his reaction following his run in the Night Before The 500 USAC Midget race in Indianapolis last month.

"We got beat pretty bad," Bowman said. "We just over-adjusted for the feature and got way too loose. It's disappointing."

And that was his analysis after finishing second. But for the 18-year-old Tucson, Ariz., native, if it isn't first, it really doesn't matter.

"The biggest thing is, I'm a really, really competitive person, no matter what I'm doing," Bowman said. "If I'm not winning, I'm not happy."

Bowman went through a similar post-race self-review following his NASCAR debut, when he ran third at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina. Bowman said he was happy for about 10 minutes, before he started to roll through the race in his head. He figured if he had gotten a handle on the car and track a little sooner, his late charge through the field may have resulted in contending for a win instead of a podium finish. Still, it was a more-than-impressive debut as he qualified 16th, and went from 24th to third in the final 50 laps.

Bowman stoked his competitive fire starting in open wheel. At 15, he took down the USAC Ford Focus Midget main event on Turkey Night at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) and had the most combined wins in USAC in 2008. He hasn't slowed down in a stock car, keeping pace with more established teammates Matt DiBenedetto and Coleman Pressley with first-year X Team Racing. In addition to Greenville, Bowman picked up a fifth-place finish at Richmond International Raceway.

"They're two completely different feelings," said Bowman of the transition. "Realistically, we were just trying to go out there and get some solid top-10s. Now that I'm used to the car, it's time to go out there and win some races."

Matt DiBenedetto

The two biggest things DiBenedetto learned during his time at Joe Gibbs Racing were how to train properly off the track and be more aggressive on it. The latter paid big dividends when he won the East Series' most recent event, on the quarter-mile Bowman Gray Stadium quarter-mile -- a place that put the "bull" in bullring.

In his second stint in the K&N Pro Series East, the 19-year-old Grass Valley, Calif., driver is putting the experience gained at JGR to good use. While a cut tire ended a strong run from the pole position at Iowa Speedway -- and possibly prevented him from taking the points lead -- DiBenedetto has put together a strong return to the series in which he had two wins and three pole awards in just seven starts in 2009.

"I think a lot of things are different this go around -- in a good way -- from all the experience I learned from," DiBenedetto said. "I feel like one of those veterans in the East and I'm not even 20 yet."

DiBenedetto didn't have the success he would have liked driving for JGR on a limited basis in the Nationwide Series in 2010. But he feels the time there wasn't wasted. For starters, he found a workout partner in teammate Brad Coleman, and direction from JGR motocross trainer Tim Gearhart. Getting on a training and eating program enabled the 6-foot DiBenedetto to bulk up from a scrawny 155 pounds to a solid 180.

"I got tired of always being the really small guy in high school," said DiBenedetto, who has discovered his newfound fitness has paid off in the driver's seat. "I feel like it's a big difference because I don't get so tired and wore out. It gives you a little edge. If you pressure them at the end, and they're getting tired, you have the advantage."

He hopes it will pay off down the stretch, after he moved into second in the standings following Bowman Gray. Still left on the schedule are three Cup Series companion events -- two at New Hampshire, where he has a win and one at Dover, where he set the series' track record in qualifying.

Chase Elliott

Having a famed name embellished by the Cup racing legacy of his father, 1988 Cup champion Bill Elliott, hasn't hurt the 15-year-old who radically changed his racing plans for the season when NASCAR lowered the age requirement for its touring division to 15.

Getting the backing of Hendrick Motorsports certainly didn't hurt Chase Elliott, who's proven to be quite competitive in the late-model racing he's done for the past several years, and which he continues to do out of the family shop in a place familiar for the place his father's team fashioned in NASCAR lore, Dawsonville, Ga.

Dylan Kwasniewski

While Chase Elliott may be the most well-known beneficiary of NASCAR's decision to lower the minimum age, Kwasniewski wants to make sure everybody knows that Elliott isn't the only one getting a jump on moving up the ladder. The Las Vegas driver, who just turned 16 on May 31, was fourth in his debut at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., and overcame a pit-road speeding penalty to rally for a 10th-place finish at Iowa.

Even that, though, doesn't cut it for Kwasniewski, who is teammates with Series West points leader Greg Pursley with car owner Gene Price, and who appears to be following in the footsteps of a couple other NASCAR national-series stars who came out of Las Vegas, Kurt and Kyle Busch.

"I have really high expectations for myself in whatever I get into," said Kwasniewski, who is already the leader in the rookie of the year standings, despite not competing in the season opener at Phoenix. "I push myself."

After moving up to late models and modifieds out West last year, Kwasniewski already has a pair of wins in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model Division at The Bullring at Las Vegas. As the series heads to the 3/8-mile that helped produce the Busch brothers, Kwasniewski is hoping home-track advantage will pay off.

"If I can beat Greg, hopefully I can come out with a win at Vegas," said Kwasniewski, who like many of the drivers making their way up the stock-car ranks at a young age, started in karts. It didn't take him long to get the hang of it -- or get hooked on the thrill of speed and competition.

"What else would you love at five -- going that fast?" Kwasniewski said. "I love the aspect of racing with people side-by-side. It's a blast and I love doing it."

Corey LaJoie

LaJoie knows his last name -- and the connections his father, two-time Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie, made while racing in the predecessor to the Nationwide Series -- may get his foot in the door or some parts at a discount. But it won't put the pieces together. And for the 19-year-old from Concord, N.C., that's a good news/bad news scenario.

"If it wasn't for Dad making those connections, it would take way more dollars for me to do what I'm doing," the younger LaJoie said. "But it doesn't mean I get to show up with my helmet bag and go racing. It's the complete opposite of that. I think that's what makes me a good race car driver. I know every nut and bolt that goes into that thing."

LaJoie made an impression in a limited run last year, contending for wins at New Hampshire, Iowa and Dover. While he managed to pull down a third-place finish this year at Richmond, mechanical issues and bad luck have side-tracked him elsewhere. Still, it's hard to dent the confidence of LaJoie, who is nearly as quick with his wit as he is on the track.

"We've had a third-place car everywhere we've went this year," LaJoie said. "As our results go, it looks like we've had a 25th-place car. It goes both ways. It makes you work even harder just to run better; and then when you run good, you want to run even better. Hopefully the second half of this year, we can catch some breaks and win a couple of these."

When LaJoie isn't behind the wheel or under the car, he's behind the race shop in Concord, N.C., as a budding track promoter. He and Brandon McReynolds, the son of former championship crew chief Larry McReynolds who is also looking for his shot at moving up the NASCAR ranks, operate the Field Fillers Fairgrounds. The karting track has built a steady cult following in the Charlotte area since they re-opened it in August 2010.

"The thing's been behind the track for 10 years, now it's grown into about 200 people watching 20 go karts go around," LaJoie said.

Luis Martinez Jr.

Replacing a champion can be a daunting task. But it's a challenge that 21-year-old Martinez Jr. has met head-on. The Long Beach, Calif., native took over the driving duties for Bob Bruncati's No. 6 in 2010, a year after Jason Bowles won the K&N Pro Series West championship in it.

And like Bowles' first year in the car, three seasons prior, Martinez produced a solid season that earned him the rookie of the year honors and a top-10 finish in points. He picked up a pole award last year at Colorado and earlier this year on the road course at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. Martinez recently made his Nationwide Series debut with a solid run at Iowa.

"That was probably the most incredible experience I've ever done," Martinez said. "It's much, much harder than anybody would ever think. That was just a big eye-opener for me. Very humbling, but it was just a ton, a ton of fun."

Not bad considering how far off the radar a NASCAR career was for Martinez until just a few years ago.

"Honestly, five years ago, I was not even into NASCAR that much at all," Martinez said. "I was really into Formula car racing. I did a lot of Skip Barber and Formula Renault stuff. That's really where I saw myself going. But I went to Irwindale one day and did a school there.

"I did a couple of test laps in a Super Late Model, and I turned to short-track really fast. Just the whole racing and the competition, I loved it. I wouldn't trade this for anything else."

Brett Moffitt

In each of the last two seasons, Moffitt stood in Victory Lane at Dover International Speedway and hoisted the track's Monster trophy after wins in the season finale. Each time, less than 100 yards away, Truex celebrated series championships with the really big trophy.

Now, in his third season in the series, Moffitt has his sights set on ending the 2011 season with both. The 18-year-old from Grimes, Iowa, already has two wins in the first four races but has fallen to fourth in the standings, 34 points behind Darrell Wallace Jr. in the title hunt.

Moffitt made quite a debut with Andy Santerre Motorsports in 2009. Driving for the former four-time series championship driver-turned-car owner, Moffitt broke Logano's record as the youngest pole winner in his debut at Greenville, and picked up a pair of wins.

Moving over to Joe Gibbs Racing last year, he added two more wins and moved up one spot in points to second. This season, he has taken over for Truex in the No. 00 for Michael Waltrip Racing and looks to give that organization its third consecutive title.

"Starting with Andy was really a good step for my career," Moffitt said. "He has really good equipment and he takes the time to teach you. At JGR, it was not exactly the results we wanted but still a really good step. And here at MWR, we're putting ourselves in position to win a champion and win as many races as possible."

The biggest win of his career came when he took the checkered flag at his home track of Iowa. The win came a year after he was wrecked while leading in the closing laps at the speedway, and allowed him to join Logano, Brian Ickler, Kyle Busch and JGR development driver Max Gresham, who's third in the points going to his home track, on the exclusive winner's list in the annual combination race between the K&N Pro Series East and West.

"That was just an amazing experience," Moffitt said. "It's not only a really cool track, and a track you'll go to down the road [in the Truck Series and Nationwide Series], but having it being in front of 17,000 fans is just really awesome."

The affable Moffitt has shown the remarkable ability to remain even-keel, whether he's winning the big race or watching a sure-win disappear in a wreck with a lapped car, as it did earlier this season at South Boston (Va.) Speedway. It's an attribute that he'll need to maximize as he carries the championship-aspirations of MWR forward.

"The biggest pressure I put on myself," Moffitt said. "In all reality, it's 'how bad do you want it?'"

Sergio Peña

Sitting in a sunny Victory Lane at South Boston earlier this year, Peña couldn't stop smiling. His first series win -- which also gave him the points lead at the time -- was a long time coming.

It was also an indication that the 18-year-old from Winchester, Va., was beginning to realize the potential he flashed a year prior. With only a limited résumé of late-model experience, Peña burst onto the scene with a runner-up finish to Logano in the 2010 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown.

What followed -- three top 10s and a 12th-place finish in the standings -- however, was not what Peña envisioned. The lessons learned during his struggles as a rookie, though, have provided him a solid foundation on which he has built on this year.

"I didn't know what to expect [getting into late models]. I had no idea what I was getting myself into," Peña said. "I had no idea that one year later, I'd be racing the K&N Pro Series. It's pretty cool. Last year was definitely a huge learning year for me, and I think the results showed that. I think this year is a huge turnaround for me."

In addition to his win at South Boston, Peña has a pair of top-10 finishes. Even when tire issues sidetracked him at Iowa and knocked him down to sixth in points, he's shown the mettle to be in the championship hunt all season long.

"This series has really matured me as a person" Peña said. "It's helped me become more like an adult. Not so much just a kid playing around all the time, you've got to take everything seriously on the track and off."

Daniel Suárez

As Suárez methodically works his way up the racing hierarchy, he understands that each step helps prepare him for the next challenge and that each one brings him closer to his ultimate goal.

The 19-year-old from Monterrey, Mexico, looks to follow the path previously set by fellow NASCAR Mexico Series drivers like Rogelio Lopez, Antonio Perez and Carlos and Ruben Pardo, as they've found success transitioning to the K&N Pro Series. Suárez hopes to take it even further.

"My goal is to keep learning and training to get to the highest level -- the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series," Suárez said. "I am very happy to be racing in the NASCAR K&N East Pro Series. I have learned a lot and everyone has welcomed me, which I am grateful."

Like many young drivers in the United States, Suárez got his start in karting. He moved up to Mexico's T4 Series in 2008, and won three times as a rookie en route to the championship. Last season, he collected five top-10s and the rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Mexico Series.

Suárez balances his racing schedule between the No. 1 Dodge in the Mexico Series and driving for Troy Williams Racing in the K&N Pro Series East. He made an impressive series debut with a solid 12th-place run at the Toyota All-Star Showdown in January. Suárez finished one spot in front of 2010 Mexico champion German Quiroga to become the highest-finishing driver from Mexico in the history of the event.

"Being a race car driver from Mexico and driving in the NASCAR Mexico Series, I am also very happy to be racing in the United States," Suárez said. "I hope to earn the support of the fans to help me get even further in NASCAR."

Darrell Wallace Jr.

Whether you call him by his given name or "Bubba," as he's known to his friends, the 17-year-old from Mobile, Ala., is certainly making a name for himself. In his K&N Pro Series East debut last year, he became the youngest winner in series history. He's since added another two wins, including a victory on the big stage at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway earlier this season, and the 2010 K&N Pro Series East rookie of the year award.

He moved into the championship lead following the event at historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., and ultimately hopes to provide Revolution Racing and the Drive for Diversity initiative with its first touring series title.

While he's found quick success in the K&N Pro Series and with the Sprint Cup Series his ultimate goal, Wallace remains squarely focused on the next rung of the NASCAR ladder.

"Hopefully, I'll be either in the Truck or Nationwide Series [in three years]," Wallace said. "I don't want to say Cup yet, because I don't think I'm ready for it yet. It takes a lot to get to that stage. Really, I just want to be anywhere --- but I think I could be in a Truck or the Nationwide Series, and that would be pretty cool."

Wallace also realizes there's more to the sport than just going fast all the time.

"It's just being able to get my name out there," Wallace said. "It's not always about being prepared for the next race all the time. Sometimes it's about being able to run up front and then doing a news deal the next day, which is a big thing."

In the end, any one of these kids could be the next "big thing" for NASCAR.

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