A field of nearly 400 talented grassroots racers has been pared down to 15 finalists in the Champion Spark Plug brand’s $125,000 “Search for a Champion” racing sponsorship contest. Each finalist will receive a $5,000 Champion sponsorship for the 2014 racing season and advance to the $50,000 grand-prize round of voting, which begins Friday, February 21, at www.AlwaysaChampion.com.
The annual Search for a Champion contest enables grassroots racers to battle for $125,000 in sponsorship packages by creating videos that demonstrate their commitment to winning a racing championship in virtually any form of engine-driven competition. This year’s contest attracted a record 391 participants, and first-round votes rose by more than 150 percent to over 208,000.
“Search for a Champion gets bigger and more competitive every year,” said Jessica Wynn, global digital marketing manager for Champion Spark Plug manufacturer Federal-Mogul Corporation. “The quality of our video entries has never been better, and each of our 15 finalists will be an excellent representative of ‘Performance Driven’ Champion technology throughout 2014.”
This year’s Search for a Champion finalists are:
Name Location Vehicle Class/Type
Amber Balcaen Winnipeg, Man., Can. Sprint Car
Daniel Burkett Winnipeg, Man., Can. USF2000
Trevor Collver Lucan, Ont., Can. Late Model Truck
Teri Cummings Sequim, Wash. Sprint Boat
Jeff Curl Forest, Ill. Dirt Late Model
Daniel Daughenbaugh Avondale, Pa. Vintage Bike
Jordan Ives Gladstone, Mich. Super Late Model
Nick Lascuola Abington, Mass. Late Model
Haley Moody Kinston, N.C. Limited Late Model
Gauge Rees Roy, Utah Superbike
Alex Rogeo Santa Clarita, Calif. Drag
Bradley Sterrett Bloomington, Ind. Non-Wing Sprint Car
Tina Stull Boerne, Texas Rail Dragster
Marco Tellez Orlando, Fla. Drift
Caley Weese Carrying Place, Ont., Can. Dirt Late Model
Final-round voting will take place February 21 through March 23, and the Search for a Champion $50,000 grand-prize winner will be announced Monday, March 31, at 9 a.m. E.T. To review the 15 finalist videos and cast your free vote, simply visit www.AlwaysaChampion.
In addition to the 15 finalists, Federal-Mogul has selected 12 contest participants who will receive $500 Search for a Champion Honorable Mention awards:
Name Location Vehicle Class/Type
James and Josh Rice Verona, Ky. Dirt Late Model/Dirt Modified
Cole Glasson Corinth, Texas Dirt
Joey Prusak Minnetonka, Minn. Late Model
Brittney Olsen Aberdeen, S.D. Vintage Motorcycle
Kodie Conner Kannapolis, N.C. Late Model
Alex Cognac Marvin, N.C. Sprint Car
Monty Mandros Magna, Utah Super Late Model
Kevin Belanger Washington, N.H. Go Kart
Cole Peschang South Beloit, Ill. Go Kart
Jackson Lee Avon, Ind. Quarter Midget
Bob Bauer Niagara Falls, Ont., Can. Dirt
Jason Alder Cooksville, Md. Go Kart