McKenna Haase, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, recently competed for a roster spot in the motorsport industry’s top driver development program. Haase, the first woman to win a sprint car feature at the iconic Knoxville Raceway in only her second year of racing, participated in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity (D4D) Combine on Oct. 17-19 at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida. The NASCAR D4D Combine was originally scheduled for Oct. 10-12 but was postponed due to Hurricane Matthew.
NASCAR, which partners with Rev Racing on the Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, gives six to eight aspiring drivers a chance to catch the eye of a car owner or team manager at the highest levels of the sport. The program currently supports drivers in NASCAR developmental series – the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
“While I had a lot of great memories this season, the 2016 Combine was easily one of the greatest events I participated in this year,” said Haase, a finance major at Drake University. “There were a lot of differences for me coming from dirt but that provided me with a unique opportunity to get to learn more about a much different community and the people within it.
“Getting to spend time with many people from NASCAR as well as business people from the industry allowed me to make some great connections. So, the possibility of being signed by Rev Racing would be a dream come true for me.”
Seventeen hopefuls, including a record-tying 13 females, ranging in age from 15 to 25 from U.S., Canada and Mexico, went through a three-day driver evaluation of on-track performance, media training and physical fitness to be considered for a spot in the 2017 D4D class. More than 70 candidates submitted résumés this year.
Haase will find out in January if she made the cut and will be rewarded with a driver contract. The process is similar to a baseball player signing a minor league contract, starting out in a Class A league with the hopes of advancing to Double A, Triple A and eventually the major leagues.
Established in 2004, the Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program has helped more than 30 drivers make a splash in NASCAR. Three of its graduates, in particular, have been especially successful: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Kyle Larson, in addition to NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers Daniel Suárez and Darrell Wallace Jr. Rev Racing, owned by Max Siegel, operates the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program.
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