18 year old to make Nationwide debut
The recent graduate of Aztec (N.M.) High School has been working towards this moment for quite awhile. He recently won the 2009 Road Course World Finals in the Pro Legends Division at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He finished 10th in the K&N East Series last year with one top-five and three top-10s to his credit.
By the age of 14, Kennedy was already competing in Late Models and was featured on an episode of ESPN’s “Outside the Lines" segment about young drivers. Since 2006, Kennedy has progressed to ASA and then ARCA competition. Offering his advice and guidance this weekend will be Steve Plattenberger, crew chief for R3 Motorsports who has aided many a young driver during his 25 years in the sport.
Kennedy is also a National Ambassador for the Dream Factory, Inc. an organization that supports Drive for Dreams. This initiative grants wishes for children who are suffering from chronic illness or disorders. The Dream Factory, Inc. logo will be displayed on the No. 23 Chevrolet’s lower quarter panels.
Track Facts: This will be the first start at the 4.048-mile road course of Road America for the NASCAR Nationwide Series. With 14 twists and turns and two long straightaways, Kennedy won’t be too far behind the eight ball as many of his fellow competitors have never competed there, either.
Chassis Info: R3 Motorsports will utilize Chassis No. 39 which Kennedy used at the CMS test last week. Last year, J.F. Dumoulin drove the car to a seventh-place finish at Montreal. Since then, the car has gone through only slight modifications to enhance its performance.
Come see Kennedy: Fans are invited to stop by the autograph session Friday evening from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. right on pit road.
Kennedy on course: In addition to his wins at both Infineon Raceway and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Legends cars, Kennedy has other road course experience. He finished 10th at Lime Rock (Conn.) Raceway Park in 2008 and fourth there last year in K&N East Series competition. He finished eighth at Watkins Glen (NY) International last year in the same division. In 2008, he finished 11th at Infineon Raceway in the K&N West Series.
About the Drive for Dreams
Alex wants to make sure dreams come true for kids involved with Dream Factory, Inc. Through his racing, Alex has raised awareness of the Dream Factory, Inc. organization all over the United States. “I am so happy to represent this great organization and we are bringing all of the Dream Factory kids along for the ride," Kennedy said. In 2008, he joined NASCAR star Carl Edwards and game show legend Wink Martindale as a National Ambassador for Dream Factory, Inc.