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April
5, 2006
Drivers
Chasin the Dream Racin for a Livin (Five More of the Top 50)
Last month we took you inside Racin for a Livin and introduced
you to the creator Jerry VanDenHul. This former World of Outlaws
racer has developed a show that will not just give one driver
his or her fifteen minutes of fame, but will give them a real
shot to impress Nextel Cup Owners with seven races in the Busch
Series with quality equipment. Today we will introduce you to
just a few of the top fifty drivers that will be competing for
the fan's votes starting March 28th. Twelve of these local stars
will get a shot at the big time that might have always eluded
their grasp!
All
over the USA drivers compete at their local short tracks. Some
just are in it to satisfy that adrenaline-induced need to race.
Others are hoping to beat the odds and race their way to the big
time someday. "Racin for a Livin" will give one driver
a chance to beat the odds and race in the NASCAR Busch series.
Thousands of drivers applied, fifty will be chosen to vie for
the fan's vote, and twelve will get a chance to chase that dream!
Let's take a look at a few of the drivers hoping to get this shot
at the big time.
(Order
of drivers by random draw)
 Randy
Hannagan
One of the better-known names to make the top 50 at Racin for
a Livin is Randy "Hurricane" Hannagan, one of the mean
fifteen from the World of Outlaws. This brash outspoken driver
from San Jose, California is a breath of fresh air in the world
of cookie-cutter drivers racing on cookie-cutter racetracks. "It's
so corporate out there now, maybe NASCAR needs some cowboys,"
quipped Hannagan. "Sprint cars teach you how to race not
just log laps. I was really happy to make the top 50. Can we just
race for it," joked Hannagan. "I am a good racer but
also a good spokesperson for the team too, because without the
team the driver is nothing," said Hannagan. "There was
rock and roll after Elvis died. The Daytona 500 went on after
Dale Earnhardt died. Sprint car racing is bigger than any one
driver too," said Hannagan alluding to the recent split in
sprint car racing. "This is a great shot to show I can do
this if I get a chance."
Michelle
Theriault
Looks can indeed to be deceiving. This mild mannered looking young
lady from Bristol, CT loves to mix it up on the track with the
best of short track racing in the competitive USAR Pro Cup series.
"I like the tough racing on the short tracks. We picked the
Southern Division since I would rather race against the best,"
said Theriault. No stranger to reality television, Michelle starred
in "The Drive" on CMT. "I heard reality show and
I said no way! But the more I learned about Racin for a Livin
the more I liked the idea," said Theriault. "I was honored
to make the top 50, I was really shocked. I want to show everyone
that if you give me the right resources I can get it done,"
said Michelle. Nineteen-year-old Michelle is in a tough heat race
trying to get enough votes to make the finals. Meanwhile she is
concentrating on her season in the USAR Pro Cup series, her next
race at Peach State Speedway on April 8th.
Davin
Scites
Another driver that is familiar with the world of reality television
is Davin Scites, also featured on "The Drive" on CMT.
"I didn't want to do another show like that but this is different,"
said Scites. "Some of the best names in the business are
involved that have been there and done that. The prize is awesome
and you will get so many laps if you make the top twelve, "
said Scites. Davin is a throw back to the way racing used to be.
"I race wherever they pay the most money," joked Scites
about his 2006 racing plans. "I will have some great stories
to tell my kids someday!" Last year Davin had an impressive
sixth place finish at Chicagoland Speedway in the ARCA series.
"At my age this is a great opportunity," said the thirty-year-old
Scites. "Knowing what is at stake on this, it feels like
someone is pulling my brain apart, it's awesome!" Davin has
giveaway t-shirts and temporary tattoos for the kids to win votes
but knows there is another key. "I have 'Vote for Davin'
on my car so I know I better run good to get votes," said
Scites.
Chrissy
Wallace
Some of the names in the top 50 at Racin for a Livin are known
just for their famous last names, but someday hope to add to that
family history. One such driver is Chrissy Wallace of St. Louis,
Missouri. "Sometimes when your name is Wallace people think
you get things just handed to you," said the energetic Chrissy
Wallace. "I've got to prove my talent just like anyone else."
This talented youngster turns eighteen in May and turned down
scholarship offers in softball to pursue racing. "Seat time
is a big factor in racing without seat time you can't improve,"
said Wallace. Chrissy will race four different cars again this
season including some late model stock cars events at historic
Hickory Motor Speedway. "Mom is excited I am racing but gets
very nervous," said Wallace. She even got to race her Dad
Mike last year in the summer shootout at Lowe's. Winning on Racin
for a Livin would push her career forward at high speed so it
might not be long until another Wallace is racing in NASCAR's
top divisions.
Rob
Jones
Have you ever heard the old joke that fighter pilots wish they
were racecar drivers and racecar drivers wish they were fighter
pilots? Well Rob Jones is both! A fighter pilot for the Air National
Guard as well as a pilot for one of the country's biggest airfreight
companies, Rob also races late models and legend cars in the Mid
Atlantic region. "I was quite surprised when I made the top
50, I thought maybe someone was playing a joke on me," said
an excited Jones. "My saying is from the flight line to the
finish line. Some people dream about being a pilot or a race driver,
call me greedy but I love doing both!" This thirty-three
year old from Bowie, Maryland is another example of a guy hoping
to turn a racing hobby into a racing career "Most of the
season last year I was doing it all out of my pocket on a small
budget. Bouncing from car to car every race can be tough."
Accomplished in the cockpit of a plane, if Rob makes the finalists
for Racin for a Livin he will get a chance to prove if he can
get the job down in the cockpit of a racecar too.
In
the days ahead we will introduce you to many more of the drivers
hoping to win a shot at Racin for a Livin. Short track racers
all over the USA and the world will get their one big chance for
stardom. Will the training program devised by the amazing group
of experts behind the scenes at the show prepare one of these
drivers to succeed? Check out Racin and a Livin and get involved
in the voting to determine just who will get the shot to show
the world what they have got!
illustration
by Lori Munro / War-Wagon.com
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