CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (May 6, 2015) – – In an announcement Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in uptown Charlotte, Dylan Lupton was announced as a returning member of the NASCAR Next program for the 2015-2016 class.
NASCAR Next, an evolution of the Next9 initiative that began in 2011, is an all-embracing industry initiative to help spotlight the sport’s rising stars – and boost fan recognition around talent that will grow into NASCAR Sprint Cup Series mainstays.
In addition to competing on various NASCAR series across the country, drivers in the program will participate in several media and promotional activities throughout the next 12 months.
This year’s group was selected through an evaluation process that included input from industry executives and veteran racers. Drivers must be between the ages of 15 – 25, have tangible and expressed goals in eventual competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) and possess the potential to realize that goal.
Lupton will begin his second tenure in the program joining Cole Custer, Ruben Garcia Jr., Austin Hill and Jesse Little as returning class members. Rico Abreu, Nicole Behar, Kyle Benjamin, James Bickford, William Byron, John Hunter Nemechek and Dalton Sargeant all were introduced as new additions to the program now in its fifth year.
“I’m very honored to be a returning member of the NASCAR Next program,” said Lupton, who recently made his second career NASCAR XFINITY Series start at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway last month. “The NASCAR Next program has taught me a lot as I continue my journey to the top of the sport.
“I’ve embraced every opportunity that the program has offered and it’s really been influential in my quest to learn the ins and outs of the sport.”
In particular, Lupton has been an advocate for the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) project where the Wilton, California native has spent time informing students about the fundamentals of NASCAR and how each subject applies.
“The opportunity to make a difference and go to local schools and explain how racing applies to STEM is something I’m really looking forward at continuing,” Lupton added. “The program is so instrumental in continuing to carve careers for the future for them in and out of the sport. It’s an awesome feeling.”
Lupton joined the NASCAR Next program last year in the midst of his second career NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season with Sunrise Ford Racing. In addition to his win at Kern County (Calif.) Raceway Park, he also tallied nine top-fives and 14 top-10 finishes. In an astounding statistic, Lupton was the only driver who finished inside the top-10 during every K&N West event last season en route to a second-place finish in the championship standings.
In 2015, Lupton graduated to the NASCAR XFINITY Series, where he’s running a partial schedule for Athenian Motorsports. Thus far, the Californian has competed in two races at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway and Richmond International Raceway respectively.
The two-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series West winner is also scheduled to appear in the No. 25 Zaxby’s Chevrolet Camaro in a minimum of five other races, including Chicagoland Speedway (June), Iowa Speedway, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Road America (Wisc.) and Kentucky Speedway (September).
“Even though we didn’t have the finish we wanted at Richmond, things are progressing very well at Athenian Motorsports,” added Lupton. “We’re working hard to add more XFINITY races to my schedule and the whole team is working hard to make sure our next race together will be the best yet.”
For more on Dylan Lupton follow him on Twitter @LuptonDylan or visit LuptonRacing.com.
