Justin Mondeik of Gleason received a serious boost to his racing program this week when he was selected as one of seven drivers in the country to represent the 2017 Alan Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP).
The KDDP was established in 2015 to honor the memory of the late 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion while aiding worthy racers attempting to climb the ranks. In honor of Alan Kulwicki’s iconic #7 car number, seven drivers will immediately receive $7,777 and compete for seven times that amount ($54,439) and the Kulwicki Cup trophy which is awarded in December. Mondeik will also receive marketing and public relations assistance through the program and its partners.
“We are honored and humbled by the opportunity to represent Alan’s legacy on and off the track. I have always aspired to follow in his footsteps, so taking this next step in my racing career is very exciting” said Mondeik. “Racing week to week with the likes of Dalton Zehr, Lyle Nowak, the Sauter
family, Ty Majeski, Derek Kraus, Mark Mackesy, Reagan May, and so many other great drivers definitely helped my progression over the last few years. We really are looking forward to battling every week on the ARCA Midwest Tour and T.U.N.D.R.A Super Late Model series. Hopefully we can put together a consistent year and win some races!”
Following in Alan’s footsteps is exactly what he is doing. Whether it is his Wisconsin roots, the pursuit of a Mechanical Engineering degree, short track resume, and managing his own race team, Mondeik seems to be on a parallel path with Kulwicki. His team has 38 races on their schedule this year, including 12 stops on the ARCA Midwest Tour, and the Slinger Nationals at Kulwicki’s home track in Slinger, WI.