With 12 weeks remaining in the Kulwicki Cup, the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) has announced its current points leader. In his second consecutive season as a KDDP Finalist, Gleason’s Justin Mondeik now finds himself in the driver seat for the $54,439 prize.
“I am very proud to be leading the standings right now, but definitely not satisfied. As an Owner/Driver of our Super Late Model team, I feel like we are unmatched with our on-track performance so far,” explained a confident Mondeik. “I raced Limited (Stock) Late Models three years ago, and won a lot. Earning four wins and 11 top five finishes in a Super Late Model has been very rewarding this year. I hope to add a few more wins before the season is over.”
Mondeik continues to impress the community with his “off-track” activities. To date, he has raised enough funding to sponsor 16 US Military Veterans to travel to Washington DC on the Never Forgotten Honor Flight. He also continues to host Veterans and Boy Scouts at local race events, working with the race track promoters to sponsor their admission on select nights throughout the summer. This Spring Mondeik formed the “Mighty Bandos” traveling series for Bandolero race car drivers who are under 12 years old. His team has sponsored podium medals for these competitors, and the points champion will be crowned later this summer; receiving a cash prize and championship trophy.
“Supporting grassroots short track racing is something I am very passionate about. These kids have shown me an exceptional level of competitiveness and comradery this season,” said Mondeik.
Arguably his highest accomplishment in 2018 is being an Honor Roll student at one of the premier engineering colleges in the US. In a few weeks, Justin will be moving back to Houghton, Michigan where he will begin his final year at Michigan Technological University in their Mechanical Engineering program. Alan Kulwicki was the first NASCAR Champion to earn a college diploma, graduating from UWMilwaukee in Mechanical Engineering.
Whether it is his team ownership, wrenching on his own cars, engineering education, or Wisconsin roots, it is hard to imagine anyone who emulates the Kulwicki legacy more than Justin Mondeik.