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 HAYWARD,
CALIFORNIA (September 21, 2010) – 17 year-old Jessica Brunelli will be one of just five
drivers to be featured in the upcoming television show
“NASCAR-Next Generation” to air Wednesday nights on
Versus.
Brunelli just completed her rookie season driving in
NASCAR-sanctioned Late Models for Revolution Racing /
Drive for Diversity. Originally from Hayward, Calif.,
Brunelli relocated to North Carolina to compete for
Drive for Diversity after winning a spot with Revolution
Racing in a driver tryout last fall.
Her
first season in Late Model Stock Cars saw her compete
throughout North Carolina at Caraway, Hickory, and
Tri-County Speedways. Thanks to a mid-season surge,
Brunelli racked up seven top-fives and 12 top-tens in 19
starts.
Brunelli was recently named Rookie of the Year at both
the historic Hickory Motor Speedway and the tricky
Tri-County Speedway. She also finished third in the
Tri-County Speedway points standings.
In
her four year career, Brunelli has won a rookie of the
year in three of the four seasons. She won Rookie of
the Year in the 2007 Skip Barber series, followed by
winning Modified Rookie of the Year in 2009 at All
American
Speedway
in Roseville, Calif., and now a pair of Rookie of the
Year honors racing Late Models in North Carolina.
“I am
really excited about being named "Rookie of the Year" at
both Tri-county and Hickory Motor Speedway, they are two
awesome tracks,” Brunelli said. “I really need to
thank NASCAR for giving me the opportunity to race Late
Models with the Drive for Diversity program and for
Revolution Racing for selecting me and believing in me,
even though I had no Late Model experience.”
She
has been featured this fall on BET’s “Changing Lanes”
which chronicles the Revolution Racing / Drive for
Diversity selection process and will now be featured on
Versus in “NASCAR-Next Generation”.
“The
exposure I have received this year is really incredible
and would never have been possible without NASCAR,”
Brunelli said. “As far as the new show NASCAR: Next
Generation, I was very surprised to be selected for the
show and to be considered one of NASCAR's up and coming
drivers. It is a great honor.
“NASCAR-Next Generation” will air on Wednesday nights at
7:30 p.m. ET starting September 22nd.
Brunelli will be featured in an episode of the show with
a major segment. The show gives inside details on the
sacrifices made by top young drivers as they compete to
be a future star in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
While
both the “NASCAR-Next Generation” and “Changing Lanes”
shows will be winding down, Brunelli will go into the
2011 NASCAR Drive for Diversity combine to be held on
October 17-19. Brunelli will go up against a class
described as the best in the history of the Drive for
Diversity program, in hopes of continuing her spot on
Revolution Racing.
Race fans can learn more about
Jessica Brunelli at her website
www.jessicabrunelli.com
The website includes links to her Twitter and Facebook
accounts, plus details on the various motorsports
organizations that Brunelli is a member of.
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