Canadians among Champion’s Search for Champions

Four Canadians are among 15 finalists in Champion Spark Plug’s $125,000 “Search for a Champion” racing sponsorship contest.

Amber Balcaen and Daniel Burkett of Winnipeg went through to the final round for their involvement in Sprint Car and USF2000 racing, respectively. Trevor Collver of Lucan, Ont. went through for Late Model Truck racing. And Caley Weese of Carrying Place, Ont., went through for Dirt Late Model racing.

Each finalist will receive a $5,000 Champion sponsorship for the 2014 racing season and advance to the $50,000 grand-prize round of voting, which begins Friday at www.AlwaysaChampion.com.

In addition, Bob Bauer of Niagara Falls, Ont., earned $500 as an honorable mention for dirt racing.

The annual Search for a Champion contest enables grassroots racers to battle for $125,000 in sponsorship packages by creating videos that demonstrate their commitment to winning a racing championship in virtually any form of engine-driven competition. This year’s contest drew entries from a record 391 talented grassroots racers from across the United States and Canada. Rirst-round votes rose by more than 150 percent to over 208,000.

“Search for a Champion gets bigger and more competitive every year,” said Jessica Wynn, global digital marketing manager for Champion Spark Plug manufacturer Federal-Mogul Corporation. “The quality of our video entries has never been better, and each of our 15 finalists will be an excellent representative of ‘Performance Driven’ Champion technology throughout 2014.”

  * Amber Balcaen, Winnipeg, Man., Can., (Sprint Car

  * Daniel Burkett, Winnipeg, Man., Can., (USF2000);

  * Trevor Collver, Lucan, Ont., Can., (Late Model Truck);

  * Teri Cummings, Sequim, Wash., (Sprint Boat);

  * Jeff Curl, Forest, Ill., (Dirt Late Model);

  * Daniel Daughenbaugh, Avondale, Pa., (Vintage Bike);

  * Jordan Ives, Gladstone, Mich., (Super Late Model);

  * Nick Lascuola, Abington, Mass., Late Model );

  * Haley Moody, Kinston, N.C., (Limited Late Model);

  * Gauge Rees, Roy, Utah, (Superbike);

  * Alex Rogeo, Santa Clarita, Calif., (Drag);

  * Bradley Sterrett, Bloomington, Ind., (Non-Wing Sprint Car);

  * Tina Stull, Boerne, Texas, (Rail Dragster);

  * Marco Tellez, Orlando, Fla., (Drift); and

  * Caley Weese, Carrying Place, Ont., Can., (Dirt Late Model).

Final-round voting will take place Feb. 21 through March 23, and the Search for a Champion $50,000 grand-prize winner will be announced March 31, at 9 a.m. E.T.

To review the 15 finalist videos and cast your free vote, simply visit www.AlwaysaChampion.

In addition to the 15 finalists, Federal-Mogul has selected 12 contest participants who will receive $500 Search for a Champion Honorable Mention awards:

  * James and Josh Rice, Verona, Ky., Dirt Late Model/Dirt Modified);

  * Cole Glasson, Corinth, Texas, (Dirt);

  * Joey Prusak, Minnetonka, Minn., (Late Model);

  * Brittney Olsen, Aberdeen, S.D., (Vintage Motorcycle);

  * Kodie Conner, Kannapolis, N.C., (Late Model);

  * Alex Cognac, Marvin, N.C., (Sprint Car);

  * Monty Mandros, Magna, Utah, (Super Late Model);

  * Kevin Belanger, Washington, N.H., (Go Kart);

  * Cole Peschang, South Beloit, Ill., (Go Kart);

  * Jackson Lee, Avon, Ind., (Quarter Midget);

  * Bob Bauer, Niagara Falls, Ont., Can., (Dirt); and

  * Jason Alder, Cooksville, Md., (Go Kart).

Federal-Mogul Corporation is a leading global supplier of products and services to the world’s manufacturers and servicers of vehicles and equipment in the automotive, light, medium and heavy-duty commercial, marine, rail, aerospace, power generation and industrial markets. The company’s products and services enable improved fuel economy, reduced emissions and enhanced vehicle safety.