Fernando Alonso is one of the premiere Formula 1 drivers in the world. Breaking into the racing world as a youngster in the European Karting Championship, “El Nano” didn’t take long to rise through the racing ranks, making stops in the Euro-Open Movistar Nissan single-seater series and Formula 3000 before arriving on the Formula 1 stage by joining the Renault team.
Becoming the youngest-ever pole sitter at Malaysia in 2003, he also grabbed victory in Hungary – lapping the legendary Michael Schumacher in his Ferrari en route to a phenomenal season. It wasn’t until 2005, however, that the Spanish racing hero cemented his reputation, becoming the youngest Formula 1 Champion in history, only to add to his growing legacy by defending the coveted crown in 2006 to become the youngest double champion in the sport’s history. After stops with various teams over the course of his decorated career, Alonso re-joined the McLaren team (he was on the team in 2007) in 2015.
McLaren-Honda, Oakley, Tag Heuer, Europcar, Viceroy
Cycling, Golf, Soccer
Clint Bowyer was tearing it up in Motocross long before he was known for his stock car prowess. His killer racing instincts carried over as he made the transition into the four-wheel racing world where he immediately made a name for himself through Automobile Racing Club of America starts in 2003.
Leading 47 laps with a second place finish in his first ARCA event, he caught the attention of team owner Richard Childress who paired Clint and Kevin Harvick behind the wheel of an RCR Nationwide Series entry in 2004. Victories at Nashville and Memphis – topped by a second-place finish in the 2005 Nationwide Standings saw Clint earn his own Sprint Cup car.
The humble, yet boisterous driver took off from there – making his mark in 2007 with his first career Sprint Cup victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in just his 64th career start. Finishing third in points after his first run in “the Chase,” the sky was the limit from there.
Now with eight Cup victories in the bag and continued competitiveness on the Michael Waltrip Racing team, Clint’s continued quest for advancement in the Chase continues.
Oakley, Toyota, Peak, Toyota Racing Development, AAA, Aaron’s, NAPA, Beechcraft, Sherwin-Williams, Cometic Gasket, Kawasaki, Scheck Industries, Georgia Boot, Freightliner
Hot Rods, Go-Karts, motorcycles, fields full-time dirt late model team under the Clint Bowyer Racing banner
Considered one of the top drivers of this era, Juan Pablo Montoya is the driver for # 2 IndyCar for Penske Racing Team. Born September 20, 1975, he is known internationally for being one of the few drivers participating in Indycar, NASCAR, Formula One, CART & F3000 race competitions.
JPM hails from Bogota, Colombia where he grew up racing go-karts from a very young age. Montoya's love for racing anything with a motor stems back to his childhood, a skill which he developed throughout a variety of disciplines of racing.
Montoya recently made the switch back to IndyCar, a sport which he first tried in 2000 when he entered his first race (and won) the Indy 500, the "Greatest Spectacle In Racing." After his big win in 2000, Montoya jumped over to Formula 1, fulfilling his childhood dream. After experiencing extremely successful careers in both Formula 1 and NASCAR, Montoya returned to IndyCar with the Penske Racing Team in 2014.
Verizon, Penske Racing, Oakley
Wind Surfing, Mountain Biking, Flying RC Airplanes
Scott Dixon is the most successful active driver in IndyCar Racing history. He also holds the distinction of ‘seventh all-time winningest driver overall’ with 180 IndyCar® Series starts, producing 32 wins, 22 poles, 97 top-10 finishes and three Championship titles (2003, 3008, 2013).
Dixon’s 2003 campaign was a storybook season for the then 23-year old driver. After making the move from the Champ Car series to the Indy Racing League with Target Chip Ganassi Racing, the New Zealander began with a victory at the season-opening in Homestead, Florida, becoming just the third driver to win in his IndyCar® Series debut. Dixon continued to perform after his hot start and captured the series championship with 507 total points, 343 consecutive laps led, three wins (Homestead, Pikes Peak and Richmnd) five pole positions and a total of 748 laps led.
The now veteran driver returned to former glory in 2013 claiming his third career title at Fontana and he shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Oakley, Graham-London, Arai Helmets, Troy Lee Designs, Pit Fit Training, Fisher & Paykel
Rock climbing, mountain/road biking, circuit training, water balloon fighting, underwater basket weaving and ping pong!
Desire, versatility and raw, natural talent, are qualities Kurt Busch owns in spades. He parlayed those attributes into a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in 2004, beating Jimmie Johnson by 8-points in a thrilling Miami finale. In 2014 Busch brought his title-winning abilities to the #41 Haas Automation, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevy.
Busch is a 27-time race winner in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, taking 19 pole positions. Over the course of his career he has raced for some of the most prominent team owners, manufacturers and leading teams, from Jack Roush at Roush Racing to Roger Penske and the Penske organization. Along the way he has competed in anything from the NHRA, Rallycars, to representing the USA in the Race of Champions as well as winning in the NASCAR Truck and NASCAR XFinity Series.
His versatility was once again on display in 2014, this time in an Indycar at the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500, where he was a rookie contender at Andretti Autosports. He went on to finish as top rookie in 6th place. Kurt then took on the Charlotte 600, making him only the fourth driver to do the ‘Double’ – 500 miles at Indy and 600 miles at Charlotte in the same day.
Revered as a driver that is highly technical and demands the best from his team, Kurt is known for raising the bar for everyone around him, from mechanics to crew chiefs, partners to NASCAR and the industry as a whole. During his illustrious career, his approach, authenticity and humility have served him well, which is evident and can be measured by the steadfast support of his growing and staunchly loyal fanbase.
Monster Energy, HAAS Automation Chevrolet, Alpine Stars, Oakley
Classic Cars, Travelling
The talented young gun, first taking the wheel in competitive racing at age 13, rapidly smashed his way up through the Karting world; European circuits all the way to the Indy Lights series in 2011, where he claimed victory in the season opener at St.Petersberg. He would continue on to snatch four wins and 10 podiums en route to a resounding Indy Lights Championship title.
Fast-forward to today, and the Tennessee native is living a dream. At just 23 years old, the Oakley speed demon is racing for Sarah Fisher Hartman head-to-head with the most prominent names in the sport. Between Josef’s abundant talent and vibrant personality, it is safe to say that he is quickly becoming one of the most popular drivers in IndyCar. The best is yet to come.
Oakley, RoboPong, Alpinestars, Bell Helmets, ScoreBig, Copart
Rock climbing, mountain/road biking, circuit training, water balloon fighting, underwater basket weaving and ping pong!
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. represents a new generation in stock car racing.
A Southern boy through and through, the young phenom loves snowboarding as much as he does going hard on a dirt track in his home state of Mississippi.
Getting his start from the Southern-based United Sprint Car Series to the popular levels of the United States Auto Club, he began ripping it up in USAC and was named top rookie in 2007. The industry took notice.
Joining Roush Fenway Racing on his way up, he didn’t waste much time in establishing himself.
There were tough times in his first NASCAR Nationwide Series season in 2009, but Ricky rebounded and took the honor of the series' top rookie in 2010. The breakthrough came in May 2011, as Ricky and Roush Fenway's No. 6 Ford combined to earn their first Nationwide win at Iowa. The series championship followed, as did another in 2012 as Ricky became the sixth driver to win consecutive titles in NASCAR's entry series.
With 19 top-five finishes, 26 top-10 results, four poles and six triumphs during his final Nationwide season, Ricky was ready to take the step up to contend for a Cup.
Wrapping up a promising Rookie Sprint Cup season, look for the amiable racer to continue clawing toward true contention in the ‘big leagues’ coming up.
Oakley, Roush Fenway Racing, Plan B Sales, Ford Racing, Tony Lama Boots, Serratelli Hat Company
Snowboarding, dirt bikes, other sports
At just one week old, Kyle Larson made his first trip to the racetrack. A few short years later, he had already set his sights on making trips not just to, but around the racetrack, and has been driving the circuit ever since.
Often among the youngest of his peers to reach a milestone, whether it be his ascent to NASCAR, becoming a dad, owning a home or developing as an entrepreneur, Kyle’s journeys are fast-paced.
Positioned at the top of his sport, Kyle’s passion for the dirt drove him back to the tracks where he grew up, but this time around as a team owner. The shy kid with a dream from northern California can proudly serve as a role model for others chasing down their own dreams in a variety of ways. Coming full circle, Kyle is not just living his dream, he’s living the American Dream, as well.
The life of the party and the first to crack a joke, Kyle is a trip. Never taking himself or life too seriously, he keeps the mood around him light by poking fun at his friends on social media, photo-bombing the occasional TV shot, or putting a silly spin on songs during karaoke. His quick wit allows him to take things easy, as he approaches life with an extra dose of fun at every turn.
Target, Eneos, Parker Store, Chevrolet, Oakley, Plan B Sales, Alpinestars, Arai Helmet
Family, Travel, Golf,
Jamie McMurray’s love for racing was obvious throughout his youth as a Karting Phenom from Joplin, Missouri.
Fast forward through his years piloting late-model stock cars and the humble racer broke his way onto the NASCAR Truck Series – first under Brewco Motorsports then under the mentorship of Chip Ganassi. Fast-forward to 2002 and Jamie found himself as a substitute for Sterling Martin, effectively catapulting him into Cup racing…and with great success.
Stunning the stock car world, he passed star driver Bobby Labonte at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, leading 96 of the last 100 laps to score one of the sport’s most legendary upsets.
Following a dream introduction to NASCAR’s ‘big leagues,’ Jamie would claim the 2003 Rookie of the Year honor with five top-five results.
Six Cup victories and a wild ride later – and Jamie finally smashed through to see the light following some ups and downs throughout the past few years, emphatically shattering a daunting 108 winless streak by claiming his seventh career victory at Talladega in 2013.
One thing is certain, despite a few challenges here and there, a driver as gifted as Jamie won’t be held down for long.
McDonalds, Cessna, CreditOne Bank, Chevrolet, Oakley, Bass Pro Shops
Enjoys racing remote-controlled cars not just for the hobby, but also for the hand-eye coordination to aid him on the track. Jamie is also actively involved with his foundation, the Jamie McMurray Foundation, which supports Autism Awareness.
The son of past NASCAR star, Martin Truex Sr., the Trenton, New Jersey native didn’t waste any time walking in his father’s footsteps – plowing into the NASCAR Camping World truck series in 2000.
Martin immediately made his presence felt with five victories in a span of four years under the Truex banner. Topped-off with 13 poles in his family’s #56 SeaWatch Chevy, the younger Martin Truex’s future was bright.
Fast-forward to 2004 and following a few solid years in the NASCAR Nationwide series, he finally scored his first victory at the 2004 Sharpie Professional in Bristol under the Chance 2 Motorsports flag. Three more victories over the next seven races – including a tantalizing win at Talladega Superspeedway that broke his owner’s streak of restrictor plate victories in the Nationwide Series – saw him lead the Title standings, ultimately cruising to victory with a single race left in the season.
Despite dabbling in the Cup Series at Atlanta Speedway, Martin defended his Nationwide crown in 2005 to tally back-to-back championships and signaled an official move into the ranks of the elite.
The coastal raised star has since claimed two victories as a Sprint Cup Driver (2007 in Dover, 2013 in Sonoma), recently signing onto the Furniture Row Racing team after a couple of solid seasons with Michael Waltrip Racing.
One thing is certain: With some unlucky turns throughout his Sprint Cup career thus far, the best racing for Martin Truex, is yet to come.
Furniture Row Racing, Bass Pro Shops, Visser Precision, Oakley, Beechcraft,
Fishing, hunting, building remote control boats
Kimi Räikkönen is a man of few words. So don’t ask.
One thing is certain, though. He was born to race and from his very first time in a pedal kart at the tender age of three, his passion for going fast was apparent.
The Finn’s rise to becoming one of Formula One’s most revered World Champions was legendary in itself. His ascendance directly onto the Formula Renault team following a successful run in the Finnish Karting circuit was stunning – topped off with a winter series triumph to boot.
After two victories, two poles and a couple of fastest laps in the European Formula Renault circuit, he quickly found himself landing in F1, taking a spot on the Sauber F1 team and finishing 10th in the drivers’ championship with ten top-ten qualifying runs in his inaugural campaign.
It didn’t take long for a team like McLaren to come calling. With his first Grand Prix triumph coming in 2003 with ten podium results, he finished as a runner-up in the drivers’ championship. But despite a couple of solid seasons with the team, what he had simply wasn’t enough.
To be the best, he had to join the best. Signing a deal in 2007 with Scuderia Ferrari, the most illustrious name in Formula One – the naturally gifted racer claimed his first drivers’ triumph with the ‘Prancing Horse.’
Leaving the sport briefly to dabble with one of his other passions, Rally Racing, in 2010 and 2011, he eventually made his return to Formula 1 on team Lotus. Two years later, the Finnish star announced his return to Scuderia Ferrari, joining fellow Oakley driver Fernando Alonso on a dream team of sorts.
Keep your eye on Kimi as he embarks on a new quest to claim more glory under the Prancing Horse.
Oakley, Scuderia Ferrari, Wrangler, IceOne Racing, Makia
Racing
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