Sunday, October 12, 2014

PaHud, 2014 PEAK Stock Car Dream Challenge Winner - One and Done

Christian PaHud celebrates his first career NASCAR K&N Pro Series West victory
at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif.  (Noah Graham/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Christian PaHud Makes His First #KNWest
Start A #NASCAR Dream Come True

The PEAK Stock Car Dream Challenge is a contest that consisted of several challenges such as exhibiting car control on a skidpad, displaying short track skills on the Charlotte Motor Speedway quarter-mile, learning to adapt by running a Dirt Late Model at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a test of endurance in a go-kart race, hot laps on the main Charlotte Motor Speedway race course, running laps on street cars at the Charlotte Motor Speedway infield road course, going through the pits for a live pit stop and demonstrating marketability.

After submitting a video entry, PaHud was selected from a pool of hundreds of aspiring racers to compete as one of eighteen finalists under the guidance of NASCAR Drivers Michael Waltrip, Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers, Danica Patrick and Jeff Burton, for a chance to win a PEAK racing sponsorship.

Christian PaHud is a third generation driver who has committed his life both on and off the track to racing. Residing in North Carolina, he currently races stock cars in the Southeast Limited Late Model Series and is pursuing his Associates Degree in Applied Science.

He started his first go-kart race on his fourth birthday, and worked his way up through legends cars and late models. He has more than 250 career races under his belt. However, winning the PEAK Stock Car Dream Challenge is the highlight of his career.

His prize included the opportunity to become the next PEAK Stock Car Dream Driver and compete as a competitively licensed driver in a PEAK-sponsored stock car in a sanctioned race. (ARV $12,000).

Unbelievably, PaHud, who is twenty-one years old, converted that opportunity into his first NASCAR victory by winning the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 at All American Speedway. To top it off, he started off the day by winning the Coors Light Pole Award!

PaHud led twice for a race-high fifty-nine laps. He took the lead for good from series regular Brandon McReynolds on a Lap 126 restart. Then in a race which featured six lead changes, the 2014 PEAK Stock Car Dream Challenge Winner held off a late charge by ‘Sunoco Rookie of the Year’ James Bickford to claim the victory.

PaHud drove the No. 99 PEAK Toyota for Bill McAnally Racing to make his NASCAR dream come true. Michael Waltrip finished the race in tenth place.

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