Penske Racing add ARCA driver

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Penske Racing add ARCA driver: Continuing to build for the future of its NASCAR program, Penske Racing announced that promising young stock car racer Dakoda Armstrong has joined the team's driver development initiative, see more on my Driver Development page.(8-13-2009)

Never heard of Armstrong... I hope Penske is doing the right thing by bringing Dakoda up to ARCA.

The first I had heard about him was watching the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown earlier this year. I think he's been running in the NASCAR EAST, Midget and Sprint series this year.

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Dakoda Armstrong Joins Penske Racing Development Program
August 12, 2009


MOORESVILLE, N.C. (August 12, 2009) - Continuing to build for the future of its NASCAR program, Penske Racing announced today that promising young stock car racer Dakoda Armstrong has joined the team's driver development initiative.

Armstrong, 18, joins 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie-of-the-Year contender Justin Allgaier and current ARCA RE/MAX Series championship leader Parker Kligerman as recent additions to the driver development program, helping to ensure that Penske Racing's NASCAR teams are on solid ground for the future.


For the 2010 season, Armstrong will race in select ARCA RE/MAX Series events, competing with the Cunningham Motorsports team.


"I am very excited to have the opportunity to compete in more ARCA races with Cunningham Motorsports and I'm really looking forward to being part of the Penske Racing organization," said Armstrong, who has raced in four ARCA RE/MAX Series events this season. "I'm fortunate that the Penske Racing team has decided to expand its driver development platform and I'm honored to be part of the program."


A former karting and quarter-midget national champion from Newcastle, Ind., Armstrong won several sprint car and midget events in 2007 and 2008 before making his stock car debut last season. He earned a top ARCA finish of sixth earlier this year driving for Cunningham Motorsports at Iowa Speedway.


"Dakoda is another young driver who has shown that he has the potential, on and off the track, to succeed in this sport," said Tim Cindric, President of Penske Racing. "As Justin and Parker continue to progress, it makes sense for us to bring Dakoda into the fold as we continue to position ourselves for the future."


Both Allgaier and Kligerman have produced strong results this season in the Penske Racing driver development system, honing their skills in hopes of reaching NASCAR's top division - the Sprint Cup Series - down the road. Allgaier is the current NASCAR Nationwide Series rookie leader and is ranked fifth overall in points with three top-five and nine top-10 finishes in the Penske Racing Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger. Kligerman has enjoyed a breakout season with five ARCA victories for Cunningham Motorsports as he continues to lead the battle for the series championship.


Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced over 300 major race wins, over 350 poles and 22 National Championships.


This season, Penske Racing competes in the NASCAR Cup Series with former Cup Series champion Kurt Busch and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, former three-time IndyCar Series champion Sam Hornish Jr. in the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge and David Stremme in the No. 12 Penske Dodge. The team also competes in the Nationwide Series with Allgaier, the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series champion, in the No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.

Thanks for the info.