Christensen Becomes First Georgia Driver In Eight Years To Be A KDDP Finalist

Pro Late Model and Super Late Model driver Seth Christensen is the first Georgia competitor selected as a finalist for the Kulwicki Driver Development Program since Cody Haskins in 2017.

Christensen’s selection to the prestigious program comes on the heels of a stellar 2024 season that saw the 17-year-old Pendergrass, Ga., competitor record three victories, 10 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 14 races.

This year, Christensen plans to expand his season with JC Motorsports and FR8 Racing. He will compete in Pro Late Model and Super Late Model races at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., Montgomery (Ala.) Motor Speedway, Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway, Cordele (Ga.) Motor Speedway, Berlin (Mich.) Raceway and Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway.

A high school junior, Christensen has already added a few stellar performances to his young racing resume. Last year, he earned the pole for the World Crown 300 in his first Super Late Model start and then produced a top-five finish in the event. In 2023, he won the Alabama 200 and produced back-to-back feature victories at Five Flags Speedway.

Christensen’s accomplishments aren’t limited to the track. A participant in the Food Allergy Resource and Education Teen Advisory Group since 2022, an at-track experience in March 2023 reinforced his desire to make people more aware of food allergies and the dire consequences they could have for someone. In the spring of 2023, Christensen was with a new race team at their first race of the season. Cookies were available for everyone on the team and the Georgia native, who’s severely allergic to peanuts, nearly ate a peanut butter cookie. Christensen now promotes food allergy awareness in his community, on his social media accounts and at the race track.

This year, as a KDDP finalist, Christensen will compete against four other drivers from across the United States to determine the 2025 Kulwicki Cup winner. In addition to on-track performance, the five finalists will be judged on off-track civic participation, program promotion, fan interaction, and stewardship of Alan Kulwicki’s story.

In the only driver development program that pays its participants, each driver will receive $7,000 in monies, goods and services. During the season, the drivers will receive training sessions that focus on fitness, interviews, media presentation and social media so they will be better prepared to take their careers to the next level. Throughout the season, the five finalists will compete against each other for $30,000 in monies, goods and services to be divided among the top three finishers at the end of the season. Each driver is required to compete in a minimum of 14 races.

KDDP: Created in 2014 by Alan Kulwicki’s family to perpetuate the NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 1992 NASCAR Cup champion’s legacy, the Kulwicki Driver Development Program has had 46 drivers from 17 states and two Canadian provinces compete in the North American initiative. Even though the program was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, it still has awarded $979,902 in stipends and championship awards. Overall, the nine classes have competed in 1,438 races, produced 230 victories, and 719 top-five and 1,018 top-10 finishes. Ty Majeski, the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, was the program’s inaugural winner.

-Kulwicki Driver Development Program Release
-Photo credit: Will Bellamy