Kulwicki Driver Development Program Selects Purdue Motorsports Engineering Student As Finalist

Pro Late Model Racer Noah Eisenhower, who is pursuing a motorsports engineering degree at Purdue University, has been selected as one of the five finalists in this year’s Kulwicki Driver Development Program.

Eisenhower, a cousin of the nation’s 34th president, is the second driver from Illinois to ever be selected as a finalist in the prestigious program designed to aid short-track racers in developing their careers.

In 15 races last year, Eisenhower produced three victories, five top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. Prior to 2024, he was the 2018 INEX Illinois State Champion and the 2021 Rookie of the Year at Dells Raceway Park in Juneau County, Wisconsin.

Eisenhower’s racing plans for 2025 include competing in the All Star Challenge Series and various Pro Late Model races in the Midwest.

Away from the track, the 19-year-old college sophomore from Freeport, Illinois, volunteers with the Freeport Vietnow Chapter. Vietnow is a veteran organization designed for the entire family. It promotes family togetherness and involvement in all of its activities.

This year, as a KDDP finalist, Eisenhower 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 provided by Kulwicki Driver Development Program