CONCORD, N.C. — Wake County (N.C.) Speedway late model champion Carson Haislip, a dual enrollment student, has been selected as one of the five finalists in this year’s Kulwicki Driver Development Program.
The Raleigh, North Carolina, native is the second late model champion from the Tar Heel state to be selected for the program. Michael Bumgarner, Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway’s two-time late model champion, is the other North Carolina finalist. It’s the first time since 2019 that two of the five finalists have been North Carolinians. It’s also the first time since 2023 when Jacob Borst was a finalist that a North Carolina racer has been named to the program.
This year, as a KDDP finalist, Haislip will compete against four other drivers from across the United States to determine the 2026 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 provides a scholarship for its participants, each driver receives $7,000 in money, goods and services. During the season 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.
Through the season, the five finalists will compete against each other for $30,000 in money, 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.
The 2025 season was a breakout year for Haislip in late model competition as the high school senior, who is also taking college courses, won 11 of the 17 races in which he competed. He also claimed six poles and finished in the top three in 16 of his starts.
When not in his late model he drove a Legends car in two events, winning one of them.
In the Thanksgiving Classic he earned the pole and finished second in that Legends race. Prior to 2025, Haislip was the 2023 U.S. Legend Cars Semi-Pro national champion, 2023 Semi-Pro Asphalt Nationals champion in Las Vegas, 2023 Semi-Pro Winter Nationals champion and 2022 Summer Shootout Young Lions champion.
This year, Haislip plans to defend his late model title at Wake County Speedway while also competing at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, Florence (S.C.) Motor Speedway and Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama, North Carolina.
Community service is an important part of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program and Haislip believes giving back is “incredibly important.” He said supporting the Noelle Strong Foundation was “especially meaningful” to him. Strong was a young girl from Haislip’s area who was diagnosed with bone cancer at an early age. Haislip took his race car to a cut-a-thon event where people received haircuts in exchange for donations. Thousands of dollars were raised for Strong’s family that day. He also participated in a fundraiser auction for the family, signing autographs alongside the race car,
“Sadly, Noelle passed away last year due to the aggressive nature of her cancer,” Haislip said. “She touched countless lives, and I am grateful to have played even a small part in her journey.”
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 50 drivers from 18 states, and two Canadian provinces compete in the North American initiative.
