Veach Part of Champion Spark Plugs' Search For a Champion Contest

SOUTHFIELD, MI - INDYCAR's "Mazda Road to Indy" driver Zach Veach is vying for a lucrative sponsorship from Federal-Mogul's Champion® Brand, through a national web-based 'Search for a Champion' Contest. The company is offering $100,000 in racing sponsorships aimed to connect the company's legendary 'Performance Driven' brand with talented racing drivers across North America.

Zach Veach Credit: Zach Veach

"Being a champion can mean many things but in autoracing, it means both crossing the finish line first and making time to help others," said Veach. "I'd be honored to represent INDYCAR by winning one of Champion's sponsorships and appreciate everyone's support in my effort to win the contest!"

Veach, a 17-year-old from Stockdale, Ohio, is vying to be the finalist in the asphalt division of the contest, which will also pick a finalist other categories including: Earth, Snow & Ice, Water and Everything Else. Through the 'Search for a Champion' contest, each of five finalists chosen will receive a sponsorship prize in the amount of $10,000 and one grand-prize winner will receive a $50,000 sponsorship for submitting videos that best demonstrate their ability to win a racing championship in 2012.

Judging will be based on viewer voting on Champion's www.AlwaysaChampion.com website as well as input from NASCAR® driver and team owner Kevin Harvick.

"I got my start racing go-karts, so I know what a sponsorship can mean to a small race team," said Harvick. "This program enables Champion to give back to the sport that has helped make it one of the world's most popular brands by supporting local racers who have what it takes to capture a title in local and regional racing."

The ESPN The Magazine-named "NEXT" in line in motorsports, Veach, recently secured two race wins with Andretti Autosport in November 2011 to take the first two rounds of the Formula Car Challenge presented by Goodyear Winter Series at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. He earned two pole positions and led every lap during the race weekend in the No. 77 Team Zakosi Data Backup Star Mazda Championship car.

During the regular season, Veach used two race wins and three pole positions to capture the Cooper Tires USF2000 Winterfest championship before the regular season, where he finished fourth in driver points with one win, five podiums and three pole positions.

It was no surprise when CNN named Veach to their list of "Intriguing People" given his commitment to helping others off the racetrack. He has campaigned for Oprah Winfrey's "No Phone Zone" initiative and is the national spokesperson for FocusDriven, alongside Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. He is also an ambassador for Pencils of Promise, an organization that partners with local communities to build schools and increase educational opportunities in the developing world, alongside musician Justin Bieber and actress Sophia Bush. He is even campaigning for a national anti-bullying movement, the Cyber Safety Academy's No BULL Challenge, by sharing his battle with his own experience of being bullied in the public school system.

The young Veach has shared his story with a bevy of his peers through his book, 99 THINGS TEENS WISH THEY KNEW BEFORE TURNING 16, and with appearances on "The Today Show" and "The Gayle King Show," among others. He was a nominee for the Sports Illustrated Sports Kid of the Year award, the CNN Hero award and the Gatorade Athlete of the year award. The Century Council, an arm within the government, also named Veach a "SuperStar" alongside the NBA's Shaquille O'Neil and Olympic Speed Skater Apolo Ohno.

The 'Search for a Champion' contest voting is open through February 5, 2012 to determine the five finalists with final voting for the grand prize winner is open from February 27, 2012 through March 25, 2012.

The five initial finalists and ultimate grand prize will be determined by a sponsor-selected panel of judges based on the following criteria: inspirational quality (34%); relevance to theme/best depiction of a champion (33%); and by number of votes (33%).

For more information on the "Search for a Champion' contest or to vote for Veach, please visit: www.contest.alwaysachampion.com/contests/showentry/1011844?v=200.

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