Winchester driver picked for NASCAR diversity program
Ryan Gifford of Winchester will be part of NASCAR's 2010 Drive for Diversity class and also participate in a new television reality show.

The 11 drivers will be part of the Changing Lanes, which will debut in the summer on BET.

"There are a lot of variables and everyone wants to chop my head off every time I say this, but I actually believe Ryan Gifford has the talent to make it to the highest level in the sport,'' said Max Siegel, head of Revolution Racing and former president of Dale Earnhardt Inc.

All drivers in the program will drive for Siegel's team.

The program began in 2004 to help develop minority and female drivers.

Gifford, a 2007 graduate of Franklin County High, raced in the Camping World Series East in 2009 for Richard Childress Racing. His best finish was second place in the Dover 150.

The Camping World Series is now the K&N Pro Series, and that's where Gifford will drive in 2010.

"I got the opportunity to show what I could do in front of some pretty important people in the sport and my career and has kind of taken off,'' the 20-year-old said.

"It's been kind of like a whirlwind and something I can definitely get used to. Basically everything I've done for the past two years has been race-related."

Participants were picked by a 20-member committee from 29 drivers who were invited to a combine Oct. 16-20 at the Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.

"I definitely want to be able to stand out in the class and I definitely feel like I have the most experience in the class,'' Gifford said. "I know it's not going to be easy, but I am really going to put a lot of effort into it. I want to win a championship this year and if I can't do that then I definitely want to be Rookie of the Year at least in the K&N Pro Series."

As for the reality show, Gifford said fans will learn a lot about his personality.

"I'm a pretty big goofball when I'm away from the race track and pretty serious when I'm on it,'' Gifford said. "People are going to get to see both sides of my personality and see that I like to have fun."