TEMECULA, Calif. (Nov. 13, 2023) – After a successful debut NHRA season, Pro Stock Motorcycle standout Chase Van Sant has been named the 2023 NHRA Rookie of the Year in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.
The four other NHRA pros eligible for the award were Top Fuel driver Dan Mercier, as well as Pro Stock competitors David Cuadra, Eric Latino and Jerry Tucker. The NHRA Rookie of the Year award honors a first-year standout competitor within the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series ranks.
“The 2023 season was a great rookie year for us,” Van Sant said. “We went to four semifinals this season and I’m really proud of the work we did. I think we’re just getting started. I’d like to thank my family for getting me into racing and the whole White Alligator Racing team for giving me the opportunity.”
Van Sant made his Pro Stock Motorcycle debut in Gainesville at the NHRA Gatornationals, advancing to the semifinals. It was the first of his four semifinal appearances that combined with four quarterfinal finishes allowed Van Sant to finish the season ninth in points. By advancing to the semifinals during the regular season, he was able to compete in the new Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge.
Canadian Top Fuel driver Dan Mercier qualified for seven national events, including the Norwalk race where he picked up a round win over Top Fuel champion Doug Kalitta.
Pro Stock drivers Cuadra, Latino and Tucker also took to the track in the very competitive class.
Cuadra joined his family, which includes father Fernando Sr. and brothers Fernando Jr. and Cristian, as competitors in the class. Cuadra made his Pro Stock debut at the Four-Wide race in Charlotte where he joined his family in a four-wide “Cuadra-Quad.”
Latino, hailing from Port Perry, Ontario, drives for the KB Titan Racing juggernaut and is also a co-owner of the team. Latino made his NHRA Pro Stock debut in Norwalk this season and qualified for six NHRA races.
Tucker competes for Pro Stock giant Elite Motorsports. He qualified for all 2023 Pro Stock events this season while advancing to a semifinal and four quarterfinals, picking up round wins over Pro Stock stars Erica Enders, Bo Butner and Troy Coughlin Jr.
Last season, Camrie Caruso was named the 2022 Rookie of the Year. Other recent winners include Pro Stock’s Dallas Glenn in 2021, and Top Fuel drivers Justin Ashley in 2020 and Austin Prock in 2019.
The NHRA Rookie of the Year award recognizes the top rookie competitor who also represents the future of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. The nation’s leading auto racing journalists select the winner through a voting system based on the following criteria: number of events competed in, performance on and off the racetrack, participation in NHRA promotions, and relationships with fans, sponsors, and media.
About Camping World Holdings, Inc.
Camping World Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, (together with its subsidiaries) is the World’s largest retailer of RVs and related products and services. Our vision is to build a long-term legacy business that makes RVing fun and easy. Our Camping World and Good Sam brands have been serving RV consumers since 1966. We strive to build long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders by combining a unique and comprehensive assortment of RV products and services with a national network of RV dealerships, service centers and customer support centers along with the industry’s most extensive online presence and a highly trained and knowledgeable team of employees serving our customers, the RV lifestyle, and the communities in which we operate. We also believe that our Good Sam organization and family of programs and services uniquely enable us to connect with our customers as stewards of the RV enthusiast community and the RV lifestyle. With RV sales and service locations in 43 states, Camping World has grown to become the prime destination for everything RV. For more information, visit www.campingworld.com.
About NHRA
Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 21 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown™ and Top Fuel Harley Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 120 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
