NCMF Scholarship Winners (L to R): Samuel Greene, Lauren Houston, Andrew De Piante, Samuel Smith and Brian McQuire.

CONCORD, N.C. – The North Carolina Motorsports Foundation (NCMF) distributed $17,000 in scholarships to North Carolina students hoping to pursue a career in motorsports. The five scholarship recipients were honored as part of the annual banquet hosted by the North Carolina Motorsports Association (NCMA) at the Embassy Suites in Concord on January 30 where the Motorsports Industry Awards were presented by Fifth Third Bank.

The NCMF board is delighted that the organization distributed 70 percent more in scholarship funds than last year. The NCMF and the NCMA are both non-profit organizations aligned in their promotion of the motorsports industry in North Carolina and largely share the same board of directors.

The scholarship program is divided into two categories: (1.) the NCMF General Fund and (2.) the Sam Belnavis scholarship, which is named for the former NCMF Board Chair whose 30-year career in motorsports included stints with Miller Brewing Company and Roush Fenway Racing.

There were four NCMF General Fund scholarships awarded for 2018.  Each of the following students will receive a $3,000 award:

          Lauren Houston. Lauren is a student at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) working on a master’s degree in strategic communications. She aspires to work in motorsports public relations.

          Samuel Smith. Samuel is a business management student at University of North Carolina Charlotte, owns his own limited late model team while pursuing his dreams of working in the racing industry. 

          Samuel Greene. Samuel is in his final year of the Richard Childress Race Car Technology Program at Forsyth Technical Community College and is actively seeking opportunities in the motorsports industry.

          Andrew De Piante. Andrew is a senior at the University of North Carolina Charlotte with a 4.0 GPA in the engineering program. He would like work for a racing team after he finishes college.

The following student is the winner of the Sam Belnavis Scholarship and will be awarded $5,000:-

–          Brian McQuire. Brian is a student at Rowan Cabarrus Community College, specializing in computer integrated machining. He plans to develop his own CNC machine shop.

The increase in the scholarship awards was do in part to the success of the inaugural NCMF Throwback Bash and Reserve Raffle which took place in August 2017. Plans for the 2018 Throwback Bash are under way and details will be released soon. For more information, please visit www.northcarolinamotorsportsfoundation.org.

North Carolina Motorsports Foundation is a 501(c)6 organization founded with the mission to support the racing industry in North Carolina through educational initiatives. NCMF is partially funded by the sale of the NASCAR-themed specialty license plates in North Carolina.