CHARLOTTE, NC :: Christian PaHud will be racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West later this year after winning the PEAK Stock Car Dream Challenge in Charlotte.  PaHud was announced as the winner on Saturday night in a television program which aired on the Velocity cable television channel.

PaHud, who is a competitor in the Southeast Limited Late Model tour and in the Late Model division at Florence Motor Speedway, was relieved to win the competition.

“I’m relieved either way,” PaHud said.  “Like I told everybody, it was good experience going in to it.  Just to be a part of it was an awesome deal; to come away with the win was great.  I can’t wait for the first K&N race with Bill McAnally out in California in the West series running car no. 99 PEAK Toyota at All American Speedway (on October 11th).”

The PEAK Stock Car Dream Challenge consisted of several challenges.  Those challenges consisted of exhibiting car control on a skidpad, displaying short track skills on the Charlotte Motor Speedway quarter-mile, learning to adapt by running a Dirt Late Model at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a test of endurance in a go-kart race, hot laps on the main Charlotte Motor Speedway race course, running laps on street cars at the Charlotte Motor Speedway infield road course, going through the pits for a live pit stop and demonstrating marketability.

PaHud excelled in all the challenges.  He told RACE22.com that he feels the experiences at Charlotte made him a better driver.

“Before the competition, the biggest track I been on was a half mile so it was a challenge and I never been on dirt a day in my life.  It was a completely different experience and I enjoyed that.  With the road course, it was nice to get back to my roots.  It was also nice to get back on the quarter mile from running the Summer Shootout.  I wish I could have excelled a little more on the road course challenge.”

PaHud felt his weakest link was on the marketing side where each of the three remaining contestants worked with Danica Patrick on a mock commercial for PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant.

“Getting in to the whole marketing thing, I knew it would be my downfall in the beginning.  I’m glad they saved it to the end and saw the on-track stuff beforehand and didn’t throw me out on the first day.  I’m glad I got to do that and getting coaching from Danica Patrick.  She helped me improve on what I was doing wrong and what I need to do in the future.  It was great experience and I can’t thank them enough.”

While PaHud is counting down the days until his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West debut, he will continue to run in the Southeast Limited Late Model Series and continue to compete at Florence Motor Speeway where he has three wins.  To date, PaHud has 12 starts with 10 top-five finishes and 11 top-10 finishes.  In fact, he has only finished outside of the top-two three times.