TALENT HARVEST; There's a crop of fine young drivers growing in the Midwest.(Brady Bacon)(Kevin Swindell )(Bryan Clauson)(Kasey Kahne)(Brad Kuhn)(Billy Wease )

Byline: CURT CAVIN

THERE IS NOTHING about Midwestern soil that enriches a race car driver's career, but with so many having flourished there on their way to NASCAR-including Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne-this section of the sport bears watching, particularly as it relates to the U.S. Auto Club, which sanctions the nation's top midget and non-winged sprint divisions.

Who's on that path now? Several, and they can be categorized by birthplace.

Native Hoosiers

* The sport, and stock car racing in particular, is filled with Indiana natives: Stewart and Newman are the marquee names, but Bobby East, Tracy Hines, Kyle Krisiloff, Boston Reid and World of Outlaws product Kraig Kinser are rising through NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series.

Today's cast of promising young drivers includes midget standout Brad Kuhn, Penske protege Billy Wease and second-generation driver Stephanie Mockler. All are from Indianapolis or its suburbs.

Wease signed with Roger Penske last year and tested regularly with Newman and Kurt Busch until the Penske Racing South team started focusing on NASCAR's new Car of Tomorrow. But the 20-year-old from Noblesville has proven his worth by finishing second in his only ARCA Re/Max Series race in June at Michigan.