O-1 VISAS FOR MOTORSPORTS PROFESSIONALS – CREW CHIEF HAYDEN KENDRICK
O-1 VISAS FOR MOTORSPORTS PROFESSIONALS – CREW CHIEF HAYDEN KENDRICK
We are glad to report yet another successful O-1 petition. We effectively petitioned for a three-year approval for internationally renowned Crew Chief Hayden Kendrick’s O-1 status. Hayden is an internationally renowned crew chief from New Zealand.
Managing Member of the firm, Sherrod Seward successfully presented the petition proving eligibility for the O-1 visa as an internationally renowned motorsport Crew Chief / Car Chief to USCIS. He was also able to confirm that the competitions in which Hayden would be participating as a Crew Chief / Car Chief require the participation of international drivers and car chiefs.
The Outstanding position:
Hayden is a world-renowned Crew Chief / Car Chief that has gained enormous regional and international respect in national and international championships.
The Petitioner:
Silva Motorsports will be serving as the petitioner for Mr. Kendrick. Silva Motorsports was founded in 2014 in Sacramento, California. Silva Motorsports has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including overseeing over 200 featured events including The Knoxville Nationals, the world's largest, highest paying and most prestigious sprintcar event which takes place in Knoxville, Tennessee over a four-day period. Additional wins and placement include the Knoxville Nationals Preliminary night winner 2010, 2016, & 2017;
The O-1 Petition - Eligibility Requirements:
To meet the requirements by the USCIS, Silva Motorsports will be serving as the employer and petitioner. We were able to demonstrate that Silva Motorsports would like to extend the O- 1 status upon Hayden Kendrick, whom he considers to be a world-renowned Crew Chief / Car Chief.
In the petition, we presented Hayden as the world-class crew chief / car chief he is by revealing his participation in international racing competitions. We were able to provide details and competition itinerary for the crew chief. We also confirmed that Hayden would be taking part in international exhibitions with drivers and crew chiefs befitting his global ranking and skill level.
A crew chief is the most important member of any motorsports team along with the driver. It takes a special individual with a unique understanding of racing, engineering, logistics, team building, and nerves of steel in difficult situations. This is all confirmed with both independent evidences to establish the importance of a crew chief, and solicited information to explain how the beneficiary is exceptional as a crew chief. This is true for all motorsports from midget car racing to NASCAR.
To add weight to our case, we also revealed that the beneficiary’s skill level and the rank was far beyond that of most American crew chiefs. Therefore, he would have to participate in international motorsport exhibitions and competitions competing with other international motorsport professionals of his class and skill level.
We informed the USCIS that highly ranked American race drivers require other highly rated professionals to compete against. Competing against internationally renowned racers would allow them to move up in global rankings.
NATIONALLY OR INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PRIZES OR AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN HIS FIELD OF ENDEAVOR
1. WORLD SERIES SPRINTCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Brad Keller Racing won 1 st and 2 nd place in the 2013, 2014 and 2016 championships and placed 3 rd in the 2017 championship under Mr. Kendrick’s leadership as crew chief / chief car engineer. He was also the lead in wins with Monte Motorsport as crew chief in the “Team of the Year” award (2019/2020), “Overall Champion Team and Series Winner” (2019 and 2020), the World Series Sprintcar Championship Grand Final as 1 st place team, and 1 st and 2 nd place team in 2019 and 2020.
2. GRAND ANNUAL SPRINTCAR CLASSIC
In the essential role of car chief and under Mr. Kendrick’s guidance, Monte Motorsport won 1 st place team in 2020.
3. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SPRINTCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
In the essential role of crew engineer /crew chief with Brad Keller Racing, the team won 1 st and 2 nd Place in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
4. GEORGE TATNELL CUP 2017
In the essential role of crew engineer /crew chief with Brad Keller Racing, the team won 1 st
5. AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL SPRINTCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Championship finalist, collided with competitor car whilst racing for 1st place (Monte Motorsport);
6. 2018/2019 South Australian Most Improved team (Lisa Walker Racing)
7. 2017 INTERNATIONAL SPRINTCAR RACE
2nd place team (Brad Keller Racing)
We included this evidence, along with media articles from around the world (multiple nations) and official results to highlight the significance of his contribution to the Australian and world sprintcar racing.
PERFORMED IN AN ESSENTAL OR CRITICAL CAPACITY FOR ORGANIZATIONS OR ESTABLISHMENTS THAT HAVE A DISTINGUISHED REPUTATION
We also provided evidence that Mr. Kendrick is ranked internationally and demonstrated that the beneficiary has a reputation of performing in critical positions for distinguished organizations. We presented the following reputed organizations where Mr. Kendrick held key positions:
1) LISA WALKER RACING is one of the leading professional sprintcar racing teams in Australia owned by Lisa Walker, a fourteen-year professional sprintcar driver and veteran. The team has won numerous awards in sprintcar racing including Australian National Sprintcar Championships, an Ultimate Sprintcar Championship Grand Final 1 st place, a 2018/2019 “Most Improved Team” Award and had advanced in over eighteen championships in Australia. Mr. Kendrick served in the essential role of chief car engineer and crew chief.
2) MONTE MOTORSPORTS is the award-winning Australian sprintcar racing team founded and owned by the legendary professional sprintcar driver Luch Monte and one of the most successful and professional teams in the history of Australian Sprintcar racing. Mr. Monte’s career achievements include winning the AHG Sprintcar Series, 2 nd Place in the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic (2006), 2 nd place in the Victorian Sprintcar Championship, 3 rd place in the West Australian 360 Sprintcar Championship (2001), among a host of many others. Mr. Kendrick served in the critical capacity of assistant crew chief / car chief for Monte Motorsports
3) BRAD KELLER RACING is an internationally recognized Australian sprintcar racing team owned by professional sprintcar driver Brad Keller. The team has won numerous awards in some of the most prestigious sprintcar championships in Australia including the South Australian Track Championship (placed 1 st three times, 2 nd two times), the World Series Sprintcar Championship (1 st place and two 2 nd place), South Australian Sprintcar Marathon (1 st place), Australian National Sprintcar Championship (finalist), the International Sprintcar Race (2 nd place), the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic (finalist), among others. Mr. Kendrick served in the essential capacity of crew chief and race car engineer
Testimonials Confirming Mr. Kendrick’s Essential and Critical Capacity for Distinguished Organizations
We included testimonials of the following World Class Drivers to support Mr. Kendrick’s outstanding contribution:
1) Daryl Downing is an internationally recognized race car driver, team manager and owner of Downing Brother’s Racing. Downing Brothers Racing has amassed over 60 competition event final wins over its 50 years. In 2016, he was named the inaugural ‘SA Speedway Legend”.
2) James McFadden is one of the most successful professional Sprintcar drivers in Australia. He is a professional sprintcar driver for the Monte Motorsport team in Australia, one of the most successful and professional teams in the history of Australian Sprintcar racing. Mr. McFadden is a two-time National Australian Sprintcar Champion, has amassed over 100 career victories across Australia, the USA and Canada including winning the World Series Sprintcar Championships five times.
3) Kim Buswell is team manager & crew chief of Monte Motorsport’s Sprintcar team, one of Australia’s most professional and successful Sprintcar teams. She has been awarded ‘Crew Chief of the Year’ on multiple occasions by Australia’s highest level of Sprintcar competition, World Series Sprintcar Championship, as a result of Monte Motorsport team winning the Championship numerous times. She has been crew chief for the winning driver & team of Australia’s highly competitive international event, the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic, a record five times and instrumental in attracting corporate sponsorships for teams such as Monte Motorsports, among others.
4) Lisa Walker is a recognized professional race car driver, owner & team driver for Lisa Walker Racing who has been a competitive driver in dirt track motorsport events for over 14 years. From 2016 to 2017, Ms. Walker competed at numerous state level competitions, whilst also being awarded the 2016/2017 Rookie Competitor of the year.
5) Neil Keller is joint owner of ‘Tinty Auto & Ag’ and also the manager of Brad Keller Racing with over thirty years of experience in dirt track racing. Mr. Keller’s achievements as a race car driver include competing nationally in the Australian “HQ” saloon car class from 1993 to 2001, and finalist at the 1995 Australian Grand Prix and 1995 HQ Nationals, two of the largest circuit racing events in Australia. Brad Keller Racing has been National championship finalists three years (2012, 2016, and 2018) and is considered one of Australia’s most prominent professional teams.
6) Phil Jordison is co-founder, manager and editor of Australian dirt track racing publication, Oval Express Magazine. Mr. Jordison has been involved in dirt track racing for over 25 years and regularly been recognized with accolades as the Australian National Sprintcar Poll’s ‘Media Member of the Year’. Oval Express Magazine is Australia’s clear market leader, producing a monthly feature-based print publication. His position with Oval Express Magazine has led him to be the most widely travelled media identity in Australia, with more than 30 visits to the United States.
MR. KENDRICK’S ORIGINAL SCIENTIFIC, SCHOLARLY, OR BUSINESS-RELATED CONTRIBUTIONS OF MAJOR SIGNIFICANCE IN THE FIELD
We also demonstrated that Mr. Kendrick had significant accomplishments in the field of sprint car racing that make him celebrated in more than one country. Mr. Kendrick has been lauded for his original contribution to sprintcar racing which has garnered awards and wins for the racing teams where he has served in an essential capacity as crew chief / car chief. As explained in the lauding letter from James McFadden stating…. “His original idea to utilize his own method of setup an instrumental element in the racing process, is unique in that it is the first of its kind.”
The testimonials from both James McFadden and Neil Keller not only confirm the original contribution Mr. Kendrick has made to the racing industry, but his essential and critical capacity for several distinguished sprintcar racing teams and organizations.
EVIDENCE OF EXHIBITIONS AND SHOWCASES OF MR. KENDRICK’S WORK AS A CREW CHIEF / CAR CHIEF
We demonstrated that Hayden Kendrick has played an essential role in numerous sprintcar championships and for prestigious sprintcar racing teams in Australia and elsewhere. These exhibitions have been featured in major media including industry publications and websites and showcased in numerous sprintcar racing venues such as Murray Bridge Speedway, Windsor RSL Speedway, Speedway City, Perth Motorplex, Sungold Stadium Premier Speedway, among others. Not only have these sprintcar championships been exhibited to a live audience, but they have equally garnered an online presence exhibiting to hundreds of thousands and even millions of viewers albeit through social media, online venues and trade publications such as sbnation.com, ultimatesprintcar.com, worldofoutlaws.com, allstarperformance.com, sprintcarworld.com.au, among others. Pan American Games August 2019 Lima, Peru.
Racing Championships Featuring the Cars and Teams Mr. Kendrick Has Managed and Served as Crew Chief / Car Chief Confirming Exhibitions and Showcases of His Work
Lisa Walker Racing;
Brad Keller Racing;
Monte Motorsports;
South Australian Track Championship;
Australian National Sprintcar Championship;
World Series Sprintcar Championship;
International Sprintcar Race;
George Tatnell Cup;
Ross Wright Memorial;
Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic;
Ultimate Sprintcar Championship;
For more information on how we help support motorsport professionals including World Class Racers and Crew Chief / Car Chiefs with O-1 and P-1 visas, please contact our offices at 310-209-8545.