Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Every athlete dreams of making it into the big leagues one day. This upcoming weekend the NASCAR Nationwide Series prepares to receive some new talent within the field.

As the Nationwide Series prepares to put on a show with the entire spotlight on them at Iowa Speedway, not only is the series getting their time to shine but so are some newcomers. The race weekend at Iowa will allow newcomer Ryan Gifford to demonstrate his talent on the racetrack.

Gifford will be making his Nationwide Series debut at Iowa in the No.33 car for Richard Childress Racing. The NASCAR K&N Series driver prepares to make his move into one of NASCAR’s top touring series after capturing a win at Richmond in the K&N Series this year.

Along with his starts in the K&N Series, Gifford has raced for Team Dillon in other Series.

For the race at Iowa, Gifford will be the latest driver to go behind the wheel of the No. 33 car driven by other drivers like Tony Stewart, Matt Crafton and Ty Dillon.

Currently, Gifford is a member of the 2013 NASCAR Next roster. He will be the latest NASCAR Next member to make his debut within the top-three series. NASCAR Next alums Ryan Blaney, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Chase Elliott currently race within the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Kyle Larson, another NASCAR Next alum, races in the Nationwide Series.

Gifford current races for Rev Racing, part of the Drive for Diversity program. He will be the third member of the program to make a move into the top three touring series. Just like Wallace did in 2012, Gifford will be making his Nationwide Debut at Iowa.

The weekend at Iowa will allow Gifford to showcase his abilities on the track but at the same time give the Nationwide Series another breathe of fresh air. Throughout the year, the Series has seen many young and upcoming drivers take the opportunity and give it all they have.

With Iowa being a standalone race for the Nationwide Series as the Cup and Truck Series will be in Pocono, it will be the chance for everyone to stand out and compete for the win. For Gifford, it will be his time to shine and could even possibly challenge for the win at Iowa. With his debut this weekend, it will definitely be one of the many stories to follow throughout the race weekend.

Christy Valdez is a NASCAR writer for Rant Sports. Follow her on Twitter @Knowursports and on Facebook at On The Sidelines With Christy