That’s where NASCAR’s Drive For Diversity program comes in. Now in its seventh year, the program is designed to give opportunities to female, African-American, and other minority drivers who might not otherwise get that chance to succeed. The first six years have brought marginal success, with only Marc Davis and Aric Almirola rising to the Truck, Nationwide and Cup levels.
But this year, success has been heightened under the guiding hand of former DEI Vice President Max Siegel. Housing all the diversity drivers under one roof, the new “Revolution Racing” program has resulted in an uptick in overall performance. Sixteen-year-old Darrell Wallace Jr., an African-American, won his first K&N Pro Series East race (the equivalent of A-level baseball this March), racking up a handful of top-5 finishes with teammate Ryan Gifford. Michael Cherry won his first career late model race at Tri-County Motor Speedway in June, one of several drivers who’ll be featured in Changing Lanes this fall on BET that documents his experiences behind the wheel. It’s the latest maneuver in a long-term publicity push to give these drivers attention as they move up, hoping to connect with a group of fans who have never given NASCAR a second look in the process.
- SI.com
