Road to Cup diversity lies in driver development

He comes from a country with a minority population a fraction of the size of that in the United States, one where racism in sports can be so hideously blatant that bananas have been hurled at black players during soccer games. He broke through not with the help of a diversity program, but the backing of a father who worked extra jobs so his son could succeed. The end result was not just any seat, but a championship-caliber one in the most exclusive racing series in the world.

• Send David your thoughts

For anyone who's ever worked to foster diversity in NASCAR, the last two weekends must have been viewed with some combination of envy and pride. Years of programs, tryouts, college tours and announcements have passed, and the sport still seems no closer to finding a black driver who can compete full time on its premier circuit. Meanwhile Lewis Hamilton falls out of the sky, giving Formula One exactly the kind of popular, engaging, cool, marketable, winning minority driver that NASCAR has always wanted.

As Jeff Gordon won in the rain and Carl Edwards did backflips, the first black driver in the 61-year history of F1 swept the tour's North American swing with victories in Montreal and Indianapolis. He is, by any definition, the total package -- a 22-year-old Englishman with a magnetic personality, a touch of humility, a fabulous smile and a heavy right foot. He's contending for victories, galvanizing crowds, and winning fans wherever he goes, creating a phenomenon in F1 quite comparable to the one in golf that exploded around Tiger Woods.

Meanwhile, NASCAR waits. The series continues to support the Drive for Diversity program, make visits to historically black colleges and universities, and try to get its brand name in front of inner-city youth. There are promising up-and-comers like Marc Davis and Jesus Hernandez in the pipeline. But thus far the top graduate of all those diversity efforts is Busch driver Aric Almirola, a Florida native of Cuban descent. With the exception of Juan Montoya, each Sunday brings another Nextel Cup field notably devoid of color.

All this while Hamilton continues to win fans and win races, promising to carry once-slumping F1 to a level of popularity it hasn't enjoyed in years. So what did F1 do to foster this development? Absolutely nothing.

There is no F1 Drive for Diversity program, even though it took that series 43 years longer than NASCAR to produce a black race winner. Hamilton made it for the same reason Jeff Gordon made it, and Tony Stewart made it, and the first modern black Nextel Cup driver inevitably will make it -- he had talent, and somebody noticed. (Continued)