Editor's note: This is Part 2 of a two-part feature on Max Siegel.
Part 1: Siegel and his journey to NASCAR

When walking around at a NASCAR venue, Max Siegel stands out from the crowd -- and he'll be the first to tell you that. It's not his 5-foot-9, 180-pound frame that jumps out at you, although compared to some of the drivers that certainly could be the case.

No, when you are the highest-ranking black team executive in NASCAR, you tend to stand out. Siegel knew that would be the case when he accepted the job as president of global operations at Dale Earnhardt Inc. Siegel came into NASCAR with open ears and eyes, not sure what to expect from a sport that doesn't currently have a black driver in any of its national series -- and the reaction he has received one year into his tenure has actually surprised him.

"I get more heat about how they think I treated Dale [Earnhardt] Jr. wrong than me being African-American," Siegel said with a chuckle. "I'm not naive to think that it's not out there but the guys joked with me when I was in Talladega about being accepted because of the company I work for.

"I think that the fact I'm able to work for a company that has the kind of history that DEI has, I think that my relationship with Dale Jr. and the fact that we really connected on a personal level maybe made people more inclined to accept me. If I've encountered any negativity or animosity it's due to the heated negotiations with the Dale Jr. contract."

In fact, the reception Siegel has received thus far has been so supportive; he says this is the most relaxed atmosphere in which he's worked.

"[Race] hasn't come up quite as much as I thought it would have," Siegel said. "It's interesting because Teresa [Earnhardt] and I never had discussions about diversity or anything. It never came up in any one of my discussions with anybody here at the company and I was pretty open about it. Maybe people talk, I mean I'm sure that they do, but I don't hear any major buzz about it around this company.

"I'm pretty sensitive to it, I'm not naive at all, and since I've been here I haven't felt it internally at all. This is the strangest thing in the world and I told my wife [Jennifer] this, I worked in New York City in the music business which is probably, as an industry, one of the most diverse industries out there. From a racial standpoint, I've felt more comfortable here and more embraced and supported and respected than any other job and environment I've been in and I'm still scratching my head about it."

While Siegel is delighted with his reception, the fact remains diversity is an issue in NASCAR. There wouldn't be a Drive for Diversity program if there wasn't some concern. But Siegel is quick to point out that NASCAR is a small part of a larger equation. (Continued)