Zero black drivers doesn't mean progress is lacking

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." -- Martin Luther King Jr.

In less than two weeks, the 2008 Daytona 500 will kick off NASCAR's 60th season -- six decades of the best racing in the country. From the first race on the beach and road course in Daytona to the 50th running of the "Great American Race" on Feb. 17, the growth and changes of the sport have been astronomical.

There isn't enough space to describe how much the sport has changed in just 60 years, a short amount of time compared to other major sports in the country.

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But there is one glaring issue that will continue to plague this sport until someone finally breaks the barrier for good. In 60 years, you can count on almost one hand the number of black drivers to make a Cup start.

It's an unfortunate reality.

As Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NBA and even the NHL have made tremendous strides when it comes to race, so much so that it isn't an issue, NASCAR is still stuck with the perception of being predominately white, from its tiny beginnings to the multi-million-dollar media machine it is today.

But before we can address the future, it's important to remember the past.

Charlie Scott will go down in history as the first black driver to make a NASCAR race. He competed on the Daytona Beach road course in 1956 in a Kiekhaefer Chrysler. When the checkered waved, Scott found himself in 19th place, earning $75 dollars for his efforts.

Wendell Scott, no relation to Charlie, is the most successful black driver in NASCAR history. Scott made his debut in 1961 driving in a self-owned Chevrolet at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds in Spartanburg, S.C. Scott drove in NASCAR's highest series for 13 years, earning a victory at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Fla., and compiling 20 top-fives, 147 top-10s and one pole in 495 races.

The 1971 Islip 250 at Islip (N.Y.) Speedway was the first -- and only -- race to feature two black drivers. Wendell Scott finished 11th in the event and George Wiltshire came home 29th after retiring after just two laps. Wiltshire made one other start in his NASCAR career, a 32nd-place finish at Pocono in 1975.

Outside of the national series, Wiltshire made a name for himself in the NASCAR Sportsman Division in New York during the 1970s.

Another black driver who found success in the NASCAR Sportsman Division was Randy Bethea, who raced in Tennessee. Bethea's one national NASCAR start came in the 1975 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Unfortunately, much like Wiltshire before him, his start would go down as a DNF as engine problems forced Bethea to a 33rd-place finish.

It was a decade before a black driver made another start in a Cup race. Willy T. Ribbs started three races for DiGard in 1986 with his debut coming at North Wilkesboro. In those three races, Ribbs had two DNFs due to engine problems and his best finish was a 22nd in the North Wilkesboro event. (Continued)