Beasley, Amos return to join four newcomers in NASCAR program
RELATED: NASCAR Official Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR announced its 2015 Drive for Diversity class Monday, welcoming back two returning veterans with the addition of four newcomers to the initiative.
The driver roster was announced as part of NASCAR’s State of the Sport program, kicking off the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour at the Charlotte Convention Center. The D4D driver development program, which was founded in 2004, is designed to identify and help promote drivers in an effort to diversify the sport.
Devon Amos and Jay Beasley — a pair of 23-year-olds — return to the program, and both will drive for Rev Racing as part of Max Siegel’s four-car team in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Collin Cabre, 21, and Kenzie Ruston, 22, complete the rest of the Rev Racing driver lineup in K&N competition.
Two more fresh faces — Natalie Decker, 17, and Dylan Smith, 22 — will compete for Rev Racing in the Whelen All-American Series. The drivers were selected from a pool of 20 drivers participating in the Drive for Diversity Combine last October at Langley Speedway in Virginia.
The timing of the announcement — four days before Wendell Scott’s induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame as the only African-American winner in the sport’s premier series — was not lost on Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer. But as O’Donnell lauded the efforts to expand the sport’s driver base, he acknowledged that the responsibility comes with a certain degree of difficulty.
“One of the challenges for us was really starting grassroots. Kids don’t grow up with race cars in their backyard, and it’s a challenge,” O’Donnell said. “So introducing the sport to younger kids, introducing the sport to a different demographic took some time, and I think now where you see the talent coming up through the system — Daniel Suarez, Darrell Wallace — not just getting rides because they’ve been part of the D4D program, but going out and winning races in our premier series really puts them on the map.
“As you fast-forward five years from now, those folks will be in the Cup Series, they’ll be doing well, and NASCAR will truly reflect what North America looks like, not only in the stands, but on the track.”
For Ruston, perhaps the most familiar name on the list, the initiative helped her continue her run in the K&N Pro Series East, where she’ll embark on her third season starting next month. She’s come close to winning before, finishing second in a combined race for the East and West tours last summer at Iowa Speedway.
To hear Ruston tell it, it was hard to say which experience was harder — the combine or keeping her new driving duties a secret for several weeks.
“It was a little stressful. I’ve never had to try out for anything before,” Ruston said. “Once you’re there and in competition mode, you keep a straight face and go for it. It’s super exciting. They told us right around Thanksgiving, and I’ve just been dying to tell people. I’m so excited that I can finally tell people that I have something set and secure for 2015.”
Among the returning names, Beasley is aiming for more with Rev Racing after his first run through the K&N East circuit. He said he’s thankful for the opportunities that have come since Siegel plucked him from the Las Vegas racing scene to drive on NASCAR’s regional and touring series stage.
“It’s big for everyone,” Beasley said. “It’s big for me, it’s big for the other drivers, for the team. It helps us all and gives us more exposure, so it’s a great thing for all of us.”