Editor’s Note: This is the third installment of a four-part series on the four finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s 10th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award.
A very personal circumstance led Daryl Farler to help found Amputee Blade Runners (ABR), an organization devoted to providing free running and sports prosthetics to lower-limb amputees. He shares his client’s personal loss due to an unfortunate accident that led him to lose sight in one of his eyes, hearing in one ear, and undergo a partial amputation of each finger and amputation of both legs.
After relearning to walk and run, Farler began competing in foot races as an amputee athlete. He embarked on a career in prosthetics. Transforming his pain into an opportunity for others to achieve a more active lifestyle seems to be his calling.
“Working with our grant recipients has shown me the true spirit of the individual,” Farler said.
He gives to others what he’s been given – the joy of mobility and speed. He believes that every child should have the ability to run. Farler is a powerful advocate within the limb-different community, not only serving as a mentor for the pediatric clients of ABR, but also raising nearly $100,000 for the organization.
Farler’s work with children is wide ranging. He helped Hannah, a young girl with only four fingers and no feet, learn to love running. She’s now competing at the upper levels of track with her eye on the Paralympics. He recruited Noah, a young boy born without hands and only one foot, to ABR’s services and he’s now a starter on his middle school basketball team.
Farler, from Franklin, Tennessee, is one of four finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s 10th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. The award, named in honor of the foundation’s late founder and chairwoman, honors NASCAR fans who are accomplished volunteers working for children’s causes in their communities throughout the United States.
A NASCAR fan nearly all of his life, Farler grew up at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway where his dad worked as part of the fire crew. As an adult, he has attended several races, including returning to Daytona International Speedway (DIS) in July 2007, the year following his accident. He was determined to climb to his seats as he and his dad had for the last eight years.
The winner of the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award will be determined via an online fan vote that is ongoing through Nov. 4 at 12 p.m. ET at NASCARfoundation.org/Award. The winner will be announced virtually Nov. 5. Each of the finalists is guaranteed a minimum donation of $25,000 from The NASCAR Foundation, with the overall winner receiving a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation.
If Farler wins, children with limb loss will gain so much. These kids will not only gain the physical benefits of being able to fully engage with their peers in running, play and sports, but will realize increased confidence, socialization and a more positive self-image.
The cost of running legs is not covered by insurance and for many families is cost-prohibitive. This award would change the lives of 50 of the toughest children by providing free equipment, education and ongoing support to help improve their mobility, health, and self-esteem.
“The kids … they just want to be normal,” Farler said. “The kids we work with are superheroes!”
Chase Elliott won the Busch Pole Award for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), host of the opener of the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
The lineup was determined using NASCAR’s competition-based formula, which is a total number based on the series’ previous event: 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the owner points position.
Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet will share the front row with the No. 22 Team Penske Ford of Joey Logano, who rated second in the performance metric calculations. That pair placed 1-2 in last Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Road Course.
In the majority of national series events since NASCAR’s May return, starting lineups have been set by random draws. This structure, first introduced in early August, draws on performance from both individual races and season-long results, rather than leaving a range of starting spots up to chance.
See the full starting lineup for Sunday’s race below (P = Playoff eligible):
From Hailie Deegan’s rise into the national series ranks to Richard Childress Racing’s focus on diversity, women are changing the game in NASCAR.
While every day is a work in progress when it comes to diversity and inclusion, the sanctioning body has made great strides in ensuring this particular realm of motorsports provides a conducive environment for any and all who want to join.
A particular focus on the women who have served as driving forces in recent years reflects just how far the sport has come in creating a diverse space. The 2020 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards on Oct. 8 highlighted some of those women, receiving the much-deserved recognition for their work both on and off the race track.
NASCAR.com spent time with each woman, discussing their journeys and advice they would give to the next generation of young females who elect to take similar career paths.
Hailie Deegan, recipient of the Diverse Driver Award, earned the recognition for not only her success in what is now the ARCA Menards Series West, but also her digital engagement with fans to grow her presence and overall brand.
Hailie Deegan
As she prepares to make her first NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series start in Saturday’s Clean Harbors 200 at Kansas Speedway (4 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM), Deegan’s best advice to the younger girls who look up to her is to work hard.
“Work ethic is something you can’t buy,” Deegan said. “It’s either instilled in you or you have to really try to do it. I think that’s something that it’s easy to get comfortable and not work really hard. I try to stay true to my values because I’m going to work as hard as I can. I’m going to try to outwork everybody and if it means it works, OK. If it doesn’t work, understandable. But, I want to know in the back of my head that I gave 110% effort.”
Another younger driver, Rev Racing’s Isabella Robusto, earned the Young Racer award, but the honor recognizes what she has done far beyond her seat time in race cars. The 15-year-old trailblazer has spent countless hours supporting The NASCAR Foundation, which has included hospital visits at Halifax Health in Daytona Beach, Fla., Speediatrics Fun Day Festival at ONE DAYTONA, as well as helping children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic this year.
Isabella Robusto
Robusto echoed Deegan’s sentiments about being focused on working hard when it comes to others who want to take the same path she’s elected to take in her young career, also adding her own mix of helpful advice.
“My top one would be to never give up and just keep pushing yourself,” Robusto said. “You’re going to have bad races, even this year I’ve had a handful of bad races, but if you work hard enough and just make goals … setting goals for myself is a big one so that I know what I want to chase after. If I get the goals, that’s good, but I’m always trying to do even better than the goals I set.”
Jennifer Satterfield-Siegel, Rev Racing co-owner, received the Industry Ambassador Award for her involvement in NASCAR’s diversity program. Satterfield-Siegel, NASCAR’s first female African-American team owner, has increased opportunities for diverse drivers and pit-crew members, working relentlessly to make sure people from all walks of life have a seat at the NASCAR table if it’s one that interests them.
“To be able to be a part of helping someone get to the next level is wonderful, to help somebody really just embrace their passion,” Satterfield-Siegel said. “Just being able to help navigate them through the process. We all know that all of these people, all of these athletes will one day encounter someone who won’t like the fact that they are there because they are either female or because of the color of their skin. To be able to be supportive at this point in their career and to help them really embrace and see who they are and to be proud of the talent that they do have is a really great thing.”
Jennifer Satterfield-Siegel
With all the work Satterfield-Siegel puts in with Rev Racing, Drive for Diversity and the Pit Crew Development program, she admits she spends a decent amount of time reflecting back on the obstacles she and her husband — fellow Rev Racing co-owner Max Siegel — had to overcome to achieve success. Now, they get to offer a helping hand to those who need it to reach accomplishments they might have never thought were possible.
“Every day, probably every hour,” Satterfield-Siegel said. “That might be one of the reasons why both Max and I are so passionate about it because we both encountered it in our careers early on. People told us what we couldn’t do and all the reasons why we couldn’t do it. You hope kids are strong enough to get through it and map out their own way. There are plenty of people and plenty of kids that get stopped because someone doesn’t believe in them.”
Brehanna Daniels, tire changer in the NASCAR Cup Series, received the Crew Member Award for being an ambassador for the sport, which has included her work with diversity initiatives. Daniels’ resumé has been vast in a short amount of time, which includes working with the Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Combine, the same program she came through to establish herself as a prominent part of the NASCAR garage.
Daniels has also been featured on national television, starring in an episode of NBC’s Titan Games and an appearance in a national commercial for Advil pain relief medication.
As she practiced coming from playing basketball for Norfolk State University to racing, Daniels’ biggest piece of advice for other young females is to coming into the sport with an open mind.
Brehanna Daniels
“You always have to work hard, never just sit back and just expect things to fall in your lap,” Daniels said. “Always be the hardest worker in the room. As long as you work hard, those hours will pay off. There’s no other way around it.”
Daniels also had special advice for other people of color who want to break down more barriers as she did in the industry.
“Know that you are making a difference because there’s not too many of us in this sport,” Daniels added. “It’s really important to be yourself. That’s why I’m glad I’m the person that I am because throughout this whole process and my career at NASCAR, I’ve always been myself. I never lost sight of myself. … I didn’t change for anyone. I speak my mind. When things don’t seem right to me, I speak up about it.”
Diversity and inclusion have always been the mission for Richard Childress Racing, according to Jennifer White, Vice President of Marketing and Communications with the organization. The importance of maintaining a welcoming work environment for all is held near and dear to the hearts of Childress and wife, Judy.
“Creating a very diverse and inclusive workplace here at RCR has been important to them from Day 1,” White said. “As a female in what is a very traditionally male-dominated sport, I can tell you at RCR that I’ve always felt my role, my opinion, my voice was heard here.”
White developed an early passion for racing. Her father introduced her to the sport at a young age and she’s been hooked ever since. When she decided to choose a career path in NASCAR, White realized at the time how difficult it would be to break into the realm.
“Here I am at the track where there’s some hardened, old-school male-dominated media members that at that time were, you know, not that welcoming,” White said. “But I knew that if I continued to push, had a goal, continued to work for it, that I wouldn’t let that gender wall stand in my way.”
Jennifer White
With hard work and perseverance as her core values, White was able to gain the respect she deserved throughout the garage. She’s currently in her 12th year with RCR. Before that, she spent more than 10 years with NASCAR in the publishing and licensing department.
Her tenure with NASCAR also served as a first-hand experience of how much emphasis the leadership of the league put on diversity.
“It takes a team effort,” White said. “From here, it starts with Judy and Richard from the top down. I think that’s the same thing I could say for a Steve Phelps (NASCAR’s president), Mike Helton (NASCAR’s vice chairman) … I’ve worked for them and they believe in that, as well, and I think they’ve made a lot of headway in this sport over the last few decades.”
Just as White broke down barriers along with other women in the sport, she’s doing her part to ensure that she empowers the next generation to not allow anything to stand in the way of achieving greatness.
“I think you’re the one that makes the decision for how far you’re going to go and what you’re able to do,” said White. “You make the choices. You decide your path. Whether it’s the females that report to me now, the females within this company, or I even have a 13-year-old daughter at home, I want her to know that being a female is not going to hold her back from anything.
“Being strong, being confident and fighting for what you want is going to get you ahead.”
NASCAR officials fined the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet team Tuesday for a lug-nut infraction after Sunday’s Cup Series event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.
Officials found the No. 1 Chevy — driven to a fourth-place finish by Kurt Busch — with one lug not not safely secured in a post-race check after the Bank of America Roval 400. As a result of the safety violation, competition officials issued a $10,000 fine to No. 1 crew chief Matt McCall.
Busch is among the final eight playoff-eligible drivers with four races left this season. The Cup Series’ Round of 8 begins Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM) at Kansas Speedway.
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced Tuesday that NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) driver Brandon Jones will return to race full-time in 2021 back behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota Supra.
Jones just advanced to the Round of 8 in the Xfinity Series Playoffs. This has been a breakout year for Jones, earning a career-high three wins, a pole at Fontana, nine top-five and 16 top-10 finishes while leading 144 laps. He continues his dream season with his first win in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports at the Tricky Triangle at Pocono Raceway compiling two top-10s out of three starts. He is scheduled for a fourth Truck race at Martinsville Speedway.
“It has been a real thrill to watch Brandon’s development over the past few years with us in the Xfinity Series,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “He is a championship contender, of course, and his veteran leadership has been a real asset to our overall program. We’re excited about the opportunity he has the rest of this year and that he will return next season and continue to build upon that success.”
Jones took on the senior driver role this season at JGR and he is currently in his third full season with JGR. The 19 team is riding a wave of momentum and it keeps getting stronger, positioned to be a top contender for the Xfinity Series championship for 2020.
“This has been a dream season so far and I couldn’t be prouder of our 19 team,” stated Brandon Jones. “It’s been great to have Jeff Meendering as my crew chief for the second consecutive year and his leadership along with the consistency is exactly what this team needed. I also realize how fortunate I am to have partners like Menards and Toyota; their support means the world to me. This has been a phenomenal year and I couldn’t be more excited about being back at Joe Gibbs Racing next season. Right now, I remain focused on our championship run and making it to Phoenix where I won earlier this year for a shot at the Xfinity Series title.”
Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a four-part series on the four finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s 10th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award.
While there are Boys & Girls Clubs across the United States and Charlene Greer would be the first to encourage anyone to volunteer, her work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler is particularly extraordinary. She was first introduced to the organization in 2012 while volunteering for another local non-profit, Jeep Beach. That exposure led her to support “charity helping charity” and has since provided nearly $500,000 to the organization.
Greer lends nearly 120 hours each month in support of the Boys & Girls Club, and that isn’t just operational funding but also her vision and execution of special activities that directly benefit the students. She could be devoting time mentoring children at one of the club’s eight locations after school, which is her favorite role, participating in a board meeting or advocating for the cause while meeting with local elected officials and community leaders. Her fundraising efforts are likely the most widely recognized as her support wholly funds the Boys & Girls Club’s annual Honor Roll Banquet and Christmas party.
What drives Greer’s incredible passion for community service?
“It gives me hope in our future,” she said more than once.
Greer’s colleagues tout her can-do attitude and inherent ability to recognize a need and fill it.
She gets especially excited when discussing the Boys & Girls Club’s annual Christmas party for which she fulfills the students’ wish lists and delivers the gifts creatively every year. Whether it’s Santa bringing the toys on a wagon, the Budweiser Clydesdale horses parading for the children or taking hot laps around Daytona International Speedway, they’re sure to be delighted.
Greer, from Ormond Beach, Florida, is one of four most-deserving finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s 10th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. The award, named in honor of the foundation’s late founder and chairwoman, honors NASCAR fans who are accomplished volunteers working for children’s causes in their communities throughout the United States.
A lifelong NASCAR fan, Greer grew up spending weekends at the track with her father, a motorsports mechanic. Some of her fondest memories are witnessing Bill Elliott go from being known as “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” to “Million Dollar Bill” with his win at Darlington Raceway in 1985 over Labor Day weekend to her first time attending the Daytona 500, now her home track.
“When you have the opportunity to work with these children, it’s hope, it’s happiness and it’s encouragement for me and it drives me to work even harder for them,” Greer said. “… I would encourage anyone who has the time, the talents, the ability to mentor these children. … It is life changing.”
The winner of the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award will be determined via an online fan vote that is ongoing through Nov. 4 until noon ET at NASCARfoundation.org/Award. The winner will be announced virtually Nov. 5. Each of the finalists is guaranteed a minimum donation of $25,000 from The NASCAR Foundation, with the overall winner receiving a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation.
If Greer wins, children living with disadvantaged circumstances will benefit. The resulting $100,000 donation would cover the costs to transport all of the more than 1,400 children safely to the eight clubs after school utilizing bus transportation. With 87 percent of its members on free or reduced lunch and the club’s motto to never turn any child away for their inability to pay, this would help the children to realize their full potential.
There are many things Will Burns loves about racing. Having been in the sport for more than a decade, he considers it a blessing that he knows just about everyone when he goes to the track, he‘s made good friends and has people he loves to see whenever he gets into the infield.
But there‘s one thing Burns loves about racing more than anything.
“That winning feeling” he said.
“It‘s so special every time you go a little streak without a win and then picking up that first one in a while is just such a good feeling.”
And winning individual races may be great on their own, but winning championships is even sweeter.
Burns is hoping that, even if he missed out of track championships at Myrtle Beach and Greenville Pickens Speedway this season, he can hold on to a South Carolina state championship in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. Burns‘ three wins and 11 top-five finishes in 13 races this season is enough for 264 points, 50 better than second place in the state.
The 25-year-old has been racing late models since he was 15, getting his start at Greenville Pickens, a NASCAR-sanctioned half-mile, semi-banked asphalt oval track in Greenville, South Carolina. He won a track championship there in 2017.
After spending 2012-2014 travelling around to different tracks in the south, and spending a season at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina, in 2015, Burns returned to his home track of Greenville in 2016, and added Myrtle Beach Speedway to his weekly agenda three years ago.
His team started the 2020 season at Myrtle Beach, and tried hard for a track championship there, but came up just short. While racing each week there, Burns realized that NASCAR would be awarding national and state points championships, despite a delayed start due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The idea kind of popped in my head,” he said. “When that kind of came out that that was going to happen it was like, ‘O.K. maybe running Myrtle Beach this full season is not just about the track championship. Maybe it‘s something bigger.‘”
Burns finished second in the final race at Myrtle Beach, and promptly moved back to Greenville, where he‘s won three times, and has two seconds and a third in six races since.
Greenville has always been that track right down the road that has a special place in Burns‘ heart. It was there that he and his older brother‘s racing dreams were born.
The Burns family didn‘t have any real tie to racing other than just watching on TV. When Burns was little his family was given free tickets and invited to Greenville to watch a race.
“My brother got to kind of thinking to himself, ‘Hey, this is cool. I might want to do this,‘” Burns said.
Not long after, Burns‘ brother found a car for the lower division at Greenville, and his dad got into the sport as well.
A couple years later, Burns himself was behind the wheel.
“We went out there just to watch that one race,” he said. “It was so intriguing that we ended up getting into it.”
Burns raced in the lower series at Greenville in 2010, and moved up to a late model at 2011 when he was 15, winning South Carolina rookie of the year.
Burns‘s brother doesn‘t race as often as he used to, though the duo did race against one another for the final race at Myrtle Beach. The track announced earlier this year it would close permanently following this season.
“Just to get that one last race in there was pretty special,” Burns said. “Me and him, we don‘t really race in the same race that often anymore so it was kind of cool to be able to do that again too.
“He comes out to the races and supports every now and again and I‘m always there whenever he races… We support each other.”
Even though Burns is still relatively young, at this point he‘s a veteran late model driver, which definitely has its benefits when it comes to racing against other young guns.
“There‘s a lot of good talent out there in younger kids that just jump right into a late model and you see them do really well,” he said. “I think where the experience really comes in is I can look back to years ago when I was running this race track or that race track and remember things that happened throughout the race.
“And then also just knowing situations to not get yourself in, because I have torn up a lot of race cars and thank goodness I don‘t do that very often at all anymore. I don‘t even think I‘ve replaced a body panel this year. Just having that maturity and knowing those situations is really beneficial.”
With maturity comes success and success brings wins, and hopefully championships.
Something Burns knows about, and could learn more about by the end of this season.
“Just being able to win races is really cool,” he said. “It‘s a super cool thing just to be a part of. The track championship in 2017 was cool, and I feel like this (state championship) even tops that a little bit.”
STATESVILLE, N.C. — GMS Racing announced today that Zane Smith will return to pilot a Chevrolet Silverado for the team full-time in 2021.
“We at GMS are proud of what Zane has been able to accomplish in his rookie season,” said team owner Maury Gallagher. “Zane is an incredible talent with a drive to be the best on and off the track. We look forward to seeing what all he can accomplish in the 2021 season.”
Smith is in his first full-time Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series season and is currently leading the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings. Smith has two wins, four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes with 271 laps led in 19 starts this season. Smith qualified for the playoffs in his rookie season and advanced to the Round of 8. He is currently third in playoff standings, six points behind the leader.
“I’m just thankful to Maury (Gallagher), Mike Beam, Chevrolet and all of GMS Racing,” Smith said. “It was one thing to be full-time for such a good race team like GMS, but to get to do it again is a whole other thing. It takes a lot of pressure off myself going into this final round of the playoffs knowing I have a job next year. Now there is a good kind of pressure and that’s winning the championship in my rookie year. I can’t wait to be back full-time next season with the knowledge and experience I have now.”
“GMS Racing is excited for Zane to return for the 2021 season,” said Mike Beam, president of GMS Racing. “Zane has done a great job representing GMS and Chevrolet on and off the track and has worked tirelessly to become a contender every race. What he has shown this season is truly amazing and we look forward to watching Zane compete for race wins and championships at GMS Racing.”
Crew chief and sponsorship for Smith’s 2021 season will be announced at a later date.
Editor’s note: This is the first installment of a four-part series on the four finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s 10th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award.
Larry Jordan’s inspiration for joining Angel Flight Soars is a personal one. While grieving the devastating loss of his daughter in 1997 after her battle with a severe heart disorder, he felt he was being called to do more with his life. While still in the hospital with his daughter, he saw an advertisement for Angel Flight Soars, and within the year, he had completed his flight school ratings and took to the skies, piloting patients in need of life-saving treatments.
This organization of volunteer pilots does more than transport children and their families for routine treatments, medical needs and compassionate care – they provide them a short escape from whatever is ailing them.
“Taking reality away is truly what flying is all about,” Jordan said. “To give them the opportunity to reach over and grab the controls to fly the airplane, is just amazing. … They may never get that opportunity again.”
Formed in 1983, Angel Flight Soars has grown over the years through media exposure, industry alliances and advocacy. The organization’s important work eliminates the cost of travel as a barrier for anyone needing medical care.
Jordan joined the organization in 1999, and in that year, Angel Flight Soars coordinated 272 mission flights. While he is just one of 1,200 volunteers, his constant drive, passion and competitive spirit have helped grow Angel Flight Soars’s impact significantly. Whether he’s running in the local series with Angel Flight Soars on his race car, wearing the brand in his daily routine or speaking to many local organizations through a speaker’s bureau he formed, Jordan is always spreading the good word.
“Any time I’ve got an Angel Flight shirt on, it gives me a platform to talk with somebody,” he said. “I want to be remembered if they have a storm in their life that we’ll be there every step of the way.”
Jordan, from Dacula, Georgia, is one of four most-deserving finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s 10th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. The award, named in honor of the foundation’s late founder and chairwoman, honors NASCAR fans who are accomplished volunteers working for children’s causes in their communities throughout the United States.
A NASCAR fan at heart, Jordan spent several years driving in every local short-track race he could enter, proudly displaying the Angel Flight Soars logo on his car or truck. Chase Elliott’s uncle, Dan Elliott, became a great friend and helped Jordan make mechanical adjustments to his cars. Probably why Chase is Jordan’s favorite driver.
“Any time you can go out and compete is just phenomenal,” Jordan said. “… NASCAR is just the No. 1 sport. If someone doesn’t like NASCAR, they just haven’t been introduced to it yet.”
The winner of the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award will be determined via an online fan vote that is ongoing through Nov. 4 until noon ET at NASCARfoundation.org/Award. The winner will be announced Nov. 5 via a livestream event where the winner will be notified in person. The NASCAR Foundation will donate $100,000 to the charity represented by the award winner, with $25,000 donations awarded to the other finalists.
If Jordan wins, sick children will also win. The resulting $100,000 donation would cover the costs to coordinate 195 free mission flights for children needing distant, specialized medical treatment.
Such support is invaluable for these children and their families, and Jordan knows this all too well. Jordan’s daughter, Tiffany Alexis, required multiple open-heart surgeries from birth. For her third surgery, she was life-flighted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta-Egelston from her family home in DeKalb County, Georgia. She didn’t survive that surgery.
“I’ve had a few people say you’re my angel,” Jordan said. “It’s a blessing to hear that.”
