DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Following a national talent search at universities across the country, NASCAR and Rev Racing have invited 12 collegiate athletes to compete for roles as tire changers, carriers and jackmen at the fourth annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity National Pit Crew Combine in Concord, North Carolina, on Friday, May 24.

The annual event will be held at the NASCAR Research and Development Center and features athletes from colleges and universities across the nation with aspirations of a professional career in NASCAR. This year’s competitors include football, soccer and baseball student-athletes.

Led by Phil Horton, Rev Racing director of athletic performance, the four-hour combine will test the athletes in a series of strength, agility and flexibility exercises to assess their fitness for a NASCAR pit crew. Additionally, each athlete will learn how to perform tasks required of over-the-wall crew members.

“We’re excited to witness the impact this year’s competitors bring to NASCAR and the overall pit crew development program,” said Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR director of racing operations and event management. “Each athlete possesses something special and has demonstrated the potential to work in a fast-paced, highly competitive environment. Rev Racing’s recruiting efforts have identified some phenomenal athletes who can translate what they’ve accomplished in their respective sports to success on pit road. We look forward to training those selected to the program and positioning them for successful NASCAR careers.”

Top performing athletes will earn a spot in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development program where they will spend six months training as pit crew members at Rev Racing, with hopes of one day pitting for a national series team.

“We couldn’t be prouder of the journey both our pit crew development program and program graduates have taken from its inception,” said Max Siegel, owner and CEO of Rev Racing. “With the expansion of our recruiting efforts across the country, the talent level rises, and our program continues to evolve and create more opportunities for advancement at a higher level. We’re energized by the opportunity to work with these talented athletes and foresee a very impactful future on pit road for those selected to participate in our program.”

Since the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program began, more than 100 athletes have participated, and 65 graduates are now working in NASCAR. Thirty-five crew members have reached and competed in the sport’s national series, including the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™.

Program alums include Raphael Diaz, rear tire changer for Roush Fenway Racing, and Jordan Paige, now a jackman for Richard Childress Racing. Earlier this season, Breanna O’Leary and Brehanna Daniels became the first female graduates of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program to go over the wall in the DAYTONA 500. Both women participated in the 2016 pit crew combine and now pit regularly across the national series.

As part of the recruiting process, NASCAR and Rev Racing traveled to host student-athlete workouts at Alabama A&M University, Alcorn State University, Arizona State University, Coppin State University, Virginia State University and the University of Miami.

This year’s combine will feature Dalanda Ouendeno from Paris, France, a former University of Miami women’s soccer player. Ouendeno played for the Paris St. Germain soccer club from 2009 to 2015, won the Gothia Youth World Cup and the IberCup Portugal, and was part of five Isles of France championship teams.

Dasmond Tautalatasi will join the pit crew combine from Arizona State where he played safety for the Sun Devils football team. Hadji Gaylord, an undefeated high school wrestler and defensive lineman at Norfolk State University, returns for his second combine with hopes of earning a spot in the development program.

The 2019 NASCAR Drive for Diversity National Pit Crew Combine participants include:

Name	Hometown	University	Primary Sport
Leishaun Ealey	Jacksonville, Fla.	Alcorn State University	Football
Hadji Gaylord	Norfolk, Va.	Norfolk State University	Football
Robin Loza	Charlotte, N.C.	Central Piedmont Community College	Football
Terry McCray	Pompano Beach, Fla.	University of Miami	Football
Dalanda Ouendeno	Paris, France	University of Miami	Soccer
Deonte Parker	Huntsville, Ala.	Alabama A&M University	Baseball
Mequel Phillips	Chester, Va.	Virginia State University	Football
Josh Pokraka	Honolulu, Hawaii	Arizona State University	Football
Raynard Revels	Richmond, Va.	Norfolk State University	Football
Matthew Sawyer	Baltimore, Md.	Coppin State University	Football
Dasmond Tautalatasi	Concord, Calif.	Arizona State University	Football
Alvin Wilson	Lexington, Miss.	Alcorn State University	Football

Following Friday’s event, the pit crew combine participants will attend the NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco 300 on Saturday, May 25 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Drive for Diversity also offers a driver development program, operated by Rev Racing, and fields vehicles for six drivers in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, as well as legend cars for four youth racers in the US Legend Car Series. Successful graduates now competing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series include drivers Kyle Larson, Daniel Suárez and Bubba Wallace.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 will be broadcast live from Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 16, 2019) – As NASCAR® and its fans prepare to celebrate 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race weekend in Charlotte, N.C., the industry will welcome today the newest class of interns selected to the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP).

Twenty-eight undergraduate and graduate students from universities across the country will begin orientation today in Charlotte and participate in a motorsports tour that will include Charlotte Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the other racing venues in and around the city.

On Saturday, May 18, the new intern class will experience the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90) live from Charlotte Motor Speedway as NASCAR’s brightest stars compete for $1 million in prize money.

“For many, the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program provides an introduction to motorsports as well as valuable, hands-on experience in an industry rich with opportunity,” said Paula Miller, NASCAR senior vice president and chief human resources officer. “As we welcome each new class, we’re reminded of the many careers launched by this program and the positive impact our graduates continue to have on the sport.”

One of the premier internships in sports, NDIP offers college students from diverse backgrounds a unique and practical experience in the motorsports industry. More than 400 students and several industry partners have participated in NDIP since its inception in 2000.

Twenty-four former interns are currently employed in the NASCAR industry. The list includes Jusan Hamilton, who in 2017 became the first African American to serve as race director for a NASCAR national series event. In addition to his race director responsibilities, Hamilton oversees the NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver and pit crew development programs.

Brandon Thompson, a 15-year NASCAR industry veteran, completed NDIP internships in 2003 and 2004 in between semesters at Clark Atlanta University. Thompson now runs the Touring Series for NASCAR as managing director.

Katherine Lee, another NDIP alum, works on the events team at NASCAR and organizes high-profile events such as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards and NASCAR Fuel for Business events. In 2017, Dejah Gilliam was a communications intern at NASCAR and now, as a full-time member of the team, supports industry initiatives across several teams and tracks.

Maryland native Kenneth Lee was part of last year’s NDIP class, and following his internship was hired as an associate producer for Motor Racing Network (MRN) in Concord, N.C. As part of orientation on Friday, Lee will give the new interns a tour of MRN studios.

The 2019 NDIP class will have roles at NASCAR and program partners across the industry which include International Speedway Corporation (ISC), Toyota, MRN and several tracks and teams.

Throughout the program, interns will interact with industry professionals at an array of networking events and lunch-and-learns led by NASCAR executives. The interns will also have access to mentors and NDIP alumni currently working at the sanctioning body and partner organizations.

NDIP is open to sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate-level college students and offers hands-on experience with one of the top sports industries in the country. The internship provides opportunities to multicultural students from all majors with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.

The 2019 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program class includes:

Name	Department	University
Rocco Babun	NASCAR Partnership Marketing	Elon University
Evelis Casey	Watkins Glen International	Loyola University Maryland
Gerald Donaldson	NASCAR Graphic Design	Clemson University
Carlos Fernandez	NASCAR Finance	University of Vermont
Aditya Baban Ghawre	NASCAR Research & Development	North Carolina State University
Dontre Graves	Rev Racing	Jackson State University
Wesley Hopkins	Roush Fenway Racing	University of Connecticut
John Huger Jr.	ISC Partnership Marketing & Sales	Bethune-Cookman University
MaKenzie Johnson	Toyota	Claflin University
Suzi Lee	NASCAR Licensing	California State University, Fullerton
Lawrence McMillion II	Richmond Raceway	Virginia State University
Jordan Mitchell	NASCAR Driver Marketing	University of Tulsa
Sean Montgomery	NASCAR Digital Content	Georgia College
Kylee Morgan	Richard Childress Racing	University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Seth Myers	ISC Legal	Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
Julia Nowicki	ISC Digital Communications	Syracuse University
Monon Rahman	NASCAR Research & Development	University of Kentucky
Lukens Rivil	NASCAR Legal	Florida A&M University College of Law
Savanna Samuels	NASCAR International Broadcasting	Howard University
Justin Sifford	NASCAR Technical Inspection	NASCAR Technical Institute
Isabella Sisneros	Daytona International Speedway	Arizona State University
Jai Hyun So	NASCAR Analytics & Insights	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Cora Taft	ISC Sales Academy	Georgetown University
Avery Oliver	The NASCAR Foundation	Rhodes College
Charles Tsao	Michigan International Speedway	University of Michigan
Tanvee Wakankar	NASCAR Digital Media	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Mia Williams	NASCAR Communications	Towson University
Lucia Zapata	NASCAR Growth Segments	University of Central Florida

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Four talented youth drivers have been selected to hone their racing skills as participants in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program after a national talent search in March.

NASCAR and Rev Racing hosted a youth driver combine at GoPro Motorplex in Mooresville, N.C., where drivers ages 12 to 16 were evaluated during practice sessions and heat races.

Four drivers were selected to the 2019 class, including Rajah Caruth, 16, an iRacing competitor from Washington D.C., with aspirations of a traditional racing career. Among the new participants are Lacy Kuehl, 12, of Sarasota, Fla., who has experience racing dirt oval flat karts, and Blake Lothian, 16, a World Formula Kart driver from Wellesley, Mass.

Fourteen-year-old U.S. Legends car driver Isabella Robusto of Fort Mill, S.C., returns to Rev Racing having trained with the youth driver development program in 2017 and 2018.

“We were very impressed with what we saw from these drivers at the combine in March,” said Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR director, racing operations and event management. “Each driver demonstrated strong potential and we believe will be successful in racing. The four selected stood out based on their abilities both on and off the track, have great experience and left quite the positive impression on our evaluators.”

NASCAR Drive for Diversity and Rev Racing seek the highest quality candidates from diverse backgrounds and develop them into successful NASCAR drivers. During the summer, the youth program provides selected drivers with equipment, mentoring and competition experience.

Rev Racing, the competition arm of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program, will put the four drivers in INEX Legend Cars in 2019. Each driver will compete in the Bojangles’ Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway in June and July, and several other events throughout the summer.

“We have really taken an in-depth look at how we develop and train our drivers at the youth level,” said Max Siegel, CEO of Rev Racing. “We’ve seen the program grow over the last 10 years and make a substantial impact in NASCAR. The level of talent and enthusiasm we are already seeing in these young individuals is both promising and exciting. Connecting with drivers as early as possible allows us to have a greater impact on driver development on and off the race track. Our goal is to see these drivers move through the pipeline and into the national series.”

The youth development program serves as a stepping stone for drivers to eventually move to NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and NASCAR K&N Pro Series race cars with the goal of one day competing for a NASCAR national series team.

The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, a separate program that will host its combine later this year, introduces talent to Late Model Stock cars and offers opportunities for drivers to compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and Whelen All-American Series with the Rev Racing team.

Graduates of the youth development program include NASCAR K&N Pro Series West driver Hailie Deegan, 17, and Rev Racing Late Model driver Nicholas Sanchez, 17. In 2018, Deegan became the first female driver to win a K&N Pro Series race after taking the checkered flag at Meridian Speedway in Idaho. Deegan won her second K&N Pro Series race in 2019, finishing first at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track.

Sanchez raced in last year’s Bojangles’ Summer Shootout with Rev Racing’s Legends Car program and recently completed his rookie season in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.

The 2019 class features the following drivers:

Rajah Caruth: In 2018, Caruth raced the Legends ’34 Coupe in the inaugural season of the eNASCAR Ignite Series, NASCAR and iRacing’s youth series created specifically to identify and attract young and diverse talent. He made 18 starts in the eight-week regular season, where he finished second seven times, made the playoffs and advanced to the championship round. Caruth has raced in more than 230 races on iRacing thus far in 2019 with 21 wins and more than1,600 laps led.

Lacy Kuehl: Kuehl has raced in a dirt oval flat kart 32 times with one first-place finish. Notable accomplishments include winning at the Inverness Grand Prix and racing for Diabetic Ketoacidosis survivors. Kuehl would eventually like to earn an invitation to the Maxxis Nationals.

Blake Lothian: Lothian raced nine of 10 races in a World Formula Kart in the 2018 New Hampshire Karting Association (NHKA) Outdoor Series in New Hampshire. His highest finish was third place and he finished the season seventh out of more than 20 drivers. In 2017, he was the NHKA Briggs and Stratton LO206 Senior Champion with seven first-place finishes and three second-place finishes.

Isabella Robusto:  A current youth development driver, Robusto competed in the 2018 Bojangles Summer Shootout 10-race series where she finished sixth in the overall points standings. She won Battle at the Big Top at Texas Motor Speedway, a U.S. Legends National Qualifier.