HAMPTON, Ga. — Loud, clanking noises filled the air as various pit crews prepared for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Rinnai 250. Students were able to see tires that appeared twice the size of average tires and cars without conventional windows. Towering pit crew members filled the area that looked like they could compete with Duke’s 6-foot-7, 285-pound star basketball player Zion Williamson.

Many words in the dictionary could be used to describe the day’s activities, however “ordinary” is certainly not one of them. For the first time in each of their lives, these Morehouse College journalism students had the opportunity to attend a NASCAR race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

This was something completely foreign to the group of 15 black students from professor Ron Thomas’ sports reporting class. The average person may be surprised to know that a group of students coming from a historically black college that is rich in black history and culture would willingly choose to attend a NASCAR event. However, the students had an experience that most considered to be unforgettable.

Students had the opportunity to speak with Caryn Grant, NASCAR multicultural development manager, who gave information about the organization’s diversity initiatives, including the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program. The program recruits students with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and offers positions in various areas such as finance, public relations and human resources. The most recent intern cohort consisted of 36 highly competitive students from various schools across the country.

Throughout the day, students appeared to become more comfortable and interested in their surroundings. While it was nothing like the diverse, ethnocentric campus environment they were accustomed to, students were pleasantly surprised to see more people that looked like them than they had previously expected.

“My thoughts on NASCAR in the past were that they weren’t trying to be inclusive, that they were more focused on maintaining their current customer base,” Morehouse student Parker Owens said.

“My thoughts on NASCAR in the past were that they weren’t trying to be inclusive, that they were more focused on maintaining their current customer base.”

While the journalism students were experiencing many firsts throughout their day, they also got the chance to speak with a NASCAR veteran who has achieved various milestones in his career. Pit crew veteran and current Motor Racing Network host Dion Williams, a former Division I linebacker, was the first African-American crew member at Hendrick Motorsports as a part of Jeff Gordon’s pit crew. He also is the first African-American host for Motor Racing Network.

When discussing why he’s worked closely with NASCAR for the better part of 15 years, Williams pointed to his ability to attract and develop high-level athletes as members of the pit crew.

“This is a 10-15 year career that can allow high-level athletes the ability to make six figures within five years in the industry,” he said.

While the students from the Morehouse Journalism and Sports Program still may not consider themselves experts when it comes to NASCAR racing, one thing became clear by the end of the day. NASCAR has begun to make serious efforts to create a more diverse employee base representative of the vast melting pot we currently all reside in.

 

Kayden Molock is a junior political science major at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 12, 2018) – Twelve drivers from across the United States and abroad have been invited to try out for NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, the top driver developmental program in motorsports, at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway and Bethune-Cookman University on Oct. 22-23.

The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Combine invites promising ethnically diverse and female drivers to test their skills over a two-day period as NASCAR evaluates talent for the 2019 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development class.

In partnership with Rev Racing, NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program offers racing opportunities in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and U.S. Legend Cars International for one full season, providing selected drivers with equipment, mentoring, and competition experience. The goal is to provide top diverse talent with a path for development in order to improve participants’ chances of being identified as a prospect by NASCAR’s national series teams, sponsors and manufacturers.

Candidates for the 2019 class have competition experience throughout North America, Asia and Europe. All will vie for an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ drivers Daniel Suárez, Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson, the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver to qualify for the NASCAR Playoffs.

“The drivers invited to this year’s NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Combine represent a wide range of diverse backgrounds, both in terms of heritage and driving disciplines,” said Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR senior manager of racing operations and event management.  “The combine has been tremendous in helping the NASCAR industry identify and develop top diverse talent and this year is no different.”

The combine, which will serve as a key element in the selection process for setting the driver lineup for Rev Racing in 2019, will evaluate participants on their driving skill and work ethic on and off the track, as well as their marketing and media skills. Each driver will also take part in a physical fitness assessment at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach. Additionally, Rev Racing and NASCAR will work with B-CU communications students for additional training and evaluation of the combine participants that will include a mock press conference and one-on-one interviews.

Since the inception of NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, Rev Racing has earned 19 wins, 88 top-5 finishes, and 186 top-10 finishes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program driver Rubén García Jr. won the K&N Pro Series East season finale at Dover International Speedway in early October, the Mexico native’s second win of the season. García Jr. is also the current Championship points leader in the NASCAR Peak Mexico Series.

“As we embark upon our 11th year managing the Drive for Diversity program in partnership with NASCAR, we couldn’t be more excited about the evolution of our driver development program,” said Max Siegel, CEO of Rev Racing. “Through selection process and training program we look forward to selecting and developing some of NASCAR’s brightest stars.”

In addition to Garcia Jr., drivers under consideration to return to the team in 2019 are Chase Cabre, Ernie Francis Jr., Nick Sanchez and Ryan Vargas. Vargas is a two-time NASCAR Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award winner and has won three NASCAR Late Model races. In 2018, Francis Jr. achieved four wins in the Trans-Am Championship presented by Pirelli and currently leads the series standings. He has won the series championship for four consecutive years.

This year’s participants also include Juan Manuel González, Loris Hezemans, Perry Patino, Brooke Storer, Ryu Taggart, Gracie Trotter and Britney Zamora. Storer is the 2016 Desoto Speedway Sportman Champion, while Zamora became the first female driver to win the Northwest Super Late Model Series Championship in 2017. In 2015, Taggart earned a third-place finish out of more than 7,000 drivers in the Red Bull Kart Fight in Japan.

Rev Racing also operates the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program, which targets drivers 12 to 17 to compete in the U.S. Legend Cars International (USLCI) and serves as an entry point to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. The deadline to apply for the youth program is Oct. 31, 2018.

2018 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Combine drivers:

DRIVER	HOMETOWN	2018 RACING EXPERIENCE
Chase Cabre	Tampa, Fla.	NASCAR K&N Pro Series East & NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Ernie Francis Jr.	Southwest Ranches, Fla.	Trans Am TA Series & NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
Rubén García Jr.	Mexico City, Mexico	NASCAR K&N Pro Series East & NASCAR Peak Mexico Series
Juan Manuel González	Mexico City, Mexico	NASCAR Mexico FedEx Challenge Series NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
Loris Hezemans	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Blancpain GT Sprint Series & NASCAR Whelen Euro Series
Perry Patino	Montgomery, Ala.	Pro Late Model & Late Model Sportsman Series
Nick Sanchez	Miami, Fla.	NASCAR Whelen All-American Series & Bojangles Summer Shootout Pro Legend Car Class
Brooke Storer	Land O’ Lakes, Fla.	Wheelman Series Late Model/Sportsman Division
Ryu Taggart	Jefferson City, Mo.	Pro Late Model Division at Lebanon I-44 Speedway and USRRA A-mod on dirt
Gracie Trotter	Denver, N.C.	CARS Tour & PASS Series, USLCI Legend Cars & Bojangles Summer Shootout Semi Pro Division
Ryan Vargas	La Mirada, Calif.	NASCAR K&N Pro Series East & NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
Brittney Zamora	Kennewick, Wash.	NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, Budweiser Crown Series & Northwest Super Late Model Series

 

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), three regional series, one local grassroots series, three international series and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

About Rev Racing

Headquartered in Concord, NC, Rev Racing, owned by Max Siegel operates the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, which is the industry’s leading developmental program for ethnic minorities and women drivers and pit crew members. For more information about Rev Racing visit http://revracing.net or follow us on Twitter @RevRacin.

Each year the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program along with its competition arm, Rev Racing, seeks to obtain the highest quality of applicants representing diverse backgrounds and develop them into successful NASCAR drivers. This selection process begins with the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Combine. Drivers will have the opportunity to submit a digital application on RevRacing.net, highlighting racing experience, references and historical success. Ethnically diverse and female drivers have until September 7, 2018 to be considered for the 2019 NASCAR Drive for Diversity program. Youth program participants, ages 12-17, are required to apply by October 30, 2018.

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be a female or member of one or more of the following ethnic minority classifications: American Indian, Alaskan Native or of native/indigenous descent; Asian or Pacific Islander; Black or African-American; Latino or Hispanic
• Be at least 15 years of age but no older than 26 years of age as of October 15th of the present year
• Be legally eligible to work in the United States. Drivers from foreign countries are welcome to apply, however, if the applicant is not already a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident alien, the applicant must be legally capable of traveling to the designated location in the United States to participate in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Combine. Applicants must also be able to obtain necessary authorization to accept employment in the United States if selected to participate in the Drive for Diversity Program.

NASCAR Drive for Diversity aligns its drivers with a team of executives, athletic trainers, crew chiefs and mentors helping them achieve professional success, and thus improving their likelihood of reaching one of the three NASCAR national series. Selected drivers will compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series or Bojangles’ Summer Shootout Series.

Rev Racing has continued to find success with its current drivers and alumni. In 2018, the Drive for Diversity Program made a major impact, seeing three of its graduates (Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez and Bubba Wallace) compete at the sport’s highest level in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Since the Drive for Diversity Program’s inception, Rev Racing has earned 17 wins, 85 top 5s, and 168 top 10 finishes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, with drivers finishing in the top 10 in points every season. Current NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver Ruben Garcia Jr. made his first trip to victory lane at Memphis International Raceway in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in June.

To find more information about the 2018 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine or submit an application, please visit https://revracing.net/combine-application/. For additional information please email [email protected].

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and http://www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

About REV RACING

Headquartered in Concord, NC, Rev Racing, owned by Max Siegel, operates the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, which is the industry’s leading developmental program for ethnic minorities and female drivers and pit crew members. For more information about Rev Racing visit http://revracing.net or follow us on Twitter @RevRacin.

When the NASCAR K&N Pro Series takes on a road course there is sure to be a few road racing experts in the field. Some may have a racing background filled with left and right turns, some may simply have a knack for it, and others might have accomplishments and experience that set them apart from the rest.

Enter four time Trans Am champion, Ernie Francis Jr.

Francis started his racing career in go-karts when he was just four years old. Since then, he has quickly jumped through the ranks, winning in everything he steps foot in. Like many racers today, Francis was inspired by his father, Ernie Francis Sr., who showed him the way.

“It was all family driven when I started racing” said Francis. “My Dad was club racing dating back to the 80s doing a lot of formula racing so he was the one that got me into it. I grew up going to the track and watching him race and he is still close to my career now with my road course stuff.”

Francis Jr. still drives for his family owned race team on the road course side, with his father over seeing the entire operation.

“It’s great to have him at the track, it’s good and bad at the same time because you know when you mess up that you’re going to deal with your team owner and your Dad at the same time” he said. “I really enjoy having him there and wouldn’t want to have it any other way.”

Francis has certainly made his mark on the road racing scene, becoming the youngest Trans Am series champion at the age of 16 and in 2017 he became the winningest driver in series history. Francis, now 20, has his sights set on the top ranks of NASCAR, with his current stop being with the K&N Pro Series.

The transition from Trans Am racing to NASCAR is one that Francis sees as a challenge, something that he needs to check off the list in order for him to be satisfied with what he has been able to accomplish behind the wheel. Within his road racing background, Francis has driven front-wheel, rear-wheel and all-wheel drive cars, but strapping into a stock car had still yet to be done.

“It was me wanting to try something different, being able to drive anything that you want to put me in” he continued. “NASCAR racing was something that I’ve never really done and the opportunity came up with the Drive for Diversity program with Rev Racing and I thought it would something cool to put on my resume and say that not only can I road course race but I can also do some oval racing.”

For Francis, stepping into Rev Racing was the first real time that he has worked with a new team around him. The past success with drivers like Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez and Darrell Wallace Jr. shows that the tools to succeed are in place for their drivers, and a win earlier this year with Ruben Garcia Jr. proves that the team has what it takes to win.

“It has been a really fun year” he said. “I think Rev Racing does a great job of making the drivers feel at home, we hang out off the track and race each other hard and clean on the track.”

Francis made his K&N Pro Series debut at New Jersey Motorsports Park, a track that he has ample experience on with his Trans Am cars. To say it was an impressive debut would be an understatement as he qualified on the pole and went on to finish second to a fellow road course ace, Will Rodgers. Francis soaked it all in, learned everything he could, and is ready to carry that into his next stop, the big stage at Watkins Glen International.

RELATED: K&N Pro East On The Road Again

“We didn’t know how it was going to end up going into New Jersey being it was my first race with the team and the car” Francis said. “Putting the car on pole really opened everyone’s eyes so I think we have the same kind of goals for Watkins Glen and if we can advance the finishing position by one I think we’ll be pretty good.”

Watkins Glen may just be another rung on the ladder as Francis chases his goals, but a win in front of the NASCAR industry could pay dividends for his career.

“If I can make it to the top ranks that’s something that I would really like to do. Now that I’m in it I think I’m really starting to enjoy NASCAR a lot more than I thought I would when I got into it.”

Great Outdoors RV Superstore 100 Notes

• Will Rodgers will be looking to win his fifth straight K&N Pro Series road course event. He won this race a season ago.
• K&N Pro East points leader, Tyler Ankrum will join elite company if he is to win his fourth straight race this weekend. Only Ben Rhodes and Ricky Craven have conquered that feat.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After an extended off-season, Julia Landauer announced that she will compete in three races in the 2018 NASCAR Pinty’s Series championship, Canada’s national stock car championship series. She will compete for CBRT, led by Joey McColm.

“I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel! I am so grateful to Joey McColm and CBRT for believing in me and giving me this opportunity,” Landauer said. “It means a lot to have a team show this kind of investment in me and I am thrilled I get the chance to get back on track, learn a new car, and try to win some races.”

Landauer is confirmed to race at Riverside International Speedway in Nova Scotia on August 18, at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park outside of Toronto on August 26, and at Quebec’s Autodrome St. Eustache on September 8.

“I met Julia a year ago and knew that we had to figure out a way to have her drive one of our CBRT cars. She’s a proven winner on the track, she’s very competitive, and has a great work ethic. Add in her marketability and there’s a clear and natural fit with our race organization and partners,” said Joey McColm.

Landauer won the 2015 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Limited Late Model Championship at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Virginia, then advanced to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in 2016, where she finished fourth in the championship, the highest finish for a female in the series’ 64-year history. She competed in the K&N Pro Series West again in 2017.

“We have been working really hard since the 2017 season to line up partners so I could go racing in 2018,” Landauer said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to before the start of the 2018 season, so it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster figuring out when I’d get back on track. I couldn’t be happier to see our perseverance start to pay off!”

Landauer will be driving the No. 1 Dodge Challenger. Joey McColm will serve as crew chief for at least two of the races. Eric Holmes, three-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion and Landauer’s spotter in 2016, will return as spotter.

 

ABOUT JULIA LANDAUER

Julia Landauer is a NASCAR driver and 2-time champion from New York City. Since making history as the first and youngest female champion in the Skip Barber Racing Series at age 14, Julia has amassed dozens of wins in many different racing series, including a NASCAR Track Championship in 2015. Julia was the only female member of the highly selective NASCAR Next class of 2016-2017.

Julia graduated from Stanford University in 2014, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Science, Technology, and Society. Julia has since purposefully built her brand where technology, community and racing intersect and fuse. During college Julia was a contestant on season 26 of CBS’ reality TV show SURVIVOR. It was also in college that Julia started her motivational speaking career with a TEDx talk and she is now a sought-after speaker for corporations, universities, and conferences, including Fortune’s Most Powerful Women. In January of 2017, Julia was selected as an honoree for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the sports category. Julia also serves as an external advisor to Hyundai Motor Corporation’s Center for Robotic-Augmented Design in Living Experience.

As she climbs the NASCAR ladder Julia uses her racing platform to continue advocating for STEM education and women’s empowerment.

ABOUT CBRT

Canada’s Best Racing Team (CBRT) is a Canadian company established in 2013 that currently fields teams in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series and Trans Am Series. CBRT is a highly competitive team of professionals who are invested in the cars and drivers they put on the track. Committed to environmental responsibility, CBRT is a pioneer of sustainability in auto racing, while simultaneously promoting excellence, integrity, and loyalty to their fans. As a leader in marketing solutions, CBRT focuses on strategic partnership, activation planning and execution using social engagement strategies and relationship enhancing experiences to strengthen the connection between brands and their customers.

NASCAR has again partnered with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to award students with the 2018 NASCAR Wendell Scott Sr. Scholarship.

The three merit-based scholarships — one $10,000 award and two $3,800 awards — are named in honor of Scott, who became the first African-American to win a NASCAR premier series race in 1963 and was later inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015. The deadline to apply is July 25.

Eligible candidates must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or Master’s student at any accredited U.S. four-year college or university. Candidates also must have a major in a business-related discipline, communications, engineering, information technology or public relations with a minimum GPA of 3.0.

For full award consideration, students must complete an application and invite a reference to submit a recommendation online. The application includes an online application form, transcript, resume and required video. The 90-second video should describe activities or programs you believe would be effective in conveying career opportunities at NASCAR to students on your campus or effective aspects of promoting NASCAR to a diverse audience. 

Scholarships will be awarded to selected recipients for the 2018-19 school year. 

For more information and to apply for this scholarship, please visit UNCF.org.