Students Relish Opportunity to Cover NASCAR Championships

Students from Florida Memorial Univeristy attended the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championships in Homestead, Fla., on November 18 and 19. The National Association of Black Journalists student chapter had the opportunity to cover Ford Championship Weekend and interact with drivers, pit crew members and fans.

Six Drivers Tabbed to Compete For Rev Racing Next Season

Official Release
November 7, 2017 – 2:10pm

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The youngest NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series champion. The youngest driver to win four Trans-Am championships. And the 2016 Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award winner.

As evidenced by the six drivers announced as part of the 2018 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Development Team, the roster for next year is stacked with emerging young talent ready to make their mark in the sport. The drivers represent a cross-section of backgrounds – both in terms of heritage and driving disciplines – and all share a common goal: To reach the highest levels of NASCAR.

“What we’re seeing with these six drivers is a group of very talented racers who have shown the ability on and off the track to excel at the next level,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “With an increased focus on seat time and competition among the drivers, we’re looking forward to watching them perform next season.”

“We are thrilled with the level of talent that applied for the program, were invited to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine and, ultimately, the six who were selected to drive for Rev Racing in 2018,” said Max Siegel, CEO of Rev Racing. “As we’ve seen the program evolve over the years and produce wins and champions, and help elevate drivers such as Daniel Suárez, Kyle Larson and Darrell Wallace Jr. to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, these drivers have the ability and potential to carry that legacy forward.”

The 2018 NASCAR Drive for Diversity roster includes a pair of drivers who have been part of the NASCAR Next program, an industry initiative designed to spotlight the sport’s rising stars.

The new class features the following drivers:

• Chase Cabre, 20, Tampa, Florida. Cabre finished sixth in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship standings and was runner-up for Sunoco Rookie of the Year. He won the 21 Means 21 Pole Award twice and recorded four top-five finishes. He will return to compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and will also race a Late Model in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.

• Ernie Francis Jr., 19, Dania, Florida. Francis has already locked up his fourth Trans Am Series championship, becoming the youngest driver in series history to do so. He has 32 Trans Am Series wins – the most in series history – and 15 Pirelli World Challenge victories. Francis will be a development driver with Rev Racing, running road-course events in the K&N Pro Series East and select Late Model events, as well as testing, as he transitions to oval-track racing.

• Rubén García Jr., 21, Mexico City, Mexico. García will return to Rev Racing for his third season. The 2015 NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series champion finished fifth in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East this year and is third in the PEAK Mexico Series standings with one race remaining. The NASCAR Next graduate will join Cabre in the K&N Pro East in addition to racing in the Late Model.

• Nick Sanchez, 16, Homestead, Florida. Sanchez finished fifth in the 10-race Bojangles Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Rev Racing’s Legends Car program last year, and will move up to the team’s full-time Late Model in 2018. Sanchez had a win among five podium finishes in the Summer Shootout.

• Ryan Vargas, 17, La Mirada, California. Vargas won the Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award in 2016 as the highest finishing multicultural or female driver in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division I. He was runner-up for NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Josten’s Rookie of the Year for California in 2016 while racing at Irwindale and Bakersfield’s Kern County Raceway Park and the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This season, he scored a pair of wins this year to finish third in the state standings and 16th in the national standings. Vargas will drive in the third full-time K&N Pro Series East car and also race in the Late Model.

• Isabella Robusto, 13, Fort Mill, South Carolina. Robusto will anchor Rev Racing’s Youth Driver Program as she returns to the team to drive in the Legends car. Robusto will be one of four youth development drivers, with the remaining three to be announced at a later date. She was third overall at the Bandolero Winter Nationals and was the South Carolina Legends Young Lions champion in 2016 and was third overall in points in the Bojangles Summer Shootout Series in 2015.

NASCAR Drive for Diversity aligns drivers with a team of executives, athletic directors, crew chiefs and mentors tasked with helping them achieve career successes, and thus improving their goal of reaching one of the three NASCAR national series.

The 2017 NASCAR season was another banner year for NASCAR Drive for Diversity alumni, as three graduates made a major impact at the sport’s highest level.

Kyle Larson earned four wins to establish his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team as a force in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. A contender for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors, Daniel Suárez this year became the first Mexican-born driver to compete full-time in the sport’s premier series, and in February raced in his first DAYTONA 500. Last month, Darrell Wallace Jr. was announced as the new driver of Richard Petty Motorsports’ iconic No. 43 Ford for the 2018 season.

Four Students Awarded $20,000 in Total Scholarships; Treated to VIP Race Experience at the Texas Motor Speedway

Daytona, Beach, Fla. – Four students were recognized for their accomplishment in technology and innovation as NASCAR and Chevrolet announced the winners of the third annual NASCAR Chevrolet Diversity Scholarship Contest Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.

Four undergraduate students from across the country were awarded a total of $20,000 in scholarships and treated to a VIP experience at Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Sprint Cup race, the AAA Texas 500. The winners were recognized in a press conference prior to the race.

The contest challenged students to identify a technology or innovation within NASCAR, then explain how Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) professionals came to its design in 90-second videos. Video submissions were judged on technical accuracy, creativity and production quality.

Cindy Yen, a sophomore at the University of Southern California, from Santa Monica, California, earned first place and a $10,000 scholarship.

University of Notre Dame freshman Weston Dell, from Frankfort, Illinois, won $5,000. University of Houston student Nima Desai from Houston, Texas, and Broward College freshman Nicole Forero, from Coral Springs, Florida, were awarded third and fourth place, respectively, earning $2,500 scholarships each.

“NASCAR is proud to work with Chevrolet and continue our longstanding commitment to STEM education by recognizing these tremendous students,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “These four students were recognized from an outstanding pool of candidates, and it’s a testament to the continued engagement of students in the pursuit of science and technology careers in our sport.”

“It’s an exciting time in the STEM field with the advancement of technology,” said Ken Barrett, chief diversity officer for General Motors. “At GM, we celebrate unique perspectives propelled by diversity and champion innovative ideas; Ideas that change the automotive industry and the world.”

Before taking in the AAA Texas 500, the students had the chance to meet with 2017 NASCAR playoff drivers Jamie McMurray of Chip Ganassi Racing and Ryan Newman with Richard Childress Racing. Newman graduated from Purdue University with an engineering degree. The VIP experience also included pace car rides, garage and pit road tour, and a meet-and-greet with Chevrolet’s Monster Energy NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Program Manager Alba Colon.

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 Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Journalists from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill attended the NASCAR Xfinity Series Drive for the Cure 300 in Charlotte, N. C., on October 7. The Carolina Association of Black Journalists student chapter had the opportunity to interact with race officials, drivers, pit crew members and executives during their first NASCAR race experience.

Weather Doesn’t Dampen Evaluation Process, Though

NEW SMYRNA, Fla. — Heavy rains overnight and throughout the morning combined with track conditions in the afternoon to wash out Day 3 of the 2017 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine presented by Honda Generators. The 12 participants competing for a spot on the 2018 Rev Racing roster were slated to take laps in the team’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series cars. The early end to the session, however, did not adversely affect the evaluation process.

Drivers took part in media and physical assessment at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona on Monday, and each of them got two sessions in a Late Model Stock Car Tuesday at New Smyrna Speedway.

“This has been probably our most talented group of drivers we’ve brought to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine,” said Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR manager of racing operations & event management. “Each driver really stepped up both off the track and on the track. We had two great days of evaluation.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get on track on the third day, but based on the body of work we’ve seen, we feel we’re at a point to make a decision on who we’re going select for next year.”

The first two days were comparable to the experience of previous NASCAR Drive For Diversity Combines. The additional day of testing, in the K&N Pro Series cars, was scheduled to be a new addition this season to provide another layer of data; until inclement weather changed those plans.

As part of the evolution of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, though, the enhanced focus the overall driver profile means Monday’s off-track evaluations will factor more into the 2018 roster than in the past. The team is also looking at increase in seat time to ramp up the competition next season.

To that end, a smaller pool of 12 participants were invited to the tryout, out of which four will be selected for the 2018 Rev Racing team. Three of those drivers will race full-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, while also running full-time in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series in a Late Model – totaling more than 30 races next season. In addition, the fourth driver will compete full-time in the Late Model program and serve as an alternate for the K&N Pro Series program.

It also meant that current Rev Racing drivers who were invited were also part of the on-track testing, which was new this year.

One of those drivers looking to reclaim a spot with Rev Racing is Ruben Garcia Jr. The 2015 NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series champion, Garcia has driven for Rev Racing in the K&N Pro Series each of the last two years. He finished fifth in the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship points.

“Seat time, especially for those of us trying to get up in the ranks, is the most important thing,” said Garcia. “I think it’s a great step for the program. I’m actually really, really excited and hoping I can get back into the program to be able to get that seat time. I think it’s a great, great opportunity for us.”

Garcia is one of two drivers from the NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series who were invited to the combine. He was joined in New Smyrna by Fabian Welter, as they look to follow in the path paved by 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion and current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suarez, who got his start in NASCAR Mexico. Welter has already clinched the championship for the NASCAR PEAK Mexico Challenge Series — the second level for NASCAR in Mexico — with a race remaining.

“The base is very similar,” said Garcia when asked to compare the K&N Pro cars to the ones in Mexico. “A K&N car is kind of like a NASCAR Mexico car on steroids: It’s bigger, heavier, way more horsepower. It has more variables set-up wise, so more things you need to think about while you’re practicing.”

For a driver, though, Garcia said, they still have one important thing in common: “They’re still stock cars with a V8 engine.”

In addition to being sponsored by Honda Generators, the Combine received sponsorship support from partners AiM Tech, Bethune-Cookman, Five Star Race Car Bodies, M2 Promotions, Perry’s Ocean Edge Resort in Daytona Beach, and Sunoco.

In an expanded role for next year, Rev Racing will also select an additional four youth drivers at a future combine. Those drivers will participate in the organization’s expanded Legends and Bandoleros program next season. This past season, Rev Racing had two Legends cars in the Bojangles Summer Shootout. The team will also provide several driver development test sessions in its Late Model at Langley Speedway in Virginia and New Smyrna during the 2018 race season for prospective multicultural and female drivers.

2017 NASCAR Drive For Diversity Combine Drivers:

Returnees & Newcomers Via For Spots With Rev Racing

NEW SMYRNA, Fla. — After a day of media training and physical assessment, the 12 drivers participating in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine presented by Honda Generators finally got on track Tuesday. But not without a little extra waiting for the rain to clear at New Smyrna Speedway.

Once the clouds moved away and the track was dry, the drivers were quick to get on the gas to show off their skills around the banked half-mile short track. The drivers took turns with two 10-lap sessions apiece in one of three Late Models, which were identically prepared by Rev Racing. Competition officials from NASCAR and Rev Racing evaluated them on their times, as well as their feedback and consistency throughout their runs.\.

“It was amazing,” said 16-year-old Ryan Vargas, who is coming off a season where he finished third in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series California standings. “To be here and take what I learned and apply it today is really big step for me.

“I’ve been saying it all weekend. I’m more excited than I am nervous. I know in the end, there’s four spots available and we all have the same opportunity to get those spots. I’m just hoping I show with my dedication and my consistency on track that I am worthy.”

NASCAR.com’s Holly Cain: Excitement aplenty at the NASCAR Drive for Diversity combine

As part of the evolution of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, which will feature an enhanced focus on seat time to increase competition at the combine and on the track next season, this week has had a little different look than year’s past. Twelve participants were invited to the three-day tryout, out of which four will be selected for the 2018 Rev Racing team. Three of those drivers will race full-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, while also running full-time in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series in a Late Model – totaling more than 30 races next season. In addition, the fourth driver will compete full-time in the Late Model program and serve as an alternate for the K&N Pro Series program.

“The talent pool is deep and as the years progressed, we wanted to make sure we continued to upgrade and improve the support we give the drivers,” said Max Siegel, CEO of Rev Racing. “We’re having more in-depth evaluation on track in both Late Model and K&N Pro Series cars, physical assessment and off-track evaluation, and even restructuring the composition of the team for next year.”

Since 2010, Rev Racing has managed the NASCAR Drive for Diversity team. It’s compiled 17 wins among six different drivers and produced national series race winners Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez and Darrell Wallace Jr. Earlier this year, Rev Racing’s Macy Causey became the first female driver in the 61-year history of South Boston Speedway to win a Late Model Stock Car feature.

One of the other differences at this year’s Combine, the current Rev Racing drivers who were invited were also part of the on-track testing.

“Having a whole season under my belt with Rev Racing and knowing how calm they are and that they just want us to do the best we can do,” said Causey, “I’m excited to get back in the Late Model car and see if I can improve my time a little bit.”

“For me, I do think of it in the back of my mind, it is like I’m re-trying out all over again — they’re evaluating everybody. I don’t really try to let it get to me. I try to do the best I can do and work with what I’ve got and see how it turns out.”

The on-track assessment will continue on Wednesday, as the drivers will test in NASCAR K&N Pro Series cars under a similar format.

Wednesday’s testing will also be streamed live on FansChoice.TV.

In addition to being sponsored by Honda Generators, the Combine received sponsorship support from partners AiM Tech, Bethune-Cookman, Five Star Race Car Bodies, M2 Promotions, Perry’s Ocean Edge Resort in Daytona Beach, and Sunoco.

In an expanded role for next year, Rev Racing will also select an additional four youth drivers at a future combine. Those drivers will participate in the organization’s expanded Legends and Bandoleros program next season. This past season, Rev Racing had two Legends cars in the Bojangles Summer Shootout. The team will also provide several driver development test sessions in its Late Model at Langley Speedway in Virginia and New Smyrna during the 2018 race season for prospective multicultural and female drivers.

2017 NASCAR Drive For Diversity Combine Drivers:

Off-Track Assessment Prepares Drivers To Get On Track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Twelve drivers arrived in Florida, champing at the bit to get behind the wheel and show their talents at the 2017 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine presented by Honda Generators. But before they could put the cars in gear, they were put through a battery of tests designed to evaluate their off-track preparation and skills that will be equally invaluable to their dreams of moving up the NASCAR ladder.

The drivers were put through a series of stations at Bethune-Cookman University to evaluate their skills in different media settings as well as a physical training assessment.

“Driving a race car is a physical moment: You need upper-body strength, you need hand-eye coordination, but mainly you need muscle endurance,” said Phil Horton, who oversees the physical training program with Rev Racing. “You drive a car for three and a half hours and there doesn’t look like there are a lot of strenuous movements there. But you’re holding a steering wheel all day. In order to have muscle endurance, you first need to have muscle strength.”

Fans are seeing more drivers active on different areas outside of racing, whether it’s Jimmie Johnson running triathlons or Dale Earnhardt Jr. posting recaps of his long weekend bike rides via the Relive app. That’s trickled down to the younger drivers like Chase Elliott and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who’ve incorporated cycling or Crossfit into their daily routines.

“The mental toughness of being in shape is important — one of the things we’re looking for is their work ethic,” said Horton. “You need to get in the gym early in the morning. You need to do those situps, you need to do those pushups, you need to lift those weights. Not necessarily like athletes in other sports. But just do them on a consistent basis. Without that fitness part of it, you’re doing something every day that’s preparing you to be a driver.”

Both the combine and the team will feature an enhanced focus on seat time to increase competition at the combine and on the track next season. Since 2010, Rev Racing has managed the NASCAR Drive for Diversity team. It’s compiled 17 wins among six different drivers and produced national series race winners Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez and Darrell Wallace Jr. Earlier this year, Rev Racing’s Macy Causey became the first female driver in the 61-year history of South Boston Speedway to win a Late Model Stock Car feature.

Ernie Francis Jr. is second-generation driver who is getting his first taste of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine. A multi-time champion in Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli, the 19-year-old from south Florida is looking to make a good impression.

“It’s something new for me; I come from a road-racing background,” said Ernie Francis Jr. “I’m used to a lot of the media stuff with everything I’ve done in my career. But some of the NASCAR stuff they do, I’m not too used to right now.

“The physical assessment, I’m a pretty active driver and try to stay physically fit with some of the endurance races I do. I think I’ll do all right here and we’ll see how it goes tomorrow when I get on track.”

In addition to their time with Horton, the drivers also participated in mock press conference panels as well as conducted one-on-one interviews with Bethune-Cookman’s radio station, WRWS-LPFM 99.1. They also took a version of the Wunderlich, specifically designed from a driver attribute standpoint. The test will help with the overall evaluation of the drivers for selection. It will also be utilized to help Rev Racing determine the crew chief pairings for the 2018 season and overall team dynamic.

The NASCAR Drive for Diversity competitors are scheduled to test at New Smyrna Speedway on Tuesday in a Late Model Stock Car and Wednesday in a NASCAR K&N Pro Series car.

In addition to being sponsored by Honda Generators, the Combine received sponsorship support from partners AiM Tech, Bethune-Cookman, Five Star Race Car Bodies, M2 Promotions, Perry’s Ocean Edge Resort in Daytona Beach, and Sunoco.

From the 12 combine participants, four will be selected for the 2018 season. Three of those drivers will race full-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, while also running full-time in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series in a Late Model – totaling more than 30 races next season. In addition, the fourth driver will compete full-time in the Late Model program and serve as an alternate for the K&N Pro Series program.

In an expanded role for next year, Rev Racing will also select an additional four youth drivers at a future combine. Those drivers will participate in the organization’s expanded Legends and Bandoleros program next season. This past season, Rev Racing had two Legends cars in the Bojangles Summer Shootout. The team will also provide several driver development test sessions in its Late Model at Langley Speedway in Virginia and New Smyrna during the 2018 race season for prospective multicultural and female drivers.

2017 NASCAR Drive For Diversity Combine Drivers:

Six Students Selected for Internship Program

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Twenty-eight talented collegiate students from across the country participated in the 2017 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP). Among the stand-outs are current and former students who have attended HBCUs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Cabrell Cooper, Dejah Gilliam, Gregory Carty, Kenneth Lee, Precious Makuyana, and Ronald Alexander. These students hail from five different HBCUs – Delaware State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Winston-Salem State University, Tuskegee University, and Florida A&M University respectively.

The group has a plethora of talent spread across various departments and partners throughout the NASCAR industry including NASCAR Productions, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications, Roush Fenway Racing, The NASCAR Foundation and International Speedway Corporation.

Cabrell Cooper

Cooper is a recent graduate of Delaware State University where he obtained a degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in TV & Film. He has substantial background in multimedia journalism as a student government photographer at Delaware State. His participation in the 2016 NASCAR Opinion Leader Program at Dover International Speedway led him to create compelling content about the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program and other multicultural development initiatives. He is currently interning in Charlotte with the NASCAR Productions Engineering team.

Dejah Gilliam

Gilliam completed her undergraduate degree at Johnson C. Smith University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She has had several internship opportunities in the world of sports including working with the CIAA Basketball Tournament and the Buffalo Bills. She is currently interning in the Charlotte office with NASCAR’s Integrated Marketing Communications team.

Gregory Carty

Carty completed his undergraduate degree at Winston-Salem State University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management. He is now enrolled at Old Dominion University pursuing his Master of Arts degree in Sports Management. In his third year of participating in the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program, Carty currently interns with Roush Fenway Racing in Concord, NC. Carty previously worked with NASCAR Industry Services and NASCAR Licensing.

Kenneth Lee

Lee completed his undergraduate degree at Tuskegee University as one of four graduates to obtain a degree in Communications, the first graduates of that degree program. He has had several opportunities in sports media ranging from being the sports writer for Tuskegee’s Campus Digest to Tuskegee Athletic Communications gameday assistant. He is interning with The NASCAR Foundation in Marketing and Communications.

Precious Makuyana

Makuyana is currently attending Florida A&M University College of Law where she is in pursuit of her Juris Doctorate degree. As the International Speedway Corporation legal intern, Makuyana works on corporate contracts, risk analysis and various research projects. The Zimbabwe native has interned at several agencies and legal firms and hopes to work in motorsports full-time after completing her law program.

Ronald Alexander

Alexander recently graduated from Winston-Salem State University where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sports Management. He has had several opportunities in the realm of sports management ranging from a Sports Marketing Internship at Wake Forest to being a gameday assistant at Winston-Salem State University. He is currently interning with the International Speedway Corporation in the Partnership Sales and Marketing department.

NASCAR’s 10-week paid internship offers college students from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to gain hands-on experience within their fields of study and has led to full-time employment with NASCAR and partnering organizations. Gaining access to bright students, like the record six HBCU students, is a testament to the multicultural development at NASCAR and has been instrumental in the success of the NDIP program. Applications for the 2018 internship open on October 13, 2017 at www.nascardiversity.com.

Five Student-Athletes Selected for Diversity Program

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Five of the 28 students selected for this year’s NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) are current or former collegiate athletes from across the country. This talented group of students, both on and off the field, participate in the 10-week, paid internship that targets multicultural undergraduate and graduate students interested in the motorsport industry.

The student-athletes selected demonstrate high academic and athletic standing in their respective schools and teams. The athletes are currently interning within various departments of NASCAR and industry partners such as: International Speedway Corporation, Toyota Automotive Technology and Watkins Glen International.

Bria Dixon: Soccer

Bria Dixon (Cary, N.C.) is a recent graduate of Virginia Tech where she obtained a Public Relations degree. Dixon, a member of the Virginia Tech Women’s Soccer Team all four years, reached the 2013 NCAA College Cup as a Final Four semifinalist. She was selected to the ACC’s Academic Honor Roll every year she was with the team. She currently interns with NASCAR’s Weekly and Touring series where she assists in day-to-day operations and event marketing services for the regional series. After the internship, Dixon hopes to land a full-time job within the sports industry.

Monica Matias: Tennis

Monica Matias (Moca, Puerto Rico), is a Human Communications rising senior at the University of Central Florida, and a two-time AAC All-Conference Tennis player for the UCF Knights. During the 2014-15 season she posted a 26-5 singles record, tying for the second-highest win total in school history. In addition, she is a three-time UCF Knights Tennis Team MVP and a three-time member of the Puerto Rico National Tennis Team. During the summer, Matias served as the ISC Public Affairs intern where she assisted with the day-to-day operations for her department. After the internship, she plans to complete her degree at UCF and continue on to graduate school.

Cambric Moye: Baseball 

Cambric Moye (Goldsboro, N.C.), an Information Systems/Supply Chain Management major, played baseball at UNC-Greensboro from 2010-2013. During his time there, Moye’s talent caught the eye of professional scouts and was selected in the 30th round of the 2013 MLB Draft. The former UNCG standout played two seasons for the Los Angeles Angels’ Minor League team and was assigned for Spring Training with the Colorado Rockies. Today, Moye is a student and assistant baseball coach at UNCG while pursuing his degree. This summer, he is serving as the Toyota Logistics intern in Kentucky and hopes to land a full-time job with the company in the near future.

Justin Pintak: Soccer

Justin Pintak (Pullman, Wash.) is a rising senior at Ithaca College where he is pursuing an Integrated Marketing Communications degree with a minor in sports and legal studies. He is a member of the Men’s Varsity Soccer Team where he will serve as team captain for the 2017 season. Pintak, who shares alma mater with former NDIP intern and current NASCAR manager of Racing Operations and Event Management, Jusan Hamilton, serves as the Marketing intern for Watkins Glen International. After the internship, Justin will go back to school to complete his final year before searching for full-time employment.

Zane Smith: Football

Zane Smith (Southlake, Texas), a Mechanical Engineer major at Southern Methodist University, played linebacker for the SMU Mustangs for three seasons. While being part of the team, Smith earned Special Teams Player of the Week awards, SMU Athletics Academic Honor Role and was known for actively working on engineering homework on plane rides to away games. In addition to being a football standout, Smith is a motorscross racer in his spare time. This summer, he will be serving as an engineering intern for Toyota in Plano, Texas. After the internship, the Texas native would like to find a full-time engineering job with a NASCAR team.

For additional information on these student-athletes and/or the 2017 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program, please contact Lauren Houston at [email protected].