Posted on by Emily Bradley

Students Complete Annual Service Project

The NASCAR Diversity Interns participated in the program’s fourth, annual community service project as part of their internship experience Saturday. The interns both in Daytona Beach and Charlotte offices volunteered with their respective Habitat for Humanity ReStore centers. The teams had an impactful day preparing for the future home-building projects for locals.

The interns embraced the importance of giving back and working as a team. Bria Dixon, the Weekly and Touring department intern in the Daytona Beach office commented on her involvement.

“This experience is very rewarding,” she said. “We are able to see our work and the donations of others influence the people in need. I highly encourage others to participate with Habitat for Humanity in the future.”

Serving the community is an integral part of the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program. Contributing both in and outside of the office makes this sports summer internship unlike many others.

About Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization that focuses on building affordable homes both national and internationally. An organization that serves communities around the globe, Habitat for Humanity makes it possible for people of all walks of life to live comfortably.

For more information on how to get involved with your local Habitat for Humanity chapter, visit www.habitat.org.

Posted on by Emily Bradley

Partners Contribute to Program Expansion

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Twenty-eight students embarked on, what was for many, their first motorsports internship during the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star race weekend in May. This year’s NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) class is the largest since 2004. Much of the growth and success of the 10-week, paid, summer internship program is due, in part, to the steady increase in industry participation.

The 2017 NDIP class kicked off its internship experience with an all-inclusive, three-day orientation during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, Monster Energy Showdown and Monster Energy All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The orientation experience provided an exclusive look at how partners, sponsors, teams and stakeholders play an integral role each NASCAR race weekend.

Throughout the internship, the students contribute to the industry and gain experience working in marketing, engineering, public relations, licensing, diversity and public affairs. They also have the opportunity to learn from leading motorsports executives in weekly lunch-and-learn sessions and networking events with professionals across the industry.

Returning partners Toyota, Roush Fenway Racing, Rev Racing, Pocono Raceway and International Speedway Corporation ushered in new partners Watkins Glenn International and Richard Childress Racing. Continued support and participation from such partners solidifies the role of NDIP as a pipeline for employment across the motorsports industry.

Felix Santana, a former Toyota engineering intern, was hired on as an automotive technology trainee and promoted to product quality engineer after his NDIP internship with the global automobile company in 2016. Another 2016 NDIP intern with Pocono Raceway, Antonio Russo, was hired on as an account executive for NASCAR Hispanic Marketing in the fall. These success stories are only two of hundreds of others that have found full-time employment upon completion of NDIP.

2017 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program Partners and Interns:

International Speedway Corporation, Finance: Sarah Torres

Sarah Torres is an upcoming senior at Pennsylvania State University pursuing a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting at the Smeal College of Business. Torres is the Accounting and Finance Department intern at ISC (International Speedway Corporation), a sister company to NASCAR. After the internship, Torres plans obtaining her undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State and hopes of traveling the world someday.

International Speedway Corporation, Legal: Precious Makuyana

Precious Makuyana is a Law student at Florida A&M University College of Law. She participates in numerous organizations on campus such as Marshall Bell Law Society, Christian Legal Society and the American Constitution Society. Makuyana is the legal department intern at International Speedway Corporation. After her internship, she plans on pursuing a career as a corporate lawyer with a focus on Contracts Administration and Negotiation.

International Speedway Corporation, Partnership Marketing: Ronald Alexander

Ronald Alexander is a recent graduate from Winston-Salem State University where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sports Management. Alexander is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and has had previous experience as the Sports Marketing intern for Wake Forest University. Alexander is the Partnership Sales and Marketing intern at the International Speedway Corporation. He hopes to gain a full-time role with the company and one day create his own sports management agency.

Rev Racing, Public Relations and Marketing: Shawn Meachem

Shawn Meachem is a recent graduate of Johnson C. Smith University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sports Management. She was a member of various organizations and honors societies on campus. Meachem gained experience in her field as an intern for her university’s athletic department. She is also a mother of twin girls. Meachem is an intern with Rev Racing and hopes to gain a full-time role in the sports industry and pursue a graduate degree soon after.

Richard Childress Racing, Marketing: Marisa Biggins

Marisa Biggins is a Masters of Business Administration candidate at the University of Oregon. She has seven years of experience as an NCAA Compliance officer at the George Mason University, Hofstra University and Colonial Athletic Association. She is currently utilizing her skills and knowledge during her internship with partner company, Richard Childress Racing. With plans of completing her final year of her MBA program, Marisa has dreams of working at Roc Nation and eventually starting a business working with professional athletes to help them transition into a post pro-athlete career.

Roush Fenway Racing, Licensing: Greg Carty

Gregory Carty is a graduate student at Old Dominion University pursuing his Masters of Education in Sports Management. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and has served as the student manager for the Wake Forest University Football team. This is his third year participating in NDIP – he interned with NASCAR Industry Services in 2014 and with the NASCAR Licensing team in 2016. Carty is currently a Roush Fenway Racing licensing intern. Upon completing his graduate program this fall, Carty plans to pursue a full-time career with NASCAR.

Pocono Raceway, Public Relations and Marketing: Catherine Rivera Chardon

Catherine Rivera-Chardon is an upcoming senior at the Pennsylvania State University where she is working on obtaining a degree in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Theatre. Catherine is involved in many on-campus organizations, such as The Daily Collegian and The Collegiate Review. She is currently utilizing her skill sets in the intern role for Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania. After the internship, Catherine will continue her education and hopes to gain more experience in the communication field in hopes of one day working full-time at NASCAR.

Toyota, Engineering: Zane Smith

Zane Smith is a Mechanical Engineering student at Southern Methodist University and is currently and intern in Toyota’s Engineering department. Smith is part of his university’s football team and has an impressive list of accomplishments including his participation in the Formula SAE Race Car Build and becoming part of the Athletics Academic Honor Role. Smith has also interned at the BNSF Railway Company as the Operational Management Intern and plans to use his engineering knowledge in a career that involves vehicles. After his internship, Smith will pursue a full-time role in NASCAR’s Engineering department.

Toyota, Information Systems: Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee is an Information Technology and Systems student at the University of Texas in Dallas. He is a member of Lambda Phi Epsilon International Fraternity, Inc. and has had notable internship experiences with companies such as IBM. He is currently interning in Toyota’s Information Systems department. He plans on continuing his internship with Toyota during his final semester with hopes of gaining a full-time role. Lee’s dream job is to eventually become the CEO of a company or an entrepreneur.

Toyota, Supply Chain and Logistics: Cambric Moye

Cambric Moye is a graduate of the University of North Caroline at Greensboro with a degree in Information Systems and Supply Chain Management. Moye has had several internship experiences including a summer internship with the Logistics department for Glen Raven, Inc. He is currently based in Kentucky where he works in the supply chain and logistics department of Toyota. After his internship, Moye hopes to pursue a career with Toyota within the Supply Chain Trainee Program in hopes of one day becoming a Supply Chain manager.

Watkins Glenn International, Marketing: Justin Pintak 

Justin Pintak is student at Ithaca College majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications and minoring in Sports and Legal Studies. Pintak has previously interned with the Seattle Hawks and has worked with the Skyhawk Sports Academy serving various roles in the sports industry. Pintak is also a member of the Ithaca College Varsity soccer team. He is using his experience and knowledge this summer interning with partner company, Watkins Glenn International in the marketing department. After his internship, Justin is looking forward to graduating in 2018 with hopes of landing a full-time role in the sports industry.

Posted on by NASCAR Official Release

RELATED: Jeff Gordon headlines new Class of 2019 nominees

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 6, 2018) — NASCAR today announced the 20 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019, as well as the five nominees for the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

The list includes five first-time NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees, representing different facets of NASCAR racing, all of whom influenced the sport throughout their brilliant careers.

Included among the list of new nominees is a four-time champion (Jeff Gordon), a pair of owners who teamed to build a two-time championship winning organization (John Holman and Ralph Moody), a four-time championship winning crew chief (Kirk Shelmerdine) and a driver whose excellence spanned two decades and two series (Harry Gant). For a full list of nominees, please see below.

MORE: Photos: Nominees for NASCAR Hall’s Class of 2019

The nominees were selected by a nominating committee consisting of representatives from NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks and the media. The committee’s votes were tabulated by accounting firm EY.

From the list of 20 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees, five inductees will be elected by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, which includes a nationwide fan vote on NASCAR.com. Voting Day for the 2019 class will be Wednesday, May 23.

RELATED: Members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Added to this year’s list of Landmark Award nominees are Barney Hall and Jim Hunter. Three nominees return for the Landmark Award: Ralph Seagraves, Janet Guthrie and Alvin Hawkins (more on each below). Potential Landmark Award recipients include competitors or those working in the sport as a member of a racing organization, track facility, race team, sponsor, media partner or being a general ambassador for the sport through a professional or non-professional role. Award winners remain eligible for NHOF enshrinement.

Following are the 20 nominees for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, listed alphabetically:

• Davey Allison, won 19 times in NASCAR’s premier (now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup) series, including the 1992 Daytona 500

• Buddy Baker, won 19 times in NASCAR’s premier series, including the Daytona 500 and Southern 500

• Red Farmer, three-time Late Model Sportsman champion; 1956 Modified champion

• Ray Fox, legendary engine builder, crew chief and car owner

• Harry Gant, winner of 18 NASCAR premier series races, including two Southern 500 victories

• Joe Gibbs, combined for nine car owner championships in premier and XFINITY series

• Jeff Gordon, four-time champion and winner of 93 NASCAR premier series races

• John Holman, won two NASCAR premier series championships as co-owner of Holman-Moody Racing

• Harry Hyde, 1970 NASCAR premier series championship crew chief

• Alan Kulwicki, 1992 NASCAR premier series champion

• Bobby Labonte, won a championship in both the premier series and XFINITY Series

• Hershel McGriff, 1986 NASCAR west series champion

• Ralph Moody, won two NASCAR premier series championships as co-owner of Holman-Moody Racing

• Roger Penske, combined for four car owner championships in premier and XFINITY series

• Larry Phillips, only five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion

• Jack Roush, five-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series

• Ricky Rudd, won 23 times in NASCAR’s premier series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400

• Kirk Shelmerdine, winner of four NASCAR premier series championships as a crew chief

• Mike Stefanik, winner of record-tying nine NASCAR championships

• Waddell Wilson, won three NASCAR premier series championships as an engine builder

The five nominees for the Landmark Award, listed alphabetically, are as follows…

• Janet Guthrie, the first female to compete in a NASCAR premier series superspeedway race

• Barney Hall, legendary broadcaster for the Motor Racing Network; namesake of Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence

• Alvin Hawkins, NASCAR’s first flagman; established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium with Bill France Sr.

• Jim Hunter, longtime NASCAR executive and former president of Darlington Raceway

• Ralph Seagraves, formed groundbreaking Winston-NASCAR partnership as executive with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

NASCAR Hall of Fame Nomination Eligibility

• Drivers who have competed in NASCAR for at least 10 years and been retired for two years are eligible for nomination to the NHOF. If extenuating circumstances cause a driver’s eligibility to be in question, NASCAR will review and determine if any adjustments are needed prior to the Nomination Committee Meeting.

• In addition, drivers who have competed for a minimum of 10 years and reached their 55th birthday on or before Dec. 31 of the year prior to the nominating year are immediately eligible for the NHOF.

• Any driver who has competed for 30 or more years in NASCAR competition by Dec. 31 of the year prior to the nominating year is automatically eligible, regardless of age.

• Drivers may continue to compete after reaching any of the aforementioned milestones without compromising eligibility for nomination or induction.

• For non-drivers, individuals must have worked at least 10 years in the NASCAR industry.

• Individuals may also be considered who made significant achievements in the sport, but left the sport early due to a variety of circumstances.

The 24-person Nominating Committee follows …

NOMINATION COMMITTEE

NASCAR Hall of Fame: Executive Director Winston Kelley; Curatorial Affairs Manager Tom Jensen.

NASCAR Officials: Chairman / CEO Brian France; Vice Chairman Jim France; President Brent Dewar; Vice Chairman of NASCAR Mike Helton; Executive Vice President / Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell; Executive Vice President / Chief Global Marketing, Media & Sales Officer Steve Phelps; Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Jill Gregory; Senior Vice President, Competition Scott Miller.

Track Owners/Operators: International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa France Kennedy; Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Marcus Smith; International Speedway Corporation President John Saunders; Holland Motorsports Complex operator Ron Bennett; Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell; West Coast Short Track representative Ken Clapp; Atlanta Motor Speedway President Ed Clark; Rockford Speedway operator Jody Deery; former Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George; Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage; Dover Motorsports CEO Denis McGlynn; Pocono Raceway board of directors member Looie McNally; Bowman Gray Stadium operator Dale Pinilis.

Media: Mike Joy, FOX.

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RELATED: Official NASCAR release

Jeff Gordon joked at December’s NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2018 ceremony that he would ask Dale Jarrett to read his speech if he were to be inducted in the future.

He better get Dale on the phone now: Jeff Gordon highlights the list of five new nominees eligible for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2019. Harry Gant, John Holman, Ralph Moody and Kirk Shelmerdine join Gordon as the list of newest nominees eligible to be voted into the 2019 class.

PHOTOS: New Hall of Fame nominees

The addition of these five brings the total list of nominees to 20 for the 2019 five-member class. Voting is in May.

Esteemed NASCAR broadcaster Barney Hall and NASCAR executive and former Darlington Raceway President Jim Hunter also were announced as the newest nominees for the 2019 Landmark Award.

Gordon hinted at what his composure might be like for a possible induction speech last January, when he accompanied Ray Evernham — his longtime crew chief — during his induction into the Hall’s Class of 2018.

“When I see somebody that means a lot to me that I’m close to, like Ray, start to show a little emotion, that’s when it gets me,” Gordon said. “Then when I hear him say some of the things about me, then … so I don’t know how he did what he did. He did amazing. I’m just terrible at those types of things. I really …  yeah, I don’t even want to think about that.”

Blessed with once-in-a-generation talent and charisma, Jeff Gordon helped take NASCAR from a regional sport to the mainstream.

RELATED: Jeff Gordon’s 93 premier series wins

He began his career racing quarter midgets and sprint cars at a young age in his home state of California, and later in Pittsboro, Indiana, when his family moved there for racing. He ran his first race in the Xfinity Series on Oct. 20, 1990 and his first start in the Monster Energy Series came at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Nov. 15, 1992, which also marked Richard Petty’s final race in the series.

Gordon would catch the eye of team owner Rick Hendrick, who signed Gordon to pilot the No. 24 Chevrolet in the Monster Energy Series beginning in 1993. To steer the No. 24, Hendrick also brought on crew chief Ray Evernham, who revolutionized the modern pit stop with a group of athletes dubbed the Rainbow Warriors.

Evernham, who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January, and Gordon had met at a test at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Sept. 1990. They immediately connected.

“What I saw him do that day at Charlotte with a car that we had that wasn’t that special … and he was quick, I think second-quickest overall that day to Davey Allison, and he did some pretty amazing things,” Evernham said on Jan. 20 at the Hall of Fame ceremony. “The way that he spoke to me, the way that he described what the car was doing, what he needed in the car, I thought to myself, ‘This guy is way too young, that’s not experience. That’s pure talent and ability.’ ”

Gordon won his first premier series race from the pole in the 1994 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In his 23-year career, he notched 93 wins — third highest on the all-time list. Gordon captured his first premier series championship title in 1995 and won three more in 1997, 1998 and 2001. He continues to hold the record for the most restrictor-plate wins (12, one more than Dale Earnhardt) and road-course victories (nine).

In 1998, Gordon led his No. 24 team to a modern era-record 13 wins. Gordon is a three-time Daytona 500 champion and won the Brickyard 400 a record five times.

Charismatic and gifted in front of the camera, he developed one of the sport’s fiercest rivalries with Dale Earnhardt. The confident, youthful Californian served as the foil to the wily, rugged Intimidator.

In January 2015, Gordon announced his retirement from full-time racing after the 2015 season. He began a career as a FOX Sports broadcaster in the booth in 2016 and is an equity partner at Hendrick Motorsports, the only team for which he raced full time in the premier series throughout his storied career.

The other new nominees:

• “Handsome” Harry Gant won 18 premier series races, including the Southern 500 in 1984 and 1991. The North Carolinian also registered 21 wins in the Xfinity Series.

In the five seasons from 1981 through 1985, Gant finished in the top five in points four times, including a runner-up championship finish to Terry Labonte in 1984. His accolades include four consecutive wins in 1991 at age 51.

RELATED: Revisiting Harry Gant’s amazing September 1991 run

• John Holman was considered the mastermind salesman and business manager of the famed Holman-Moody ownership duo. His foresight for the business aspect of NASCAR paired with competition-minded Ralph Moody’s mechanical and racing insights formed the foundation of a formidable — and legendary — race team.

Holman-Moody won back-to-back championships from 1968-69 with David Pearson.

• For Massachusetts native Ralph Moody, it all started with a Motel T Ford he built in 1935 and raced on nights and weekends. After driving a tank under the command of General George S. Patton in World War II, he moved to Florida in 1949 so he could race year-round.

Moody won five NASCAR premier series races from 1956-57. The mechanically skilled Moody paired with business-minded John Holman to form Homan-Moody Racing in 1957, forming the foundation of a powerhouse NASCAR team.

• Not many reach the pinnacle of their professions as quickly as Kirk Shelmerdine. At age 25 in 1983, Shelmerdine guided Ricky Rudd to victory at Riverside.

And a scant three years later, he directed Dale Earnhardt to the 1986 premier series championship. More than a flash in the pan, Shelmerdine won four total premier series championships with Earnhardt (1986, ’87, ’90, ’91). Over his 16-year crew chief career with Earnhardt, Rudd, James Hylton and Richard Childress, he won 46 races and posted top-10 finishes in more than half his starts.

Posted on by Emily Bradley

NASCAR Diversity Luncheon held at Daytona 500 Club

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Today NASCAR celebrated the outstanding achievements of ground-breaking individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the advancement of diversity initiatives at the sixth annual NASCAR Diversity Awards Luncheon.

“At the luncheon, we have an opportunity to celebrate a few of the people and organizations whose dedication and commitment are shining examples of our industry understanding the importance of diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our sport,” said Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR vice president of public affairs and multicultural development.” From the competitors on tracks to the employee’s across our offices, NASCAR is more diverse than ever and we have positioned ourselves to place the sport in front of new audiences like never before.”

During a ceremony held at The DAYTONA 500 Club at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR recognized the following individuals and organizations across the industry:

NASCAR Diverse Driver: Kyle Larson
In his first season of NASCAR competition, Kyle Larson – a Japanese-American from Elk Grove, Calif. – raced into the record books in impressive fashion. In 2012, Kyle scored two wins and 12 top 10s in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. He capped his season off with Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors en route to bringing home Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity’s first series championship. Kyle became just the third driver in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East history to capture the championship and Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the same season.

Kyle signed on with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and will make his national series debut this season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series where he has a full-time ride with Turner Scott Motorsports. He has already been to Victory Lane once in 2013 when he won the opening race of the UNOH Battle At The Beach on Monday, Feb. 18.

NASCAR Diverse Crew Member Award: Tesfa Lee
The NASCAR Pit Crew Development Program Presented by Sprint is designed to identify, coach, train and develop minority athletes who possess the skill, ability and attitude to be a successful NASCAR pit crew member. Today’s crew member award winner, Tesfa Lee, exemplifies the desire and talent the program was created to develop.

When Tesfa Lee showed up to the 2009 Combine with very little background in NASCAR the coaching team did not know what to expect. He proved to be a fast learner and in seven months had already started working with a team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Tesfa has followed that up with consistent improvement and has gained excellent experience as part of several championship-winning teams. In 2010, he was part of the Germain Racing team that won the NASCAR Camping World Truck championship with Todd Bodine. Then last year, he was a member on Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s NASCAR Nationwide Series team that won the title for Roush Fenway Racing. In 2013, Tesfa will continue his great work with Roush Fenway as a member of Trevor Bayne’s No. 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup and No. 6 NASCAR Nationwide Series crews.

NASCAR Diversity Internship Program Award: Stacey Houston
Stacey Houston, a senior at Davidson College (N.C.), interned in Charlotte, N.C., with the Market Research Group in the NASCAR Marketing Department. During the course of his internship, Stacey worked on a variety of projects, one of which was the development of a database that allows the department to create more impactful and meaningful questionnaires for the official NASCAR fan council.

Institution Award: Ten80
The Ten80 Student Racing Challenge is a project-based STEM curriculum and annual competition league that provides students with professional development opportunities in related disciplines. Ten80 Student Racing Challenge teams are mini-race teams that compete using a 1:10 scale electric radio-controlled car. This program has helped thousands of students not only develop a passion for NASCAR and motorsports but also to cement their interest in careers based on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

NASCAR Partner Award: Octagon
As the agency of record for several of NASCAR’s key partners including Sprint and Sunoco, Octagon has diligently worked with NASCAR to create and support initiatives that help to expose the sport to new audiences in unique ways. Octagon’s dedication has led the company to annually bring on an intern from the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program, a commitment that has given several minority students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the sport.

NASCAR Young Racer Award: Ryleigh Lemonds
Nine-year-old Ryleigh Lemonds is making her mark as a future driver to watch. During 2012, Ryleigh competed in 29 races and wheeled off 10 wins, 27 top 5s and 29 top 10s, winning on five tracks in three states. Ryleigh’s epic season ended with her winning the Langley Speedway Bandolero Track championship and the 2012 INEX Virginia State Bandolero Bandit championship.

In 2013, Ryleigh will be a developmental driver with Rev Racing, participating in arena racing and driving one of the team’s Bandolero cars at select tracks throughout the southeast.

NASCAR Industry Ambassador: Bryan Sperber
As president of the Phoenix International Raceway, Bryan Sperber sets the strategic direction for one of NASCAR’s most popular tracks. Under Sperber’s leadership, Phoenix International Raceway has become embedded in the local community and continuously seeks to form partnerships with minority organizations such as the Arizona Hispanic Chamber Of Commerce. In 2013, Phoenix International Raceway will host the NASCAR Toyota Series’ inaugural race in the United States, where some of Mexico’s best drivers will compete during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend.

Posted on by Emily Bradley

Wallace, Thomas Honored During Luncheon

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR celebrated the outstanding achievements of ground-breaking individuals and organizations in the area of diversity at the fifth annual NASCAR Diversity Awards Luncheon Wednesday.

“NASCAR, its teams, tracks, sponsors and industry stakeholders are committed to diversity throughout the sport,” said Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR vice president of public affairs and multicultural development. “Coming together to acknowledge the outstanding work of these individuals and organizations gives us the opportunity to heighten awareness of the strides that are being made in the sport.”

At a ceremony held at The Daytona 500 Club at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR recognized the following individuals and organizations across the industry for their outstanding impact:

NASCAR Drive for Diversity Participant: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Wallace, 18, who lives in Concord, N.C., started racing when he was nine years old and has found plenty of success along the way. In 2005, Wallace’s first year of INEX Bandolero division competition, he won 35 of 48 races. The next year he moved up to INEX Legends cars, winning 11 races. He won his first late model race at Franklin County Speedway (Callaway, Va.) in 2008. At just 14, he became the youngest competitor to win a late model race at the historic speedway. Before late models, he raced karts, bandoleros and legend cars, often dominating the competition. In 2009, Wallace was named a development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing. With support from JGR, he competed with his family-operated team in a number of late model events throughout the Southeast. Darrell was a participant in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program in 2009 and 2010 competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.  In 2010, Darrell became the youngest and first African American to win in the K&N Pro Series with his win at Greensville Pickens and scored a second win in New Hampshire to earn the Rookie of the Year Award. Darrell followed up his rookie season with a second-place finish in the K&N Pro Series East standings, winning races in Richmond, Columbus and Dover.

Young Racer Award: Walter Thomas III
Walter Thomas III, 13, is an Indianapolis, Ind., native. Walter’s young racing career began at four years old when he started racing quarter midgets followed by three years in junior dragsters. For the past two years, he has raced in bandoleros where he scored a win in a national qualifier as well as becoming the first African American to win the Outlaw Track Championship at Indianapolis Speedrome. Walter finished 2011 in a legends car where he will continue his racing career this season. Walter’s success and work ethic extends into the classroom, where he is an honor roll student.

NASCAR Diversity Internship Program Award: Perron Jones
An Augusta, Ga., native, Perron is currently enrolled in Georgia Tech University in Atlanta, Ga., where he majors in Computer Science. Perron interned via the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program with the IT department in Daytona Beach, Fla. During his internship, Perron worked in the service call center and wrote a valuable app that saved the department several additional man hours. In addition to his coursework, Perron also runs track at Georgia Tech and recently set a school track and field record in the 60m dash while holding a 3.37 GPA.

Educational Institutional Award: Hampton University
Hampton University is awarded this prestigious honor because of their role in the off-track evaluation of participants at the 2011 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine hosted by Langley Speedway. Both the Sports Managements School and Scripps School of Journalism and Communications participated in key initiatives. Professor Ralph Charlton and his sport management students organized a car show which enhanced awareness for Revolution Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program while promoting and advertising the Combine in the greater Hampton citywide. They also provided facilities to evaluate driver fitness. Professor William “Chris” Leonard’s 43 students from the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications received real-world experience by staging a series of media exercises across multiple campus facilities which covered one-on-one interviews, live group press conferences, at-track coverage and news packages which ran on Air America.

NASCAR Partner Award: International Speedway Corporation
In an effort to increase participation and awareness of the sport among Hispanic fans, the NASCAR Diversity Affairs department partnered with ISC tracks to execute a pilot program entitled “Bienvenidos a NASCAR.” With guidance and support from several ISC tracks (Chicago, Miami and Phoenix), NASCAR increased its targeted Hispanic reach via advertising and promotions, as well as concerts and Spanish language garage QR codes that gave an overview of the sport. The resulting partnership enhanced the at-track experience for Hispanic fans by incorporating culturally relevant touch points throughout the race weekend.

NASCAR Industry Ambassador: Steve deSouza
This year marks Steve deSouza’s 14th year as vice president of NASCAR Nationwide Series operations at Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). Over that time JGR’s NASCAR Nationwide Series operations has grown to include three teams, while the driver development program has flourished under deSouza’s watchful eye that continues to identify many of the sports’ talented young drivers. Through his work in the developmental series, he afforded drivers like Aric Almirola, Marc Davis and Darrell Wallace Jr. the opportunity to compete in the national series as well as providing test opportunities for several other minority drivers. Joe Gibbs Racing has been committed to diversity for years and Steve deSouza has been a key part of their team’s dedication in this area.

Walter Thomas III, 13, of Indianapolis, Ind., was presented the Young Drivers Award during Wednesday’s luncheon. Scott Hunter/NASCAR

Posted on by Emily Bradley

Third Annual Luncheon Spotlights Recipients

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) celebrated the outstanding accomplishments of pioneering individuals and organizations in the area of diversity at the third annual NASCAR Diversity Luncheon Wednesday.

“Teams, tracks, sponsors and other stakeholders play an integral role in our efforts to further diversify our sport,” said Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR’s managing director of public affairs. “The NASCAR Diversity Awards are a small way to say thank you and recognize just a few of those making a difference in creating awareness and opportunity.”

AUDIO OF MIKE HELTON’S OPENING REMARKS

During a ceremony held in the Bill France Room at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR recognized the following individuals and organizations across the industry for their outstanding impact:

Drive for Diversity Participant: Paul Harraka
Harraka, 20, of Wayne, N.J., returns to the Drive for Diversity program for the fifth year in 2010 and will race in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. Harraka, who is of Syrian descent, has a racing resume that extends from go-karts to NASCAR K&N Pro Series cars. Harraka, who began racing at age seven, has won a total of 158 races in all types of race cars. In 2007, Harraka was named All-American Speedway’s NASCAR Late Model Rookie of the Year. In 2008, he won the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Championship when he won 11 times. Last year in his rookie season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, he won the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award while winning two races. He is currently a sophomore at Duke University majoring in public policy.

Young Racer Award: Amber Colvin
Amber Colvin, 16, hails from Tallahassee, Fla. She’s been racing since 2004 in Bandoleros and Legends cars. Amber placed second in the Georgia Winter Points Series in her first season racing Bandoleros. In 2008, she made the switch to Legends cars. In the Legends cars, she had 39 starts, 36 top tens, 24 top fives and six wins. Last year she competed in six races. She’s also been affiliated with the Lyn St. James Driver Development Program.

AUDIO OF AMBER COLVIN INTERVIEW

NASCAR Diversity Internship Program: Arionne Allen
Arionne Allen, 23, of Mauldin, S.C., was an intern last summer in the NASCAR Series Operations department in Daytona Beach where she performed a number of integral duties. She was responsible for everything from the on-track schedule to ensuring all cars participating in racing events had the proper decals for the NASCAR contingency program, and that all decals were within NASCAR guidelines. She was very much on the front line of NASCAR’s business. She also worked very closely with drivers and teams to ensure compliance with NASCAR agreements. Allen currently works for Revolution Racing in Mooresville, N.C.

Educational Institutional Award: NASCAR Technical Institute
The NASCAR Technical Institute was recognized for this award given to a college/university that attracts and trains diverse students for careers in the motorsports industry with a relevant curriculum. NASCAR Technical Institute, a branch of Universal Technical Institute, is the exclusive educational partner of NASCAR located in Mooresville, N.C., Race City, USA. As the first technical training school to officially combine a complete automotive technology training program with NASCAR specific courses, NASCAR Technical Institute addresses the nation’s shortage of automotive technicians by boosting the number of entry-level technicians entering the workforce. Students get hands-on experience in engines and repair, fuel and ignition systems, power trains, brakes, transmissions, electronics and diagnostic equipment. In addition, students are introduced to NASCAR technology, specifically advanced techniques for building and testing NASCAR engines, fabrication and pit crew training.

NASCAR Sponsor: Sunoco, Inc.
“Sunoco is proud to be a supporter of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program,” said Dawn Zimmerman, regional marketing manager for Sunoco, Inc. “The [NASCAR] Combine specifically allows for a new generation of diverse drivers to gain experience not only in racing, but media training, lessons in building self-confidence and the lifestyle that is racing. And we’re especially excited to be fueling the next generation of drivers who will be carrying on the legacy of NASCAR racing.”

Individual Recognition: Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James runs the Lyn St. James Academy, which was established in 1994 through the Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation. The academy is an educational and training program for talented women race drivers who aspire to the professional levels of motorsports. St. James is one of only five women to have qualified for the Indianapolis 500, and became the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year in 1992. “I want to thank NASCAR for this honor and recognition,” said St. James. “ While I’ve been actively working in the area of diversity for many years, I really feel I’m only representing the many partners, such as Ford Racing, Mazda, VW, Goodyear, Pirelli, iRacing, Grand-Am, Rolex, NASCAR and our individual contributors who have enabled us to continue doing our Driver Development Academy and other programs.”

Posted on by Steve Luvender

It’s fun to look at early-season numbers and stats. Usually, they’re hardly an indication of what will really happen throughout the season, but it’s amusing to imagine. Like, one bad race in the first three will totally sink your points position, and one single solid race will make you look like a hero. It’s a luck thing, much like other activities that happen in Las Vegas. Here’s what earned our thumbs-up and thumbs-down in the Entertainment Capital of the World.

RELATED: Full race results | Social buzz: Johnson jabs playfully ay ‘young guys’

Thumbs Up: An attempted pit strategy play

When you don’t regularly contend for solid finishes, you have to get creative.

That’s what Front Row Motorsports did in Stage 1 at Las Vegas Sunday. While most drivers elected to split the 80-lap stage into two 40-lap runs, pitting around Lap 40, Front Row Motorsports drivers Michael McDowell and David Ragan stayed on track — running first and second place — until around Lap 55, when they finally made it to pit road.

If a caution had come out in that window while the duo was out front, it’d likely enjoy the benefit of track position, assuming the entire field would pit under such a caution. You know how well “ifs” and assumptions work in racing.

It didn’t quite work out for Team FRM — McDowell finished last with a mechanical issue, and Ragan finished three laps down in 23rd — but the team can say it led some laps Sunday.

Thumbs up for trying something a little off-the-wall.

Thumbs Down: The word “dramastically”

Early during Sunday’s race coverage, Jeff Gordon said Las Vegas Motor Speedway would change “dramsatically” — we assume that’s a combination of “dramatically” and “drastically” — due to tire wear and the track surface.

While Gordon’s description was quite accurate, with lap times falling off several seconds throughout the course of a green-flag run, the word he used to describe the amount of fall-off was not a word found in most dictionaries.

 

We love you, Jeff Gordon, but thumbs down for making up a new word. Although, it’s better than Darrell Waltrip’s “coopetition.”

Thumbs Up: Paul Menard’s Solid Start

A quiet guy has made some noise in the opening races of 2018. Paul Menard scored his second top-10 finish in three races this season driving for the Wood Brothers. 

To contrast, he scored just three top 10s in all of 2017 driving for Richard Childress Racing. If these solid runs continue to pile up, Menard might find himself in contention for the playoffs. Surely, he’d be so thrilled that he just wouldn’t shut up about it. Chatterbox.

Thumbs up for starting the season on the right note.

Thumbs Down: Another miss for Hendrick Motorsports

Chase Elliott got caught up in a crash Sunday. Jimmie Johnson is 29th in points. (We know, it’s only been three races.) The team has just one lead lap finish this season in twelve total outings — Elliott’s 10th-place run at Atlanta — the organization’s only top-10 finish.

While we’re only one-twelfth of the way through the season, it’s been an uncharacteristic start for Hendrick Motorsports.

Thumbs down for a slow 2018 so far — but if we know Hendrick Motorsports, Jimmie Johnson will win the next six races. It always happens.

Biggest Thumbs Up of the Week: Total domination

214 laps led. Three of three stages. Two victories in a row. More playoff points than everybody else in the field combined. It’s looking like a Kevin Harvick sort of year — so far, at least.

And while we appreciate the free Bloomin’ Onions, Kevin, you only need to score a top 10 for us to benefit. No need to overachieve.

Oh, and we’re headed to Phoenix next week, where Harvick’s won eight times. Prepare the onion fryers.

Well, technically, we’re going to ISM Raceway, where Harvick’s never won, if we’re going by the name of the track alone. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is undefeated at Jeff Gordon Raceway, by that line of thinking.

A 214-laps-of-267-size thumbs-up for The Happy Cactus King Closer.

Posted on by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kevin Harvick’s dominating victory in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was head-turning in its standard of excellence. For NASCAR West Coasters like the Californian Harvick, winning on NASCAR’s Western Swing has become a particular source of pride.

And statistics show, winning happens a lot for the West Coasters on the sport’s Western swing.

This week’s top-three finishers at Vegas, for example, all hail from the region. In addition to Harvick, from Bakersfield, California, runner-up Kyle Busch is a Las Vegas native and third-place finisher Kyle Larson is from Elk Grove, California.

RELATED: Full race results from Las Vegas | Harvick cracks 100 national series wins

Five Monster Energy NASCAR Cup drivers from the West — Harvick, Busch, Larson, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch account for 33 wins at the three #NASCARGoesWest tracks — Las Vegas, ISM Raceway in Phoenix, and Auto Club Speedway in California.

Add another six wins — covering all three venues — if you count in California native, retired four-time champion Jeff Gordon’s work there.

AJ Allmendinger, of Los Gatos, California, hasn’t won yet on the Western Swing, but did earn the pole position at ISM Raceway in 2010 and has two top-10 starts in his last four Auto Club Speedway races. And Phoenix native, Alex Bowman won the pole position at his hometown track in 2016 driving for the sidelined Dale Earnhardt Jr.

With a pair of trophies in three races already this season, Harvick is riding a huge swell of momentum into this week’s TicketGuardian 500 (3:30 ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at ISM Raceway. It is a venue where he has already produced a career-highlight mark on his resume.

He has a series-best eight wins at ISM Raceway and 19 top 10s in 30 starts. He won five of six races between 2013-2016, finishing runner-up in the only race during that stretch that he didn’t win. He hasn’t finished worse than sixth in the last nine ISM Raceway races.

For Harvick, spending time out West is something he particularly looks forward to and this year he’s doing something he’s never done before — competing in a NASCAR K&N West Series race at Kern County Raceway in his native Bakersfield.

RELATED: Race named after Harvick | Full schedule for Phoenix

“To be brutally honest with you I am looking forward to going to race the K&N car more than any of them next Thursday — not because I don’t enjoy what I do here, but because I have never raced at Kern County Raceway in my hometown,” Harvick said last weekend in Las Vegas.

“I like coming to all three of these races because I get to see so many fans and friends. The race of the three weeks that we are out here, the four that I am going to race, the one I am looking forward to the most is the K&N race because it isn’t something I get to do all the time.

“If I had to pick one out of the three (Cup races he is most fond of) I would pick California just because I love the surface and how much the cars wear out the tires and slide around and the multiple grooves and all the things that come with Auto Club Speedway.”

Competing in a sport once traditionally associated with the Southeast, for these West Coast natives, racing in places such as Las Vegas, Phoenix and California has been a chance to shine in front of the fans and supporters who watched them establish themselves and ascend at the local tracks throughout the region.

That those same drivers seem to naturally fare so well “at home” is appreciated by team, by fan and by driver.

A trophy this weekend would surely be welcomed by Californian Jimmie Johnson, the sport’s seven-time champion who hasn’t won a race since last spring. His mark of 26 races since a victory is the longest in his career, albeit a small time frame by any competitive standard. And he’s returning to the land of victory donuts and champagne toasts.

Johnson is second only to Harvick in trophy-hauls and optimism at ISM Raceway with four wins, three pole positions and 20 top-10 finishes in 29 starts at the track. He captured those four victories during a five-race span during the 2007-09 seasons. He has four top-11 showings — and a pole — in the last six races at Phoenix.

If Arizona doesn’t prove to be the place that restores his winning ways, Johnson is the gold standard in his native California, the track where he hoisted his first of 83 trophies. He boasts a series-best six wins at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway and has accumulated 16 top-10 finishes in 23 starts at the track, his last win coming in 2016.

Similarly, the Elk Grove, California, native Larson has proven himself top-shelf at Auto Club Speedway, winning from the pole position there last year. He was runner-up at the track in his first premier series there four years ago.

With the exception of Larson (who was runner-up in the 2017 spring ISM Raceway race), Harvick, Johnson and both Busch brothers have victories at the always tough one-miler. Kyle Busch has finished in the top-five in his last five Phoenix races including runner-up in 2016. His older brother Kurt won at ISM Raceway in 2005 and has top-10 finishes in five of the last seven races there.

At Auto Club Speedway, Kyle Busch has three victories, including back-to-back wins in 2013-14. His older brother Kurt won at California in 2003 and has four top-10s in the last six races there.

The opportunity to compete in front of a “hometown” crowd is something Kyle Busch says he appreciates for competitive and sentimental reasons.

“Everybody hates the time change,” he said. “I use that to my advantage since I think I’m usually on West Coast time, anyway. I still haven’t gotten East Coast time down yet.

“It’s fun for me. It’s a cool atmosphere and the weather is great without the humidity. If it’s hot out, it’s nice and warm. And if it’s cold, it’s a crisp cold.

“It’s still home and I love being out West.”

Posted on by Pat DeCola

MORE: Harvick dominates Las Vegas | Picks up 100th career NASCAR win

Coming into the season, much of the talk — rightly so — was centered around NASCAR’s young talent set to take the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series by storm after big names such as Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have stepped out of their race cars over the past few years.

With drivers like Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Daniel Suarez (the list goes on) making names for themselves at the top level, it’s easy to get excited about the future. Kevin Harvick, 42, took the conversation back into the present the past two weekends, however, winning both Atlanta and Las Vegas in convincing fashion.

Fellow 42-year-old Jimmie Johnson took notice, and playfully threw a jab at the “young guys,” and succinctly summed up his race via emoji.

Another … let’s just say, “not-so-young-guy” … chimed in to offer his congratulations to the 2014 champion.

Despite Harvick’s dominance, two “young guys” in Larson and Blaney both finished in the top five, but the Chip Ganassi Racing driver knows there’s a bit to make up when it comes to catching the No. 4.

Larson — along with Michael Waltrip — also made sure to give props to Matt DiBenedetto after the 26-year-old grinded out a season-best 22nd-place finish.

Kurt Busch, while he didn’t quite enjoy the same success as his victorious SHR teammate, still had a pretty good evening despite crashing out of the race.

MORE: Busch collides with Chase Elliott

And finally, a few other drivers chimed in on their respective races and one thing is clear — they all can’t wait to get to Phoenix for Sunday’s TicketGuardian 500 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX).

Think we all agree on that one!

MORE: Las Vegas takeaways | Full schedule for Phoenix