MILLINGTON, Tenn. — Ruben Garcia Jr. said it has always been his dream to race in NASCAR in the United States. And that thanks to Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity, he got that opportunity.

It hasn’t always been an easy acclimation for the 2015 NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series champion, but the 22-year-old from Mexico City saw the fruits of his perseverance pay off Saturday evening as he scored his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East win.

Garcia jumped to the lead after the Lap 100 break and had the No. 6 Max Siegel Inc. Toyota out front for the final 38 laps en route to claiming the checkered flag in the Memphis 150 presented by Autozone at Memphis International Raceway.

The 22-year-old from Mexico City set a blistering pace over the final third of the race, crossing the finish line .598 seconds ahead of runner-up and series points leader Tyler Ankrum. Ankrum’s DGR-Crosley teammate, Tyler Dippel, finished third.

Garcia is his third full season in the K&N Pro Series. After finishing 10th in points as a rookie 2016, the NASCAR Next alum improved to fifth last year. He finished second at Bristol Motor Speedway and led a race-high 79 laps in the finale at Dover International Speedway, but was still in search of that elusive breakthrough win.

He burns its down.@rubengarcia4 finds his way into #KNEast victory lane for the 1st time.

He captures the #Memphis150 win here @RaceMIR. pic.twitter.com/6BlDw9vBvZ

— NASCAR Home Tracks (@NASCARHomeTrack) June 3, 2018

After qualifying fifth, Garcia spent the first 100 laps bidding his time. He restarted after the second break in eighth, as everybody but race leader Hailie Deegan and her Bill McAnally Racing teammate Derek Kraus elected to pit. When the race resumed, Garcia quickly cut his way to the front. He was up to third by lap 107 and went by Kraus for second a later. He wasted no time in reeling in Ankrum, who had bolted to the lead on the restart.

After grabbing the lead, he stretched it quickly to a half-second within five laps and was able to drive it home from there.

Garcia became the seventh different driver from the NASCAR Drive For Diversity Program to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race and gave Rev Racing, which has fielded the competition team for the program since 2010, its 18th win.

He is the fourth Mexican-born driver to win in the series, following Ruben Pardo (2006), Rogelio Lopez (2007) and three-time series race winner Daniel Suarez (most recently 2014).

Garcia also led a Rev Racing contingent that also finished fourth (Chase Cabre) and seventh (Ryan Vargas).

.@HannahNewhouse with the quick recap of @rubengarcia4‘s breakthrough win Saturday at @RaceMIR pic.twitter.com/v4pMnNuYP3

— NASCAR Home Tracks (@NASCARHomeTrack) June 3, 2018

Ronnie Bassett Jr. finished fifth, followed by his brother Dillon. After Vargas, Colin Garrett, Anthony Alfredo and Marcos Gomes rounded out the top 10.

RACING-REFERENCE: RESULTS | POINTS

Earlier in the day, Ankrum set a track record with his pole qualifying time. His runner-up finish allowed him to bump his championship points lead to 14 over Dippel and 34 over Ronnie Bassett. Alfredo is fourth and Vargas fifth. Garcia moved up to sixth, two points behind Vargas.

The Memphis 150 presented by Autozone will air on NBCSN on Wednesday, June 6 at 6 p.m. ET.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return to the track on Saturday, June 16, with the JUSTDRIVE.com 125 at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

NASCAR, Rev Racing Announce Competitors in Third Annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity National Pit Crew CombineCHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 22, 2018) –- NASCAR^® and Rev Racing today announced 13 college athletes from across the country who will compete as tire changers, carriers and jackmen in the third annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity National Pit Crew Combine in Concord, N.C., on Friday, May 25.

This year’s combine competitors include college football, basketball, tennis and track and field athletes looking to transition to a professional career in NASCAR. Each will put their pit crew skills to the test and be evaluated based on a series of fitness, agility and crew member drills and competitions at the NASCAR Research & Development Center.

Top-performing participants will receive invitations to join the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development program and train as pit crew members with Rev Racing beginning later this year. More than 50 graduates of the program are currently working in the NASCAR industry and 25 are pitting in the sport’s top series, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™.

“To look across our national series, it’s clear that NASCAR Drive for Diversity has become an unquestioned leader in the recruitment and development of professional pit crew members,” said Jusan Hamilton, NASCAR senior manager, racing operations and event management. “Each year, the national combine helps us identify top talent and athletes with the drive and ability to one day compete as fulltime crew members in NASCAR.”

As part of the program’s scouting process, NASCAR and Rev Racing hosted spring tryouts for college athletes at Alcorn State University, Bethune-Cookman University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, Virginia State University and Winston-Salem State University.

The athletes invited to Friday’s combine will take part in a four-hour skills competition led by Phil Horton, Rev Racing director of athletic performance.

“Rev Racing’s recruiting efforts at colleges and universities across the country have resulted in attracting some of the best athletes in the nation to our combine,” said Max Siegel, owner and CEO of Rev Racing.  “We are excited about the partnerships we have developed with the athletic departments and administration at these institutions. We are proud of our accomplishments since the inception of this program and look forward to continued opportunities for growth in the future.”

This year’s competitors include Joshua Patrick, who was part of two HBCU national championship teams as a linebacker at North Carolina State A&T State, and twin brothers Jordan and Justin Boyd, both former track athletes at Alcorn State.

For some on Friday, the combine could mark the beginning of a professional career that leads to competing – and winning – on the sport’s biggest stage.

In February, Derrell Edwards became the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity pit crew member to win the DAYTONA 500 when driver Austin Dillon raced to Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway. Edwards, who played basketball at High Point University, pits as a tire carrier and jackman for Dillon’s No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team.

Three program graduates – Raphael Diaz, Kevin Richardson and Mike Russell – helped Roush Fenway Racing driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway in 2017.

Brehanna Daniels, who previously starred as a point guard for Norfolk State’s women’s basketball program, has pitted as a tire changer in more than 20 NASCAR Xfinity Series™, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™ and ARCA Series races while training with NASCAR Drive for Diversity.

The 2018 NASCAR Drive for Diversity National Pit Crew Combine participants include:

Following Friday’s event, pit crew combine participants will attend the Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 26 (1 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN).

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

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 will be broadcast live from Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 27 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

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.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 18, 2018) – The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) will welcome its largest class in program history during 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race weekend, NASCAR® announced today.

More than 30 top students from across the country have arrived in Charlotte for orientation at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and other racing venues before attending the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race on May 19 (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90). Following orientation, the interns will officially begin the 10-week, paid program.

Since its inception in 2000, NDIP has offered a select group of students from diverse backgrounds a unique hands-on experience in the motorsports industry. The program has grown to include several industry partners and continues to provide career opportunities for multicultural students as one of the premier internships in sports.

“NASCAR is committed to enhancing diversity both on and off the track and the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program has opened doors for hundreds of students to explore a career in motorsports,” said Paula Miller, NASCAR senior vice president and chief human resources officer. “Many of our interns have been hired as full-time employees and now are helping to lead NASCAR into the future – a great testament to the value and success of NDIP.”

Among the notable NDIP alumni are Brandon Thompson, managing director of the NASCAR Touring Series, and Jusan Hamilton, who last year became the first African American to serve as race director for a NASCAR national series event. Hamilton also oversees the NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver and crew member development programs.

Erica Wilkerson, another NDIP alum, now works in youth marketing at NASCAR and manages NASCAR Acceleration Nation, the sport’s first national youth platform. Pedro Mojica interned with Rev Racing and the NASCAR Research and Development Center before joining International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) as a technical engineer.

The 2018 NDIP class will have roles at NASCAR and program partners across the industry which include International Speedway Corporation (ISC), Toyota, Motor Racing Network (MRN) and several tracks and teams.

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

Many of the interns will participate in their first NASCAR experience during Monster Energy NASCAR All- Star Race weekend. The experience will include guided tours of the NASCAR R&D Center, MRN studios and Roush Fenway Racing.

The interns will also meet Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ driver and NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduate, Darrell Wallace Jr., the highest placing African-American driver in DAYTONA 500 history.

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

The 2018 NASCAR Diversity Internship Program class includes:

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’).

This past weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Isabella Robusto took first place in the Young Lions U.S. Legend Cars division in race five of the five race series at the 6^th annual Battle at the Big Top. 13 year-old Robusto from Fort Mill, South Carolina, is a second-year member of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, running for Rev Racing’s youth program.

The Battle at the Big Top (BATBT) is a six-day event, including one day of practice and five days of racing. Robusto also walked away 2^nd in overall points, winning 3 poles in six races. Robusto was the only female Legend car driver in attendance and became the first female to win a race in a Legend car at the BATBT.

This five-day show brought drivers from North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Iowa, New York, and Nova Scotia. NASCAR Drive for Diversity alumni drivers Daniel Suarez, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Kyle Larson also raced in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series this past weekend at the same track Robusto scored her victory.

Race five at the BATBT was a national qualifier. Robusto, winner of race five, is guaranteed a starting spot in the 2018 Asphalt Nationals at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, taking place on October 25, 26 and 27.

“TMS is such a fun track! It’s really old and bumpy and each corner is different. I really had to be up on the wheel for every lap,” said Robusto. “I knew I had a fast car after practice on Monday, but I couldn’t believe I got three poles against some of the best competition in the country! But, I came up short of a win all week. Going into the last race, I knew in my heart it was mine. But then we had five restarts (most involving my own brother), so I really started to get nervous. I led every lap, but with five to go I bobbled and got passed. In the end, I battled back with two to go and won.”

Robusto first sat in a go-kart at the age of five on an asphalt track in Kershaw, South Carolina.  After a year of seat time, she began racing the kart in club races at Carolina Motorsports Park. Then, she progressed to the US Legends Car series where she began training with AK Performance and Kendall Sellers, and garnered the attention of Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program.

Robusto will join her Rev Racing teammates this weekend for the Zombie Auto 150 at Bristol Motor Speedway for NASCAR K&N Pro Series East second race of the season in preparation of her next race on April 21^st at Concord Motorsports Park.

HAMPTON, Ga. –There was nothing but sunshine and clear blue skies at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Feb. 24, and being at the NASCAR Xfinity Series Rinnai 250 that day allowed me to become a kid all over again just for a few hours.

It was my first time at a NASCAR race, and initially, I was nervous that I would regret coming. I knew going from a majority black campus at Morehouse College to the majority white environment of NASCAR would be a total culture shock. However, when I walked down pit road and saw the people shuffling around with engines roaring and cars zooming in and out of garage doors, all of those preconceived notions went away.

Thanks to the NASCAR Multicultural Development department, our experience as Morehouse College journalism students was tailored to highlight the different black figures who are essential to the races. They did an outstanding job of dispelling the myth that the only black people at NASCAR races are the people who direct you to your parking spot.

We witnessed several black pit crew members, including Brehanna Daniels, the first African-American female to go over the wall in a NASCAR national series race, and a product of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program. Drive for Diversity pit crew member Dion “Rocko Slaw” Williams candidly told our tour group “Anybody you see who’s black is probably with us.”

It was refreshing to see young black men and women being such a vital part of the race. Without the pit crew, the race would be a disaster.

“Even if you don’t find a passion in NASCAR today, you’ll find an experience.”

After the national anthem, Drive for Diversity coach Phil Horton talked to us about the exercise that drivers have to do. Much like other athletes, NASCAR drivers do cardio and core strengthening exercises that help them better regulate their heart rates as they zoom at speeds up to 190 mph around the track.

“They’re not riding around the track with their hearts beating fast,” Horton said. “It’s like they’re sitting at home in a recliner.”

Thanks to @Morehouse Journalism and Sports Program students for joining us @amsupdates for the #Rinnai250 today! #NASCARDiversity pic.twitter.com/DWwxtS31Uk

— NASCAR Drive for Diversity (@NASCARDiversity) February 24, 2018

To me, NASCAR seems like a hub for new beginnings for African-Americans. Every black person we met came to NASCAR from other careers. Horton was an accomplished athletic trainer with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, Williams was a professional football player with the Minnesota Vikings, and even the Vice President and Chief Security Officer at NASCAR, Christopher Davis, transitioned from professional football to the FBI and now to NASCAR.

Before the race Davis told our group this: “Even if you don’t find a passion in NASCAR today, you’ll find an experience.”

He couldn’t have been any more right. Attending a NASCAR race was one of the best experiences that I’ve had so far in my three years here in Atlanta.

Emmanuel Johnson is a Morehouse College junior Sociology major/Journalism and Sports minor from Durham, N.C.

Dion “Rocko” Williams has made a name for himself on pit road for more than 13 years. Now he is making a name for himself on air.

Williams made his debut as co-host of Motor Racing Network’s Crew Call last week, using his experience in the sport to help provide insight into the lives of top tier pit crew members both on and off the track.

Any butterflies that were present during the first few seconds of his first live show on MRN were gone by the first commercial break, he said, much like the nerves felt during each race until the first pit stop is out of the way.

The weekly show with co-host Sammi Jo Francis is just the latest endeavor in motorsports for Williams, whose pit crew career has included stints with Chip Ganassi Racing, Richard Petty Racing and Hendrick Motorsports. His success in the sport, including 16 Cup series wins, created a desire in Williams to be involved in the sport long term.

“I really love what I do,” Williams said. “I really love the sport and you can really see that in the way that I talk about it. That’s ultimately what led me to what I’m doing now in terms of broadcasting.”

While Williams’ athletic background as a collegiate and professional football player helped lay the foundation for his pit crew career, his past has also prepared him for his newest role.

Williams graduated from Wake Forest University, majoring in communications, and later attended Connecticut School of Broadcasting to keep up-to-date with new technology and trends in the field.

Over the years he has taken on speaking engagements, emcee roles and even appeared on Under Cover Boss, but Williams hopes this is just the beginning. He has ambitions of one day calling races and working on the competition side of things.

Between shows Williams can still be found on pit road, working as a contracted pit crewman and serving as a mentor for young pit crew members through the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program.

“It’s necessary for me,” Williams said. “It keeps me relevant and engaged with rule changes and new strategies, new techniques and what’s going on with the sport, as it’s constantly changing.”

Coming up at NOON ET it’s the Season Debut of MRN Crew Call presented by @HerculesTires with our new hosts @SammiOnAir and @DionRocko! Watch on https://t.co/5I6uCnfmiN or Facebook Live #AskMRN pic.twitter.com/Vecbyw1Ljr

— Motor Racing Network (@MRNRadio) February 21, 2018

Williams made history as the first African-American to go over the wall for Hendrick Motorsports. He has seen the growth of NASCAR’s diversity initiatives over the years and notes the visible transformation both on and off the track. He hopes his success will serve as an example of the opportunity for longevity and transition within the sport.

“The focus has really turned to showing the guys that once they are in (NASCAR) there are so many other opportunities in the sport for minorities to focus on besides the athletic side of it,” Williams said. “There are opportunities within the sport to make a great career and living on so many different levels besides just pitting a race car. That’s the main thing that motivates me.”

Tune into Crew Call Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET on MRN.