The Drive for Diversity (D4D) program is a development system instituted by the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

league

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...

. The program's purpose is to attract

minority Minority may refer to: Politics * Minority government, formed when a political party does not have a majority of overall seats in parliament * Minority leader, in American politics, the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative b ...

and

female Female (Venus symbol, symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ovum, ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the Sperm, male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gamet ...

individuals to the sport, primarily as drivers, but also including ownership, sponsorship, and crew member roles, and to attract a more diverse audience to the sport. Before an applicant is accepted into the program, their resumes are checked by NASCAR officials. The system is similar to a

driver development program A driver development program (or driver development team) is a system or structure designed for young kart and race car drivers to learn and perfect their racing skills. These programmes are devised by racing teams, external companies and funded ...

where applicants progress through minor-league and regional racing levels to prepare them for a possible shot at one of NASCAR's three national series. The program was started during the

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

season by NASCAR marketing executives in order to attract female and minority fans and drivers to the historically

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

and male-dominated sport. The year before,

Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is an American professional stock car racing organization owned and operated by former Washington Redskins (today the Washington Commanders) coach Joe Gibbs, which first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991. His s ...

, along with former athletes

Reggie White Reginald Howard White (December 19, 1961 – December 26, 2004) was an American professional football player who played defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. He played college football for ...

and

Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...

, had started a similar program.

History and structure

Context

Several factors have been attributed to the absence of minorities in stock car racing. One is the costs of auto racing and dependency on sponsorship dollars, with many minority individuals and families lacking the capital to enter the inherently expensive racing world. Others believe that minority youths are more drawn to conventional "stick-and-ball" sports such as

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

. A key factor is the overt racism in the country that had plagued other sports as well, but was particularly strong in American

stock car racing Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...

due to its roots in the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

. This included the presence of

Confederate flag The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...

s in the infields of many tracks at both the regional and national levels. For these reasons, NASCAR has been slower to racially integrate than other major sports in the country. In spite of the lack of minorities and women in the sport, some claim that on paper NASCAR provides a more-balanced playing field than other sports. The first and most notable

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

driver in the sport is

Wendell Scott Wendell Oliver Scott (August 29, 1921 – December 23, 1990) was an American stock car racing driver. He was one of the first African-American drivers in NASCAR and the first African-American to win a race in the Grand National Series, NASCAR's h ...

, a former bootlegger who broke the color barrier in the 1950s and raced competitively in inferior equipment and with sub-par support, while contending with discrimination and threats from fans and other drivers. Scott's only win at the Cup Series level came at Jacksonville Speedway Park in 1963. The win and the trophy was initially given to

Buck Baker Elzie Wylie Baker Sr. (March 4, 1919 – April 14, 2002), better known as Buck Baker, was an American stock car racer. Born in Richburg, South Carolina, Baker began his NASCAR career in 1949 and won his first race three years later at Columbia ...

, and Scott did not receive official recognition until a month later, when he was given a small wooden trophy with no nameplate. Only seven black drivers have ever competed at NASCAR's top level, most notably Scott and

Willy T. Ribbs William Theodore Ribbs Jr. (born January 3, 1955) is a retired American race car driver, racing owner, and sport shooter known for being the first African-American man to have tested a Formula One car (he did so in 1986) and to compete in the Ind ...

. Female drivers have been equally scarce within auto racing. Although there was a time when women were banned from entering the pit area during races, there has been no official legislation preventing women from participating during most of

's history.

Sara Christian Sara Williams Christian (August 25, 1918 – March 7, 1980) was the first woman driver in NASCAR history. Driving career Christian raced at the Looper Speedway, the former racetrack which now lies beneath the waters of Lake Lanier. She won a ...

drove in the inaugural Cup Series (then Strictly Stock) race at

Charlotte Speedway Charlotte Speedway was the site of NASCAR's first Strictly Stock Series (now NASCAR Cup Series) race on June 19, 1949. The Daytona Beach Road Course held the first race sanctioned by NASCAR in 1948. The track was a few miles west of the NASCAR ...

in 1949, and is the only woman in Cup Series history to score a top five finish. The most notable woman in the sport was

Janet Guthrie Janet Guthrie (born March 7, 1938) is a retired professional race car driver and the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, both in 1977. She had first attempted to enter the Indianapolis 500 in 197 ...

, the first woman to compete in both the

Daytona 500 The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...

and

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...

. Guthrie scored five top tens over 33 career starts in NASCAR's top three series. Another notable driver was

Louise Smith Louise Smith (July 31, 1916, in Barnesville, Georgia – April 15, 2006) was tied for the second woman to race in NASCAR at the top level. She was known as "the first lady of racing." She went as a spectator to her first NASCAR race at the Dayt ...

, known as "the first lady of racing". Smith made 11 starts in what is now the Cup Series, and was used to promote the sport in the 1940s by NASCAR founder

Bill France, Sr. William Henry Getty France (September 26, 1909 – June 7, 1992), also known as Bill France Sr. or Big Bill, was an American businessman and racing driver. He is best known for founding and managing NASCAR, a sanctioning body of US-based stock ca ...

A total of 15 women have made starts in the Cup Series.

Origins

In 1999, manufacturer

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

began a diversity program, selecting Mexican driver Carlos Contreras to drive a

Dodge Ram The Ram pickup (marketed as the Dodge Ram until 2010) is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by Stellantis North America (formerly Chrysler Group LLC and FCA US LLC) and marketed from 2010 onwards under the Ram Trucks brand. The current fi ...

for

Petty Enterprises Petty Enterprises (formerly Lee Petty Engineering) was a NASCAR racing team based in Level Cross, North Carolina, USA. It was founded by Lee Petty with his two sons Richard Petty and Maurice Petty. The team was later owned by Richard Petty, hi ...

in the

Craftsman Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of th ...

. In December 2000, Dodge announced that veteran

driver

would drive in the Truck Series for the full 2001 season in a factory-backed effort for

Bobby Hamilton Racing Bobby Hamilton Racing-Virginia is a disbanded NASCAR racing team. It was owned by four-time Winston Cup winner and 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton until his death on January 7, 2007. Bobby Hamilton Jr. was given owners ...

. Ribbs, who had made starts in the

Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. ...

Indy Car INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapolis ...

and

Champ Car Champ Car World Series (CCWS) was the series sanctioned by Open-Wheel Racing Series Inc., or Champ Car, a sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 2004 to 2008. It was the successor to Championship Auto Racing Teams ( ...

, was part of the continued diversity effort by Dodge (reentering Cup competition for 2001), selected from a test program that included

Bill Lester William Alexander Lester III (born February 6, 1961) is an American semi-retired professional racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 17 Ford F-150 for David Gilliland Racing. Lester p ...

and Tim Woods. Ribbs ran 23 out of 24 races in the 8 Dodge Motorsports Ram truck (DNQing at Martinsville), finishing 16th in points but with no top 10 finishes. Lester ran 5 races in BHR's 4 truck with a best finish of 18th, then replaced Ribbs in the 8 truck for the 2002 and 2003 seasons, scoring a pole at

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

in 2003 and finishing 17th and 14th in points in the two seasons respectively. He would leave BHR after 2003 due to lack of sponsorship. Female driver

Deborah Renshaw Deborah Renshaw-Parker (born October 28, 1975) is a former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver. Background and family life Renshaw grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky and has two brothers. She raced and drove in several types of motor vehicles ...

moved into BHR's 8 truck in 2005, finishing 24th in points.

Erin Crocker Erin Mary Crocker Evernham (born March 23, 1981) is an American race car driver and broadcaster with the Motor Racing Network's Winged Nation. In the past, she played soccer, tennis, and varsity lacrosse on both her high school and college teams. ...

also ran two races for BHR in 2005, before moving on to

Evernham Motorsports Evernham Motorsports was an American professional stock car racing organization that competed in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 2000 by former Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Ray Evernham, entering full-time competition as a two-c ...

in 2006 and 2007. In 2003,

partnered with former

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

player

to start a team that would assist minority drivers in rising up the ranks of the Motorsports world. In 2004, the team came into form with assistance of Gibbs' Cup and

Busch Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...

NASCAR involvement

The NASCAR-based program was conceived in the 1990s, officially implemented in 2004 by

chairman

Brian France Brian Zachary France (born August 2, 1962) is an American businessman and the former CEO and chairman of NASCAR. He served in the post from 2003 to 2018, following his grandfather (and NASCAR co-founder) Bill France Sr. and father Bill Jr., in ...

, and based largely off input from White and

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

star

Brad Daugherty Brad Daugherty may refer to: * Brad Daugherty (basketball) (born 1965), American NBA player, currently a television sportscaster * Brad Daugherty (poker player) (born 1951), American poker player {{Hndis, Daugherty, Brad ...

. D4D was one of several programs instigated to increase viewership and audience diversity as well as provide income for the sport, along with the

Chase for the NEXTEL Cup The NASCAR playoffs is a championship Playoffs, playoff system used in NASCAR's three national series. The system was founded as 'The Chase for the Championship' on January 21, 2004, and was used exclusively in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2004 to ...

and series in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. NASCAR hired Access Marketing & Communications, a company started with money from NASCAR given to the

Rainbow/PUSH Rainbow/PUSH is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization formed as a merger of two nonprofit organizations founded by Jesse Jackson; Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) and the National Rainbow Coalition. The organizations pursue socia ...

initiative of Rev.

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. senator ...

, to find drivers, conduct a testing combine, and set the drivers up with owners who would receive stipends to fund competitive rides at short tracks in the

Dodge Weekly Racing Series The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (formerly the Whelen All-American Series, Winston Racing Series and the Dodge Weekly Series) is a points championship for NASCAR sanctioned local short track motor racing around the United States and Ca ...

. The first Drive for Diversity combine, featuring 12 drivers and 28 pit crew members, was held in January 2004 at

Hickory Motor Speedway Hickory Motor Speedway is a short track located in Hickory, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most storied venues, and is often referred to as the "World's Most Famous Short Track" and the "Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars". The tr ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, with five drivers and six crew members selected. After two seasons, several reports surfaced of teams not receiving adequate funds, while other teams owners did not supplement the NASCAR investment with additional funds, leading to limited results on the track. Another shortcoming of the early D4D classes was the age of the participants, as many of the drivers (such as

Morty Buckles Morty Buckles is an American racing driver. An African American, Buckles was a member of NASCAR's first Drive for Diversity class after cutting his teeth at the regional racing level. In 2006, Buckles planned to race in the ARCA Racing Series and ...

and Reggie Primus) were over the age of 30 and past their prime. Due to the lackluster performance, NASCAR cut ties with Access Marketing after 2008 and proceeded to hire

Max Siegel Max Siegel (born December 31, 1964) is an American corporate CEO, president, entertainer executive, multicultural activist and attorney. He is the current Chief Executive Officer of USA Track & Field (USATF), the National Governing Body of track a ...

(music executive and former president of

Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) was a race team founded by Dale Earnhardt and his wife, Teresa Earnhardt, to compete in the NASCAR series, the highest level of competition for professional stock car racing in the United States. From 1998 to 2009, t ...

) to revamp the program. In its current state, the program accepts around 6–10 drivers. 20 or so prospective drivers between the ages of 14 and 26 are invited to a testing combine, in which

evaluates each driver's résumé, on-track lap-times, driving knowledge, physical fitness, communications skills, and media aptitude. Siegel meanwhile started the

Rev Racing Rev or Rév may refer to: Abbreviations Rev. * Rev., an abbreviation for revolution, as in Revolutions per minute * Rev., an abbreviation for the religious style The Reverend * Rev., the abbreviation for Runtime Revolution, a development environ ...

team in 2009 to train the selected drivers in an academy-like setting, with drivers being fielded in the Weekly Series (now the

Whelen All-American Series The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (formerly the Whelen All-American Series, Winston Racing Series and the Dodge Weekly Series) is a points championship for NASCAR sanctioned local short track motor racing around the United States and Ca ...

) or the touring

K&N Pro Series East The ARCA Menards Series East (formerly Busch East Series, Busch North Series, Camping World East Series, and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East) is a regional stock car racing series owned and operated by the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) and ...

and

West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...

. In addition to investing $3 million in the program, Siegel himself is also responsible for finding sponsorship for the drivers. Since the inception of the current program, Rev Racing has been fielding competitive rides with funding from companies such as

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

Nike, Inc. Nike, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered ne ...

, and

Sunoco Sunoco LP is an American master limited partnership organized under Delaware state laws and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that is a wholesale distributor of motor fuels. It distributes fuel to more than 5,500 Sunoco-branded gas stations, ...

and have had several drivers move on to the national series. The Drive for Diversity also includes a pit crew development program to identify and develop minority and female pit crew members. Like Cup Series teams, the program seeks out former competitive athletes (high school and college), then puts them through a combine which includes conventional drills and racing-specific drills. According to Siegel, the pit crew program has a 100 percent placement rate throughout NASCAR.

Impact on NASCAR

Kyle Larson Rev Racing Toyota Rockingham 2012

The overall impact of the D4D program and NASCAR's diversification efforts have been minimal, as the drivers from the program (in spite of their success at the regional level) are often starved of opportunities and sponsorship dollars once they graduate from the program.

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

analyst, team owner, and former

all-star

acknowledges some progress, claiming the sport is "more inviting than it was

n the past N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

" But he also believes "owners are a little scared...Corporate America just isn't ready to take a lot of chances with their dollars on a non-known entity." Several drivers had left the program early in its history, citing issues with the equipment and resources provided to them. Some state that the absence of funding is systematic across the sport, with many young drivers' careers being stalled out before they make it to a higher level or a more competitive ride. Into the 2010s, the diversity program's impact appears to be increasing, with one of the biggest problems being the continued perception of

as an all-white and non-inclusive institution. Max Siegel stated that "the biggest barrier in diversifying audience is the perception," with D4D driver Dylan Smith noting that "people associate NASCAR so much with racism." NASCAR spokesperson Marcus Jadotte believes that the NASCAR fan base will broaden as more minorities and women move up through the sport's ranks. Some drivers, such as former

Hendrick Motorsports Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) is an American professional auto racing organization that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 1984 as All Star Racing by Rick Hendrick. Hendrick Motorsports has won a NASCAR-record 291 Cup Seri ...

and

Rusty Wallace Racing Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC (RWR), formerly known as Rusty Wallace, Inc. (RWI) was a NASCAR racing team based in Mooresville, North Carolina, near Charlotte. Owned by former NASCAR Winston Cup champion and commentator Rusty Wallace, the team compet ...

development driver

Chase Austin Chase Austin (born October 3, 1989) is an American professional racing driver. He is a former development driver with Hendrick Motorsports and Rusty Wallace Racing, racing in NASCAR's Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. He also competed in ...

, have refused to join the D4D due to the possible stigma of affirmative action. Any impact still pales in comparison to other auto racing series, with the mixed

Lewis Hamilton Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for Mercedes. In Formula One, Hamilton has won a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Mich ...

winning seven

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

world championships since 2008,

Antron Brown Antron Brown (born March 1, 1976) is an American drag racing driver, currently driving the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster for AB Motorsports in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Brown is the first African American champion in drag racing h ...

winning the 2012

NHRA The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorspo ...

Top Fuel Top Fuel is a type of drag racing whose dragsters are the quickest accelerating racing cars in the world and the fastest sanctioned category of drag racing, with the fastest competitors reaching speeds of and finishing the runs in 3.62 seconds ...

championship, sisters

Ashley Ashley is a place name derived from the Old English words '' æsc'' (“ash”) and '' lēah'' (“meadow”). It may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ashley (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...

Courtney Courtney is a name of Old French origin, introduced into England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It has two quite distinct interpretations: firstly, the surname may be locational, from places called Courtenay in the regions of Loiret and Gât ...

and

Brittany Force Brittany Leighton Force (born July 8, 1986) is an NHRA drag racer and 2-time NHRA Drag Racing Series Top Fuel dragster champion. She is the daughter of drag racer John Force and the sister of fellow racers Courtney Force and Ashley Force Hood. Car ...

running competitively in the NHRA's

Funny Car Funny Car is a type of drag racing vehicle and a specific racing class in organized drag racing. Funny cars are characterized by having tilt-up fiberglass or carbon fiber automotive bodies over a custom-fabricated chassis, giving them an appea ...

and

divisions, and several female drivers competing simultaneously at

IndyCar INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapolis ...

's top level.

Graduates

The most successful driver to go through the program is arguably

Kyle Larson Kyle Miyata Larson (born July 31, 1992) is an American professional auto racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. Larson is the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champ ...

, a 2012 graduate who is considered one of the most talented young drivers in the sport. Former Cup champion

Dale Jarrett Dale Arnold Jarrett (born November 26, 1956) is a former American race car driver and current commentator for NBC. He is best known for winning the Daytona 500 three times (in 1993, 1996, and 2000) and winning the NASCAR Winston Cup Series champio ...

compared Larson's talents to 4-time champion

Jeff Gordon Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, who is the Vice Chairman for Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick M ...

, and Gordon himself has taken interest in the young driver. After signing a development deal with

Chip Ganassi Racing Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC (CGR), also sometimes branded as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, is an American auto racing organization with teams competing in the IndyCar Series, NTT IndyCar Series, International Motor Sports Association, IMSA WeatherTech ...

in 2012, Larson won Rookie of the Year in 2013 in the

Nationwide Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...

for

Turner Scott Motorsports Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM), formerly Turner Motorsports was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series, the Camping World Truck Series, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series ...

, and scored his first victory in the series in 2014. He moved up to Ganassi's No. 42

Sprint Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971 ...

car for 2014, winning the Rookie of the Year award, and earning his first win in 2016, and soon winning the championship with

in 2021.

Darrell Wallace Jr. William Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. (born October 8, 1993) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 23 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing and part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity ...

, a biracial driver of

heritage, has also found success. Wallace Jr. had three top 10s in four starts for

in the

in 2012, then moved to the

Camping World Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of th ...

for

Kyle Busch Motorsports Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. They formerly competed in the CARS Tour, ARCA/CRA Super Series, Southern Super Series, and the ARCA Mena ...

in 2013. Wallace won in the Truck Series at

Martinsville Speedway Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing short track in Ridgeway, Virginia, just south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in s ...

in his rookie season (only the second black driver after

to win in one of NASCAR's top three divisions). Wallace picked up four more wins in 2014 including one at the famous

Eldora Speedway Eldora Speedway (nicknamed "The Big E", "Auto Racing's Showcase Since 1954," and "The World's Greatest Dirt Track") is a high-banked clay dirt oval. Located north of Rossburg, Ohio in the village of New Weston, Ohio, it features permanent and ...

dirt track. Wallace signed to drive in the

Xfinity Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...

for

Roush Fenway Racing Roush is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Politics *Glenn Roush (1934–2020), American politician in Montana *J. Edward Roush (1920–2004), United States Representative for Indiana, namesake of: ** J. Edward Roush Lake, a rese ...

in 2015. Wallace signed with

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...

team

Richard Petty Motorsports Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) was an American professional stock car racing team that competed in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded as a result of the merger between Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM) and Petty Enterprises, with ...

in 2018. Wallace's career has been hampered at the national level by a lack of consistent corporate sponsorship. Daniel Suarez 2016 Road America

Another JGR driver, Mexican-born

Daniel Suárez Daniel Alejandro Suárez Garza (born January 7, 1992) is a Mexican professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing Team. He previously drove in t ...

, a winner in the

and

NASCAR Toyota Series The NASCAR Mexico Series (formerly NASCAR Corona Series and other names) is a NASCAR series in Mexico. It is the most prestigious stock car racing series in the country. Origins (Desafío Corona) The Desafío Corona was established in 2004 by ...

, was signed to a full-time

ride for the 2015 season, becoming the first full-time driver of Latino descent to run the full season in the series. Suárez won his first Xfinity Series race at Michigan in 2016, becoming the first Mexican-born driver to win in the series. Suárez went on to win the

2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series The 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series was the 35th season of the Xfinity Series, a stock car racing series sanctioned by the NASCAR in the United States. The season started at Daytona International Speedway on February 20 and ended at Homestead-Mia ...

championship, becoming the first foreign-born driver to win a NASCAR national series championship. Suárez moved to the

with JGR in 2017. and moved to

Stewart-Haas Racing Stewart-Haas Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. The team is co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champio ...

in 2019. Other drivers from the program, however, have had their careers stall out after "graduating" from the program. This includes

Paulie Harraka Paul Peter "Paulie" Harraka (born September 15, 1989) is an American professional stock car racing driver and entrepreneur. He is a graduate of Duke University and a former representative of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program. Personal life H ...

, who scored the program's first three wins, and Marc Davis who left

after they could not find sponsorship for him in the

Other drivers

Outside of the program, minority and female drivers continue to be scarce on the NASCAR scene.

Cuban-American Cuban Americans ( es, cubanoestadounidenses or ''cubanoamericanos'') are Americans who trace their cultural heritage to Cuba regardless of phenotype or ethnic origin. The word may refer to someone born in the United States of Cubans, Cuban desc ...

driver

, a member of

's original diversity program, currently drives full-time in

' 10 car in the

. Almirola is considered one of the most successful products of any diversity initiative within the sport, as well as the highest profile Latino driver in NASCAR, with three wins to his name. Leaving JGR in mid-2007 with one win in the

, Almirola drove

Ginn Racing MB2 Motorsports was a NASCAR Cup Series team based in Mooresville, North Carolina, near the sport's hub in Charlotte. The team was founded by Read Morton, Tom Beard, and Nelson Bowers, from which the original team name were named after. Bowers w ...

's 01 car and

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC (CGR), also sometimes branded as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, is an American auto racing organization with teams competing in the NTT IndyCar Series, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, FIA World Endurance Championshi ...

's 8 car in the Sprint Cup Series until losing his ride due to lack of sponsorship in 2009. After reclaiming his career with

Billy Ballew Motorsports Billy Ballew Motorsports was a team that competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. They were formed in 1996 by Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia businessman Billy Ballew. Fasscore Motorsports In 2003, Ballew began running a second truck u ...

in the truck series and

JR Motorsports JR Motorsports (pronounced "Junior Motorsports") is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, CARS Tour, and occasionally in the NASCAR Advance Auto Par ...

in the

, Almirola was signed to drive for RPM in 2012, winning at

Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR as well as its season opening event. In addition to NA ...

in July 2014. Danica Patrick 7 2012 Road America Sargento 200

Former

IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of ...

racer

Danica Patrick Danica Sue Patrick (; born March 25, 1982) is an American former professional racing driver. She is the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel car racing—her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the only win by a woman ...

drove for

in their No. 10

Chevrolet SS The Holden Commodore (VF) is an executive car that was produced by Holden between June 2013 and October 2017. It was the second and last significantly restyled iteration of the fourth (and final) generation of the Holden Commodore to be manufa ...

, from 2012 - 2017, joined by her longtime partner

Go Daddy GoDaddy Inc. is an American publicly traded Internet domain registrar and web hosting company headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, and incorporated in Delaware. , GoDaddy has more than 21 million customers and over 6,600 employees worldwide. The co ...

. She is the first female Cup driver to be signed to a full season contract. A winner in IRL competition, Patrick also drove for

in the

ARCA Racing Series The ARCA Menards Series is an American stock car series, the premier division of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). It is considered a minor, semi-professional league of stock car racing, used as a feeder series into the three national ...

and

before signing with Stewart-Haas in 2012, and going full-time in the Cup series for 2013. Patrick is the first woman to win the pole for the

, and the first rookie to win the pole since

Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Johnson's seven Cup championships, ...

in 2002. Patrick also ran the fastest pole speed for the 500 in 23 years, timing in at 45.817 seconds.

Jennifer Jo Cobb Jennifer Jo Cobb (born June 12, 1973) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. She competes part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 10 Chevrolet Silverado for her own team, Jennifer Jo Cobb Raci ...

is one of few female drivers other than Patrick to run full-time in the three top touring series in recent memory. Cobb made her debut in the

in 2004, and currently drives in the

. Cobb is not only a full-time driver, but also the owner of her No. 10 truck for

Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing (also known as JJC Racing) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team is based in Mooresville, North Carolina and is owned by Jennifer ...

, which is a successor to

Circle Bar Racing Circle Bar Racing was an auto racing team that competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series from 1997 to 2010. The team was most notable for its relationship with Ford Motor Company as well as its sole driver, Rick Crawford. Beginnings Alth ...

and

ppc Racing ppc Racing is a former NASCAR team based in Mooresville, North Carolina. The team was owned by Greg Pollex. ppc Racing came about from a merger of Pollex's Busch Series team with a car owned by Steve DeSouza and Ted Campbell in 1999. The team ...

. The team also runs a second No. 0 truck as a

start and park Start and park is a term used in auto racing, particularly in NASCAR-sanctioned races, to describe the practice of racing teams starting races but pulling the car off the track after just a few laps in order to collect prize money while avoiding e ...

entry, though it attempted to run the full race at

in 2013 and 2014 with Jennifer Jo's father

Joe Cobb Joe Frank Cobb (November 7, 1916 – May 21, 2002) was an American child actor, most notable for appearing as the original "fat boy" in the ''Our Gang'' comedies from 1922 to 1929. Early life and career Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on Novemb ...

. Though the team runs full-time, lack of funding and second-hand equipment (often running old

s without factory support) often results in back-of-the-pack finishes for Cobb. Drafting

Colombian-born

Juan Pablo Montoya Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born September 20, 1975) is a Colombian racing driver. He won the International F3000 championship in 1998, the CART FedEx Championship Series in 1999 in his debut year in the series, and the IMSA WeatherTech S ...

, a winner in

CART A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people. It is different from the flatbed tr ...

and

Formula 1 Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

and the

2000 Indianapolis 500 The 84th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 28, 2000. After four years of an ongoing organizational dispute and "split" in Indy car racing, Chip Ganassi Racing became the first major CA ...

winner, began running full-time in the

with

in 2007. Juan scored two victories in his career (both coming at road course races), and came close to winning at oval tracks on several occasions. In spite of this, he finished in the top 10 in points only once and departed from full-time NASCAR competition after 2013. Another former open-wheel driver, Brazilian

Nelson Piquet Jr. Nelson Angelo Tamsma Piquet Souto Maior (born July 25, 1985), also known as Nelson Piquet Junior or Nelsinho Piquet, is a Brazilian stock car racing driver and former Formula One and Formula E driver where he was champion in the 2014–15 seaso ...

scored two victories in the Truck Series and one in a part-time Nationwide season, but struggled in his first full Nationwide season in 2013 and was released from

. Piquet Jr. would make his Cup debut in 2014. Other Latino former open-wheel drivers to run in

include

Michel Jourdain Jr. Michel Jourdain Lascurain, better known as Michel Jourdain Jr. (born September 2, 1976), is a Mexican racecar driver, best known for winning two Champ Car races in 2003. He is the 2020 Super Copa GTM Champion. Formula racing Jourdain started rac ...

and

Adrián Fernández Adrián Fernández Mier (born April 20, 1963 in Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico) is a Mexican former professional race car driver and he was co-owner of the Fernandez Racing team. Racing career Early career Fernández began his career in Mexico by ...

, who ran

schedules with

and

respectively. From 2000 to 2007, African American driver

was a mainstay in the truck series, driving for

Bill Davis Racing Bill Davis Racing was a racing team that participated in all three of NASCAR's top divisions until 2009. The team had run Toyota-branded stock cars and trucks in the Camping World Truck Series ( Toyota Tundra) since 2004 and Sprint Cup Series (T ...

, and

. Lester was a part of

's and BHR's diversity initiative before signing with Davis on talent alone in 2004, and was notable for his strong qualifying efforts. Lester also made two starts for Davis in the Cup Series, the first African American racer in the series since

. Mexican-born Carlos Contreras has also found longevity in the Nationwide and Truck Series, but has only run three full schedules in his career (and none since 2002), with only 5 top 10s to his credit.

NASCAR internationally

German Quiroga Red Horse Racing Toyota Rockingham 2013

While diversity within NASCAR's top ranks may be slow, the sports' international influence has grown in the 21st century. Following successful

races at the road courses

Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a motorsport race track in Mexico City, Mexico, named after the racing drivers Ricardo (1942–1962) and Pedro Rodríguez (1940–1971). The circuit got its name shortly after it opened when Ricardo Rodr ...

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

and

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, also spelled ''Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve'' (), is a motor racing circuit in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the venue for the FIA Formula One Canadian Grand Prix. It has previously hosted the FIA World Sportscar ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, the

(formerly the Corona Series) and

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series The NASCAR Pinty's Series (french: Série NASCAR Pinty's), commonly abbreviated as NPS, is a national NASCAR racing series in Canada, and is a continuation of the old CASCAR Super Series which was founded in 1981. History In September 2006 NASCAR ...

were created as regional series similar to the

and

. In 2009, the

NASCAR Whelen Euro Series The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series (formerly known as Racecar Euro Series and Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series) is an official NASCAR stock-car racing series based in Europe. It is one of NASCAR's three international-sanctioned series, alongside th ...

was inaugurated.

NASCAR Mexico NASCAR Mexico is a joint-venture between NASCAR and OCESA, a Mexican entertainment company, aiming to develop, manage and operate local motorsports events and oversee television distribution, sponsorship and licensing. The venture attempts to cre ...

has produced several talented drivers who have moved on to

's top-three touring series. These include 3-time Toyota Series champion

Germán Quiroga Germán Quiroga Jr. (born May 29, 1980) is a Mexican professional stock car racing driver. In 2011, he became the first three-time NASCAR Corona Series champion. Racing career Beginnings Quiroga began his career in Reto Neon in 1996. Corona S ...

who has driven in the

for

and

Red Horse Racing Red Horse Racing was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team was based in Mooresville, North Carolina. It was co-owned by former Mobil 1 marketing executive Tom DeLoach a ...

, and D4D driver and 9-time Toyota Series winner and

Champion,

, currently racing in the

NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...

with

Trackhouse Racing Team Trackhouse Racing is a professional stock car auto racing organization that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team is owned by Trackhouse Entertainment Group, a venture of Justin Marks and Grammy Award-winning rapper Armando Chri ...

. The Canadian Series has produced D. J. Kennington,

J. R. Fitzpatrick John Ryan "J. R." Fitzpatrick (born May 9, 1988) is a Canadian professional stock car racing driver. Fitzpatrick was the youngest driver to ever win the now defunct CASCAR Super Series championship, winning in the series' final season of 2006 at ...

Alex Labbé Alex Labbé (born April 29, 1993) is a Canadian professional stock car racing driver. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 36/90/92 Chevrolet Camaros for DGM Racing. The 2017 NASCAR Pinty's Series champion, he h ...

, and

road course ringer In NASCAR, a road course ringer, also known as road course specialist, road course expert, or a road runner, is a non-NASCAR driver who is hired by a NASCAR Cup Series or NASCAR Xfinity Series team to race specifically on road courses. , current ...

Andrew Ranger Andrew Ranger (born November 20, 1986) is a Canadian professional racing driver who competes full-time in the NASCAR Pinty's Series, driving the No. 27 for Paillé Course//Racing. Ranger is a veteran of the Pinty's Series, having claimed 28 wins ...

. The Euro Series has produced

Alon Day Alon Day (Hebrew: אלון דאי, born November 4, 1991) is an Israeli professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet SS for PK Carsport and is a four-time champion in th ...

Drivers

2021

Source: #

Nick Sanchez Nicholas A. Sanchez (born June 10, 2001) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado for Rev Racing. He is the 2022 ARCA Menards Series cham ...

–

ARCA Menards Series The ARCA Menards Series is an American stock car series, the premier division of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). It is considered a minor, semi-professional league of stock car racing, used as a feeder series into the three national ...

Rajah Caruth Rajah Kirby Caruth (born June 11, 2002) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado for GMS Racing. Caruth is one of the five African-A ...

–

ARCA Menards Series East The ARCA Menards Series East (formerly Busch East Series, Busch North Series, Camping World East Series, and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East) is a regional stock car racing series owned and operated by the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) and ...

and

NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (formerly the Whelen All-American Series, Winston Racing Series and the Dodge Weekly Series) is a points championship for NASCAR sanctioned local short track motor racing around the United States and Ca ...

#Isabella Robusto – NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series #Lavar Scott – NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series #Regina Sirvent – NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series #Justin Campbell – Legend cars #Andrés Pérez de Lara – Legend cars #Jaiden Reyna – Legend cars

2020

Source: #

Chase Cabre Chase Cabre (born February 7, 1997) is an American stock car racing driver. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, driving the No. 4 Toyota Camry for Rev Racing. Cabre started his racing career in motocross and later moved t ...

– ARCA Menards Series East #Isabella Robusto – Whelen All-American Series #

Gracie Trotter Gracie Elizabeth Trotter (born August 27, 2001) is an American stock car racing driver. She last competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the Nos. 15 and 25 Toyota Camrys for Venturini Motorsports. Trotter also competes for Rev Rac ...

– Whelen All-American Series #

– Late models #Perry Patino – Late models #Nick Sanchez – Late models

2019

Source: #

– K&N Pro Series Series East # Ernie Francis Jr. – K&N Pro Series Series East # Rubén García Jr. – K&N Pro Series East #Brooke Storer – Whelen All-American Series #

– Whelen All-American Series #Nick Sanchez – Late models

2018

Source: #

– K&N Pro Series Series East # Ernie Francis Jr. – K&N Pro Series Series East # Rubén García Jr. – K&N Pro Series East #

Ryan Vargas Ryan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) *Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Australia * Division of Ryan, an elector ...

– K&N Pro Series Series East #Nick Sanchez – Late models #Isabella Robusto – Legends cars

2017

Source: #

– K&N Pro Series Series East #Collin Cabre – K&N Pro Series Series East # Rubén García Jr. – K&N Pro Series East #Jay Beasley – K&N Pro Series East #Macy Causey – Whelen All-American Series #Madeline Crane – Whelen All-American Series

2016

Source: #Collin Cabre – K&N Pro Series East # Rubén García Jr. – K&N Pro Series East; 2015

NASCAR Mexico Series The NASCAR Mexico Series (formerly NASCAR Corona Series and other names) is a NASCAR series in Mexico. It is the most prestigious stock car racing series in the country. Origins (Desafío Corona) The Desafío Corona was established in 2004 by ...

champion. # Jairo Avila Jr. – K&N Pro Series East #Ali Kern – K&N Pro Series East #Enrique Baca – Whelen All-American Series #Juan Garcia – Whelen All-American Series Among the drivers not selected were

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

NASCAR Mexico Series champion

Abraham Calderón Abraham Calderón (born November 25, 1988) is a Mexican racecar driver from Monterrey. He currently drives the No. 2 ARRIS Toyota in the NASCAR Mexico Series. In 2014 he won the Toyota Series championship; previously he had already won the 2006 ...

, and former D4D/

drivers Dylan Smith and

Natalie Decker Natalie Marie Decker (born June 25, 1997) is an American professional stock car racing driver. She last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 33 Toyota Supra for Reaume Brothers Racing, the No. 28 Ford Mustang for RSS Ra ...

2015

Source:

Kenzie Ruston Turner Scott Motorsports Chevrolet Richmond 2013

#Devon Amos – K&N Pro Series East #Jay Beasley – K&N Pro Series East #Collin Cabre – K&N Pro Series East; one win (

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

), 10th in points. #

–

Kenzie Ruston Kenzie Ruston Hemric (born October 12, 1991) is an American professional stock car racing driver. She last competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2015, driving the No. 4 Toyota Camry for Rev Racing. Hemric is married to current NASCAR Xfin ...

– K&N Pro Series East; earned highest finish for a female in a K&N Pro Series East race of 2nd in 2014 with

Ben Kennedy Racing Benjamin Kennedy (born December 26, 1991) is an American motorsports executive, professional stock car racing team owner, and former driver. He currently serves as NASCAR's Senior Vice President of Racing Development and Strategy. Executive caree ...

#Dylan Smith – Whelen All-American Series Among the 14 drivers not selected were

champion

and former D4D/

driver Paige Decker.

2014

Source: #Devon Amos #Jay Beasley – two top fives in K&N East Series # Paige Decker # Ryan Gifford – one top five in K&N East, one Nationwide race for

Biagi-DenBeste Racing Biagi-DenBeste Racing, originally Biagi Brothers Racing, was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing. The team was based in Mooresville, North Carolina. ...

(20th place in Iowa) # Sergio Pena – One K&N East win #

– Four wins in Toyota Series, two K&N East wins, two Nationwide starts, signed to drive for

in the

in 2015

2013

Source: #Annabeth Barnes #Mackena Bell – K&N Pro Series East: 2 top fives, 13th in points # Ryan Gifford – K&N Pro Series East: Win at Richmond, 11th in points; finished ninth in Iowa Nationwide race #Jack Madrid #Bryan Ortiz – K&N Pro Series East: 2 top fives, 10th in points #

– NASCAR Toyota Series (3 wins, 2nd in points), K&N East (one win, third in points)

2012

Source: #Jorge Arteaga – K&N Pro Series East – two top tens, 14th in points #Mackena Bell – Whelen All-American Series #Trey Gibson – Whelen All-American Series #Ryan Gifford – K&N Pro Series East – 11th in points, two top fives, three top tens #

– K&N Pro Series East – two wins, one pole, won 2012 series championship, series Rookie of the Year; three top tens in four

events, including second at Phoenix; currently driving in the

for

#Bryan Ortiz – K&N Pro Series East, fifth in points, two top fives, nine top tens

2011

Source: #Jorge Arteaga – Whelen All-American Series #Mackena Bell – Whelen All-American, ran six K&N Pro Series East races #Jessica Brunelli – Whelen All-American, ran four K&N Pro Series West races in 2011 #Michael Cherry – K&N Pro Series East, 14th in points #Trey Gibson – Whelen All-American #Ryan Gifford – K&N Pro Series East, tenth in points #Tayla Orleans – Whelen All-American #Bryan Ortiz – Whelen All-American # Sergio Pena – K&N Pro Series East – Won races at South Boston, Hampton, and Greenville, fifth in series points #Darrell Wallace Jr. – K&N Pro Series East – Won at

Richmond International Raceway Richmond Raceway (RR) is a , ''D''-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in unincorporated Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Known as ...

, Columbus, and

Dover International Speedway Dover Motor Speedway (formerly Dover Downs International Speedway and later Dover International Speedway) is a race track in Dover, Delaware. The track has hosted at least one NASCAR Cup Series race each year since 1969, including two per yea ...

; pole positions at South Boston, Loudon, and Dover, second in series points

2010

Darrell Wallace Jr Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Rockingham 2013

Source: #Mackena Bell – K&N Pro Series East #Jessica Brunelli – Whelen All-American Series #Michael Cherry – Whelen All-American Series #Ryan Gifford – K&N Pro Series East – First African-American to win a pole position in series (June 6 at

) #Katie Hagar – Whelen All-American Series # Paul Harraka – K&N Pro Series West #Rebecca Kasten – Whelen All-American Series # Sergio Pena – K&N Pro Series East #Megan Reitenour – Whelen All-American Series #Jason Romero – Whelen All-American Series #

– K&N Pro Series East – In March 2010, he won the race at

Greenville-Pickens Speedway Greenville-Pickens Speedway is a race track located in Easley, South Carolina, just west of Greenville, South Carolina. The track hosted weekly NASCAR sanctioned races. Several NASCAR touring series have raced at the track in prior years, includi ...

and became the first African-American and the youngest driver to win in the series. He also won the

Lee USA Speedway Lee USA Speedway is a short-track oval race track located in Lee, New Hampshire. History The facility opened as Lee Raceway in 1964 as a dirt tri-oval, in length. Original owner Bob Bonser later recounted that he initially bought the land the ...

event in July. Overall, Wallace finished third in points and earned series Rookie of the Year honors.

2009

Source: #

Mackena Bell __NOTOC__ Mackena Bell (born June 9, 1990) is an American professional stock car racing driver. She drove the No. 23 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet for one race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2014. She was also a graduate of NASCAR Drive for Div ...

# Kristin Bumbera # Michael Cherry # Jonathan Gomez # Katie Hagar # Paul Harraka – The first member to win a race in a NASCAR regional touring series event (

Camping World West Series The ARCA Menards Series West, formerly the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, NASCAR AutoZone West Series, NASCAR Winston West Series and NASCAR Camping World West Series, is a regional stock car racing series owned and operated by the Automobile Racin ...

event at

Colorado National Speedway Colorado National Speedway is a paved oval in Dacono, Colorado spanning . The track is currently a member of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and hosts the ARCA Menards Series West (former NASCAR K&N Pro Series West), thKing of the Wi ...

in August 2009). He won the September event at

All-American Speedway All American Speedway is a 1/3-mile NASCAR-sanctioned paved oval racetrack located in Roseville, California, United States. The track first began operations in 1954. The track was originally a quarter mile long, but was renovated before the 2008 ...

en route to series Rookie of the Year honors and fourth in the standings. #

Laura Hayes ''The Queens of Comedy'' is a 2000 American stand-up comedy film directed by Steve Purcell that is a spin-off film of ''The Original Kings of Comedy'', both of which were produced by Walter Latham. The film follows the performances and behind-t ...

# Juan Pitts #Megan Reitenour # Natalie Sather # Jonathan Smith # Emily Sue Steck

2008

Source: #Kristin Bumbera #Michael Cherry # Michael Gallegos #Paul Harraka # Jesus Hernandez # Lindsey King #

Lloyd Mack Lloyd, Lloyd's, or Lloyds may refer to: People * Lloyd (name), a variation of the Welsh word ' or ', which means "grey" or "brown" ** List of people with given name Lloyd ** List of people with surname Lloyd * Lloyd (singer) (born 1986), America ...

#Jonathan Smith

2007

Source: # Michael Gallegos #Paul Harraka # Jessica Helberg #Jesus Hernandez # Peter Hernandez #Lloyd Mack #Jonathan Smith

2006

Source: # Chris Bristol # Brianne Cronrath # Marc Davis # Allison Duncan #Paul Harraka #Jessica Helberg #Jesus Hernandez – Signed to a development contract with

MB2 Motorsports MB2 Motorsports was a NASCAR Cup Series team based in Mooresville, North Carolina, near the sport's hub in Charlotte. The team was founded by Read Morton, Tom Beard, and Nelson Bowers, from which the original team name were named after. Bowers w ...

. #Peter Hernandez

2005

Source: #Brianne Cronrath – Replaced Morty Buckles mid-season #Allison Duncan #

Sarah Fisher Sarah Marie Fisher (born October 4, 1980) is an American retired professional race car driver who competed in the IndyCar Series, Indy Racing League (IRL, now IndyCar Series) and the Indianapolis 500 intermittently from 1999 to 2010. She also ...

#Michael Gallegos # Joe Henderson III #Jesus Hernandez #

Tommy Lane Tommy Lee Jones was born on January 4, 1949, and is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Tommy Lane. Lane is best known for his appearances in Southern United States professional wrestling promotions as To ...

# Terri Williams

2004

Source: #

Bruce Driver Bruce Douglas Driver (born April 29, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1983–84 until 1997–98. Early life When he was 12, Driver played in the 1975 Quebec I ...

#Allison Duncan #Joe Henderson III # Reggie Primus

Teams involved in the Drive for Diversity

Current

Former

*Belnavis Racing – owned by then-

Roush Racing Roush is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Politics *Glenn Roush (1934–2020), American politician in Montana * J. Edward Roush (1920–2004), United States Representative for Indiana, namesake of: ** J. Edward Roush Lake, a re ...

executive

Sam Belnavis Sam Belnavis (August 8, 1939 – July 14, 2021) was an American executive in automobile racing. Belnavis, an African-American, was one of comparatively few ethnic minorities to have owned a NASCAR racing team. He was the head of Roush Fenway Raci ...

Bill McAnally Racing McAnally–Hilgemann Racing (MHR) is an American professional stock car racing team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team is based in Roseville, California, and is owned by Bill McAnally (in Truck, is co-owned ...

* FDJ Motorsports * Ginn Racing / MB2 Motorsports * Golden State Racing * High Point Racing *

Ken Schrader Racing Ken Schrader Racing was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, fielding the No. 52 for Natalie Decker. The team is owned by longtime NASCAR driver Ken Schrader. Over the years, Schra ...

Richard Childress Racing Richard Childress Racing (RCR) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team is based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by Richard ...

* Roadrunner Motorsports * RTD Motorsports *

SCORE Motorsports {{Infobox former NASCAR team , name = Peak Fitness Racing , logo = , owners = Angela Sadler, Bryant Stith, Jeff Stec , series = Nextel Cup Series, Busch Series , drivers_champ = 0 , wins = 0 , numbe ...

* TW Motorsports

Minority and female-owned teams in NASCAR

Current

B. J. McLeod Motorsports B. J. McLeod Motorsports is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team is owned by B. J. McLeod and his wife Jessica. The team currently fields the No. 78 full-time for ...

- Co-owned by Jessica Smith-McLeod * Beard Motorsports Co-owned by Annie Beard and Linda Beard *

- Owned by

Jesse Iwuji Motorsports Jesse Iwuji Motorsports is an American stock car racing team that competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. It was founded in 2021 by NFL hall of famer, Emmitt Smith, with NASCAR driver and United States Navy Reserve officer, Jesse Iwuji, ...

- Co-owned by

Jesse Iwuji Jesse Ekene Iwuji ( ; born August 12, 1987) is an American professional stock car racing driver and officer in the United States Navy Reserve. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 34 Chevrolet Camaro for Jesse Iwuji ...

and

Emmitt Smith Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Among other accolades, he is the lea ...

– Co-owned by

Kelley Earnhardt Miller Kelley King Earnhardt Miller (née Earnhardt; formerly Earnhardt-Elledge; born August 28, 1972) is an American businesswoman. She is the Chief Executive Officer of JR Motorsports which she co-owns with her brother, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and she is ...

JTG Daugherty Racing JTG Daugherty Racing (formerly ST Motorsports and JTG Racing) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team is owned by former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi ...

– Co-owned by Female owner Jodi Geschickter along with her brother &

Co-owned by Samantha Busch *

The Money Team Racing The Money Team Racing, also known as TMT Racing, is an American professional stock car racing team that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team is owned by former professional boxer, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and they currently field the No. 5 ...

- Co-owned by

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. (''né'' Sinclair; February 24, 1977) is an American boxing promoter and former professional boxer. He currently owns a team in the NASCAR Cup Series named The Money Team Racing. As a professional boxer he competed b ...

NY Racing Team NY Racing Team (formerly Xxxtreme Motorsport and Team Xtreme Racing) is an American professional stock car racing team in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team is owned by John Cohen, who is one of the few African-Americans to have owned a NASCAR tea ...

- Owned by John Cohen *

Our Motorsports Our Motorsports is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, fielding the No. 02 Chevrolet Camaro SS full-time for TBA, the No. 23 Camaro full-time for TBA, and the No. TBA Ca ...

- Co-owned by Mary Our *

RSS Racing RSS Racing (also known as Ryan Shane Sieg Racing) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the ARCA Menards Series. The team is owned by Rod Sieg and Pamela Sieg. The main spons ...

Co-owned by Pamela Sieg *

ThorSport Racing ThorSport Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team was founded in 1996 as SealMaster Racing and is based in Sandusky, Ohio. Owned by Duke Thorson and his wife ...

- Co-owned by Rhonda Thorson *

- Co-owned by

Pitbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...

23XI Racing 23XI Racing (pronounced twenty-three eleven) is an American professional auto racing organization that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. It is owned and operated by Hall of Fame basketball player Michael Jordan, with current Joe Gibbs Racing dri ...

- Co-owned by

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...

Former

* Angela's Motorsports *

BAM Racing BAM Racing was a NASCAR racing team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, owned by Beth Ann and Tony Morgenthau. The team began racing in the ARCA RE/MAX Series in 2000 before moving to NASCAR in 2001. They sat out 2009 due to the recession, and h ...

BelCar Racing Travis Carter Enterprises (later known as Haas-Carter Motorsports, K Mart Racing, BelCar Motorsports and Richardson-Haas Motorsports) was a NASCAR and USAR Pro Cup team. It was mostly owned by former crew chief Travis Carter and Carl Haas. The ...

– Co-owned by

- Founded by

Felix Sabates Feliciano Sergio "Félix" Sabates Jr. (born September 9, 1945) is a retired Cuban-born entrepreneur and philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, foc ...

as Team SABCO, then co-owned the team as Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates until 2020. *

– Operated by

Teresa Earnhardt Teresa Earnhardt (née Houston; born October 29, 1958) is the third wife and widow of Dale Earnhardt. She is the biological mother of Taylor Nicole Earnhardt (born December 20, 1988) and she is the stepmother of Kerry Earnhardt, Kelley Earnhardt ...

from 2001 to 2008. *

Fitz Motorsports Trail Motorsports (formerly HighLine Performance Group, FitzBradshaw Racing and Fitz Motorsports) was a NASCAR team based in Mooresville, North Carolina, which is near Charlotte. The team is owned by Armando Fitz and Art Shelton, and was previous ...

Hispanic Racing Team Hispanic Racing Team was a NASCAR Busch Series team owned by Mike Vasquez, Rudy Rodriguez and former Winston Cup owner Larry Hedrick. The cars were driven by 1992 Indy 500 polesitter Roberto Guerrero, Carlos Contreras, Christian Fittipaldi, and ...

Liberty Racing Liberty Racing was an American auto racing team co-owned by former Cleveland Cavaliers player Brad Daugherty and owner of Liberty auto Group Jim Herrick. The team ran a single Ford in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series between 1997 and 1999. Notabl ...

* Marc Davis Racing *

ML Motorsports ML Motorsports was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. It was owned jointly by Mary Louise Miller and her daughter, Stephanie Mullen, making it the first confirmed NASCAR team to be ow ...

Obaika Racing Obaika Racing is an African professional stock car racing team. The team is owned by African entrepreneur Victor Obaika. It has competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team was formed in early 2015 and co ...

Randy Moss Motorsports Randy Moss Motorsports with HTM (formerly known as Morgan-Dollar Motorsports) was a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. It was owned by David Dollar and National Football League, NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss. Former driver Rob Mo ...

– formerly Morgan-Dollar Motorsports *

* Smith-Ganassi Racing – Co-owned by

Evander Holyfield Evander Holyfield (born October 19, 1962) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2011. He reigned as the undisputed champion at cruiserweight in the late 1980s and at heavyweight in the early 1990s, and is the on ...

* Team Paradigm *

Team Xtreme Racing NY Racing Team (formerly Xxxtreme Motorsport and Team Xtreme Racing) is an American professional stock car racing team in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team is owned by John Cohen, who is one of the few African-Americans to have owned a NASCAR team ...

* Victory Motorsports *

Vizion Motorsports Vizion Motorsports (formerly NextGen Motorsports) was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series. In the Truck Series, the team currently fielded a ...

- Co-owned by Jennifer Brown *

Washington-Erving Motorsports Washington-Erving Motorsports is a defunct American stock car racing team. It was owned by former NFL running back Joe Washington and former NBA player Julius Erving. Washington and Erving fielded cars in the NASCAR Busch Series (now Xfinity Serie ...

References

External links

Official Website

History and structure

Context

Origins

NASCAR involvement

Impact on NASCAR

Graduates

Other drivers

NASCAR internationally

Drivers

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Teams involved in the Drive for Diversity

Current

Former

Minority and female-owned teams in NASCAR

Current

Former

See also

References

External links

Further reading