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Tag: NASCAR Drive for Diversity

  • What Suarez’s Championship Win Means for NASCAR

    What Suarez’s Championship Win Means for NASCAR

    The NASCAR XFINITY Series season is over and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Daniel Suarez has been crowned the 2016 champion.

    Let that sink in a bit. Suarez is the XFINITY Series champion. Not Elliott Sadler or Erik Jones, both of whom had stellar seasons and were considered the odds-on favorites to emerge at the top of the Championship Four. It was Suarez who hoisted the series trophy on the frontstretch when the race was over.

    It’s a championship story that NASCAR needed. Try as they might, diversity in NASCAR pales to other popular motorsports even though they have the NASCAR Drive For Diversity campaign. Suarez, a graduate of the program, isn’t the first minority to win a race in a national touring division, but he is the first to score a championship. In NASCAR’s 60-plus year history, that should say something about ethnicity in the sport.

    It’s not for lack of trying, though. There have been many different races, creeds, religions, and genders to come through NASCAR over the years. Many have succeeded, and many have failed. XFINITY Series driver Darrell Wallace Jr., who is half black, has been successful behind the wheel in his brief NASCAR career, while Kyle Larson, who is half Japanese, has won in the Camping World Truck Series, XFINITY Series, and the Sprint Cup Series. But it hasn’t always been like that as former drivers, including Marc Davis and Paulie Harraka, have had their careers stall.

    So to see Suarez win a major NASCAR championship is a validating accomplishment in motorsports, something that shows the rest of the world that this is something that anyone can succeed in if they put forth the effort and earn the right breaks. To the uninformed, NASCAR has been stereotyped as an all-white, all-male sport. Once upon a time that was the case. But in this day and age, the sport has worked hard to be seen as progressive and evolving, and Saturday night’s Ford 300 was a huge payoff.

    There’s still naysayers; just take a look at Twitter and Facebook to see the amount of hate this championship win has garnered. But the good outweighs the bad as many people have taken to social media to send congratulations to the Monterrey, Mexico native. This was a popular championship win in many ways, not only because of Suarez’s quiet, humble nature but also because of what this means for the sport.

    Whenever a woman comes into the sport, or someone of a different race or nationality, much is made about it. That goes double if they’ve even had some degree of success. Wallace has won several times in the CWTS. Israeli native Alon Day has had success in the NASCAR Euro Series. Danica Patrick is the only woman to date to have won an IndyCar event.

    But if we keep on seeing more drivers from all over coming in and doing what Suarez did, then there will be a day when a driver stops being noticed for being different from the normal status quo and will instead be noted for their driving ability. When that day comes then NASCAR will finally be seen as the amazing sport it truly is.

  • NASCAR BTS: Roush Fenway’s Diversity Duo

    NASCAR BTS: Roush Fenway’s Diversity Duo

    Given NASCAR’s recent celebration of its 2016 NASCAR Diversity Awards, this week’s NASCAR Behind the Scenes highlights the dynamic and diverse pit crew duo from @roushfenway, Mike Russell and Rafael Diaz.

    These two members of the 2105 NASCAR XFINITY Series championship team with driver @Chris_Buescher were recognized for inspiring awareness of the sport through their competitive performance and outreach activities.

    Mike Russell served as the jack man for Buescher’s team.  And while winning the championship was exciting for him, the pit crew diversity award was a capstone for all of his hard work and effort.

    “This award means a lot to me,” Russell said. “It shows I’m being recognized, you know. People are looking and seeing what I’ve done.

    “It was a great moment in my career and knowing that all the hard work and effort paid off is a great thing.”

    Russell did not start off wanting to be a jack man for one of the powerhouse NASCAR teams. In fact, before getting involved with NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, Russell actually knew very little about the sport of stock car racing.

    “I’m from a little town called Tillery, North Carolina,” Russell said. “I got out of work one day and I was watching TV. I saw a show called ‘Changing Lanes’ and I saw the pit crew part of it.”

    “That sparked me to want to get into racing. I did my research and then went to the NASCAR Technical Institute,” Russell continued. “Within that, they had a three-week pit crew program.”

    “As soon as they taught me the simple mechanics of a jack man, I knew from that day I wanted to do this.”

    “All the teachers were coming up to me saying I was pretty good and saying I should make it a career,” Russell said. “So, with their input and me feeling good about it, I looked more into it and that’s when I got in touch with the Drive for Diversity program.”

    “I started off doing ARCA races and that led into XFINITY races and after two years of being in the D4D program, I got hired on at Kyle Busch Motorsports on the 18 Truck. So, I did that for a full year and after that year was up, I got hired on at Roush Fenway as a jack man.”

    “And that’s where I’ve found a home.”

    Russell’s teammate Rafael Diaz also found a home at Roush Fenway Racing and was equally as thrilled to receive the pit crew diversity recognition.

    “It was really exciting and I didn’t expect the award,” Diaz said. “I just hope I can keep doing great things in this career.”

    Diaz took a slightly different path than his teammate when it came to pursuing his racing career. In fact, he had a whole other career in mind after his family moved from Mexico to Chicago.

    “Since I was little, I always played soccer,” Diaz said. “My goal was to become a professional soccer player.”

    “But around 15 years old, I injured my knee,” Diaz continued. “Race cars were my ‘Plan B.’ Knowing I couldn’t play soccer, my next plan was to get into racing. That’s why I moved to Charlotte.”

    “I met people in the Drive for Diversity program and I got in and started practicing,” Diaz said. “I became good at it and ended up at Roush Fenway. They gave me a great opportunity to prove myself.”

    Diaz has indeed proven himself as a rear tire changer for not only Chris Buescher’s championship team last year but also previously with Carl Edwards’ team.

    “I pitted Carl’s car and won a Sprint Cup race with him, as well as an All-Star Pit Crew competition with him,” Diaz said. “My son was actually born on the same day that we won with Carl Edwards in Sonoma, California.”

    “I was a little bit late for him but it was worth it.”

    Both drivers acknowledged that not only did they enjoy competing on the track, but they also highly valued working together as part of a team.

    “I do like the team camaraderie the best,” Russell said. “You want to do all you can for the next guy beside you and your teammates. We count on each other to get the job done.”

    “I do my 100 percent and he will give his all for me and we all come together and make a good thing happen.”

    For this dynamic duo, however, the most important part of receiving their diversity award was to be able to pave the way for other pit crew members from other backgrounds and ethnicities to follow in their footsteps.

    “I do feel like I am an inspiration,” Russell said. “There are a lot of new guys coming up through the Drive for Diversity program that I talk to all the time.”

    “That motivates them to stay at it, working hard and keeping at it. They see that I came from the program and I’m doing good, so they can do the same.”

    “You have to be committed, love what you do and do it to the best of your ability,” Russell said. “That’s what I think has led to our success.”

     

  • Jay Beasley Sees D4D Opportunity as Dream Come True

    Jay Beasley Sees D4D Opportunity as Dream Come True

    For 21 year old Jay Beasley, himself a track champion in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model at The Bullring at Las Vegas, being chosen for the 2014 Drive for Diversity Class is nothing short of a dream come true.

    “It’s amazing and I’ve been thinking about this my whole life being in NASCAR,” Beasley said. “For NASCAR to look at me and want me to be in this D4D family is a huge recognition.”

    “It feels really amazing and it’s a blessing.”

    Beasley was born and raised in Las Vegas and loves racing in the area. In addition to his home town track championship, he has also won the Series Nevada championship with eight victories in 14 starts. In addition, the young up and comer was the recipient of the 2013 Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award due to his early successes on the track.

    “I love Las Vegas,” Beasley said. “It’s really cool racing out on the west coast.”

    “The Bull Ring is a really tough track,” Beasley continued. “It seems like having that track under my belt helps me out at every other track that I go to.”

    While Beasley is perfectly at home and has had great success at the Vegas Bull Ring, he will now be challenged to race in the K&N Pro Series East for Rev Racing on tracks where he has never been before in his life.

    “I’ve only been on one track back east and that’s Langley for the combine,” Beasley said. “So, I’m really, really green. Everything is new to me.”

    “This year, I’m really excited to be going to these different tracks and to be racing in the K&N East Series,” Beasley continued. “Everything is going to be different and I actually get a kick out of that and it fires me up even more.”

    “I have to adapt quickly and be on the ball, because if I’m not, I’m going to struggle.”

    Beasley is also looking to adapt to his team and is already hard at work on establishing that critical relationship with them, as well as crew chief Eddie Dickerson.

    “My crew chief has been in the sport for a really long time, has worked for Hendrick, and has built a whole bunch of chasses,” Beasley said. “Everyone that is in the Rev Racing program has been in the NASCAR family for quite some time. So, when you get picked, it’s truly an honor to be working with these people because they have so much knowledge.”

    “Coming into the shop and working with the guys, you are learning and gaining a relationship every day,” Beasley continued. “It’s really amazing.”

    While Beasley admits that there are many racing idols that he looks up to, he is also committed to being his own individual on the track, as well as creating his own unique style and brand.

    “I look at a lot of drivers and there are just things about drivers that make them who they are,” Beasley said. “Like Jimmie Johnson, he has won so many championships and he is so level-headed. Clint Bowyer is really a crazy guy but he’s himself and is not trying to put on a façade. Then you have the Busch boys and they are bad and then they are good and trying to be better and they’re fast.”

    “I’m excited to change the sport and put some Jay Beasley into it and to make a name for myself and to put my brand out there.”

    “My brand is going to be the Michael Jordan of NASCAR,” Beasley continued. “That means that I can have any age kid want to be like me. Or I can give them a good way to look at life, not just racing.”

    “I just want to open people’s minds about racing and the passion for it,” Beasley said. “It’s not about the money or the fame because when you get into that race car, you are in bliss. You’re happy and you do it because you love to do it.”

    “You’re not there to make it into the fame but to do it because it feels good in your heart,” Beasley continued. “That’s how I feel. Being in that race car is like that oxygen. For me to survive and for me to live, I need to be in that race car or I’m not living.”

    “That’s just the way it is.”

    Beasley has clear goals for 2014, as well as bringing balance to what he knows will be a challenging season.

    “My goals for 2014 would be to finish every race and not get wrecked out,” Beasley said. “To get top-10s and top-5s and to even win a couple races would be amazing. To adapt and to be in the shop every day with my guys working on the car and working out are all goals to write down and keep digging on.”

    “This is going to be more exciting to me,” Beasley continued. “I will have to take one day at a time, have fun and enjoy what’s going on.”

    “I will have to really stop and smell the roses because this doesn’t happen every day,” Beasley said. “I’m just really excited and I need to thank NASCAR and everyone getting ready for the season so we can do what we love to do.”

  • Sergio Peña Sets Sights on Championship as Fourth Year D4D Participant

    Sergio Peña Sets Sights on Championship as Fourth Year D4D Participant

    A multi-year participant in NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, 21 year old Sergio Peña has set a high bar for himself in the K&N Pro Series East this year. In fact, the first generation Colombian American from Virginia, along with his Rev Racing team, intends to be the champion.

    “I definitely have my goals set high this year,” Peña said. “This is my fourth full-time season in the K&N Pro Series East and I want to go out and win as many races as I can and hopefully the championship.”

    Peña already has three career K&N Pro Series East wins under his belt, as well as a pair of top-10 finishes in the point standings and 19 top-10 finishes in 39 East starts. But he yearns for the big prize in 2014, just like one of his racing idols and former Rev Racing driver Kyle Larson.

    “I know Rev Racing is capable of doing it because they’ve done it with Kyle Larson,” Peña said. “They’ve had strong programs every year.”

    “Any up and coming driver right now wants to imitate what Kyle Larson is doing,” Peña continued. “He’s kind of set the standard.”

    “So to be doing it with the same team that he had and his same group of guys is exciting,” Peña said. “Everyone works together and it’s a big family here at Rev Racing so I’m excited to be a part of it and hopefully I can follow in his footsteps for sure.”

    Although Peña is excited about working with his Rev Racing team, he admits that they are a totally new group and he and his team have much to learn about one another.

    “I’ve got a whole new group this year so that will be interesting to get to know everyone,” Peña said. “I’ve been in the shop a few times and got to meet my crew chief, car chief, and a couple of the guys who will be working on the car.”

    “I’ll have to get to know those new faces as quickly as possible so that we can click as a group,” Peña continued. “If you don’t have a good relationship with your guys, it just doesn’t work out very well.”

    “So, I’ve been in the shop and we’re getting along great,” Peña said. “I’m excited to get going here and do some racing.”

    Many, including East Series Director Kip Childress, have described Peña as a very calculating, very precise racer. So, how does Peña prepare himself for the 2014 season?

    “I go to the gym every single day,” Peña said. “That’s something that I’ve been doing since high school.”

    “I’m really into sports and I play basketball almost every day too,” Peña continued. “Staying physically fit is something that I stay on stop of a lot.”

    Peña is also very exacting as far as his mental approach to the sport. And for this up and coming driver, it is all about maintaining his focus.

    “I would say this is more of a mental sport than any sport there is,” Peña said. “When you’re driving on the edge at one hundred plus miles per hour, you definitely need to be focused.”

    “It’s something that you train yourself over the years from when you first start racing,” Peña continued. “You learn how to focus, how to stay focused in those longer races, and throughout the years, I’ve just learned how to stay focused.”

    While Peña is focused on winning the K&N Pro Series East championship, he also has his eye on another prize, that of moving up to the next level in the sport.

    “I definitely have a relationship with several Truck Series and Nationwide teams,” Peña said. “As we all know, a lot in this sport is about funding. It’s hard to find sponsorship to do that so I definitely want to leave many doors open as I can to find some rides like that.”

    While Peña has been competing since he was four years old, when his father bought him a dirt bike, he credits his success in NASCAR to date to the Drive for Diversity program.

    “My involvement with the Drive for Diversity program has definitely helped me,” Peña said. “NASCAR is trying to get more diverse and this program is proven to work very well.”

    “I believe that being a part of this program is definitely helping factor into my success,” Peña continued. “In fact, it can be the deciding factor in not only NASCAR since the whole entire country is trying to diversify in every angle.”

    “It’s an awesome opportunity to be a part of and I’m really thankful that I’m selected again to participate,” Peña said. “I’m ready to help them spread diversity through the sport.”

    “And I’m definitely ready to win that championship.”

  • Ryan Gifford Confident As 2014 Drive for Diversity Contender

    Ryan Gifford Confident As 2014 Drive for Diversity Contender

    NASCAR Drive for Diversity (D4D) recently announced its 2014 class of young, up and coming multicultural and female drivers and one of the headliners of the group is Ryan Gifford.

    Gifford, a 24 year old from Tennessee, made history in 2010 by becoming the first African-American driver to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East pole position. He also scored his first East win at Richmond last year, as well as making his Nationwide debut for Richard Childress Racing.

    “First of all, it’s awesome to be back with the team,” Gifford said as he returns to his same Rev Racing team from last season. “It’s rare to get this opportunity this many times and I’m looking forward to having a really good year.”

    “I think we’re going to bring back most of the same guys on the team and I’ll have the same crew chief Mark Green,” Gifford continued. “We had a good run last year and I really like all my guys.”

    “They work their guts out for me and I think that’s what it takes.”

    “I know Mark’s really excited and they’ve put a lot of work into the cars over the winter,” Gifford continued. “Really for me, I’m excited to have new cars coming together. And when I go to the shop and see everyone working, I think it will be a really cool year.”

    While Gifford admits that he learned many lessons from last year, the biggest lesson learned sounds easier said than done.

    “I’ve learned just to be confident in myself really,” Gifford said. “To know that I can go out there and be fast and know I’m capable of doing it this year, which means everything to me.”

    “I want to go out and win the championship this year.”

    Gifford has also learned a great deal about the tracks on which he has competed. This has been especially challenging for the young D4D competitor as his background has primarily been on the local dirt tracks.

    “For me, my best tracks where I feel most comfortable are the companion races and the faster tracks,” Gifford said. “I don’t have a lot of experience on pavement even though I’ve driven in the K&N Series for four years.”

    “Before that, I raced all dirt,” Gifford continued. “So, all those kinds of race tracks compare more to the dirt than the little, slower short tracks that we go to. I think the slower places are the ones I struggle at more.”

    “But last year, I did really well there too so I think this year will be fun,” Gifford said. “I know I still have a lot to learn but I’ve learned some of them the hard way. I think I’ve got a little experience under my belt and I’m ready to go for it.”

    While Gifford will most certainly be concentrating on asphalt racing, his heart and roots remain in dirt and he will continue to race late models whenever possible.

    “I think I’m looking at about 15 races this year,” Gifford said. “So, it will be exciting to fit all that into the schedule and try and make everything work.”

    “But I’m really excited to be able to do all that and it really helps to stay in the seat when we have two or three weeks off.”

    How does the young D4D competitor intend to balance the rigors of racing so often and on so many different surfaces?

    “I think just staying in the race car is the biggest thing that helps me balance it all,” Gifford said. “And staying in different kinds of race cars helps me adapt.”

    “I need to be a really versatile driver so that part will keep me mentally focused and not thinking about other things,” Gifford continued. “Aside from that, I stay busy at the shop and every now and then I try to squeeze in a work out to try to keep myself in shape. That keeps me comfortable when I’m in a race car.”

    Gifford has been significantly influenced by Richard Childress Racing, from the choice of his racing idol to his two best friends in the sport.

    “In the past, my racing idol has always been Dale Earnhardt but then, once I moved here, I’ve gotten to know the Dillon brothers and they are kind of like my brothers now,” Gifford said. “They have let me live with them for a couple of years and they’re really good friends.”

    “Seeing them go up through the ranks and handle everything has been really cool and I really look up to both of them.”

    Fans of the up and coming racer may also be surprised with his day job and his ability to work on his own race cars.

    “I still work at the shop and I still work on Austin and Ty’s cars,” Gifford said. “That’s pretty much my during the week job.”

    “Even K&N racing is still not the big time yet so you have to do what you can to pay the bills,” Gifford continued. “It’s a lot of fun to work on those cars.”

    “I can pretty much build a race car from the ground up so I’m for sure a gear head,” Gifford said. “I’ve always had to work on my own race cars and to build them and keep them up so, I’ve learned pretty much every angle of the sport that I can, including building the cars and servicing them.”

    “I think that’s a cool fact for fans to know.”

    But what Gifford really wants fans to know is how he intends to approach his 2014 Drive for Diversity K&N Pro Series season.

    “If I could choose one word to describe how I feel about the year and participating in the Drive for the Diversity Program it would be confident,” Gifford said. “I’m really excited for this year and can’t wait to get started.”

     

  • Kyle Larson ‘Felt Like a Super Star’ With Top Ten Truck Finish

    Kyle Larson ‘Felt Like a Super Star’ With Top Ten Truck Finish

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: kylelarsonracing.com” align=”alignright” width=”157″][/media-credit]Making his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway, one young driver just wanted to learn and finish the race.

    But Kyle Larson, behind the wheel of the No. 4 Chip Ganassi Racing Teams Mobile App, finished top ten and simply “felt like a super star.”

    “That was a big surprise,” Larson said. “I didn’t get much practice there so I didn’t really know how I was going to do.”

    “And with me blowing a motor up and not having much practice, as well as being a go or go homer, I didn’t push it too hard in qualifying,” Larson continued. “I just wanted to spend the first part of the race figuring out how the truck handled and how the air moved around.”

    “Once I learned some stuff, I could really race and I could start picking off people,” Larson said. “And then I found myself in the top ten, so I was really excited about it.”

    “I felt like a super star.”

    With a top-ten in his Truck debut, Larson also garnered a fair amount of attention, particularly from the media. But the young driver took it all in stride.

    “I don’t pay too much attention about it,” Larson said. “The spot light’s been on me for quite a while now.”

    “I just try to go out and race because that’s my job and I love doing it,” Larson continued. “I just want to go out and win. And if I keep winning, the spot light will be even better.”

    Although Larson seemingly sprang onto the NASCAR scene, he has been driving since the age of seven. And he has an extremely impressive racing resume.

    “I started racing outlaw karts when I was seven,” Larson said. “They’re 400 pound go karts with 500 cc engines. So, they have way too much power for how much they weigh.”

    “I did that for about seven or eight years and moved into 360 and 410 sprint cars on dirt when I was 14,” Larson continued. “I won a couple races the first two years and my fourth year I won the championship and last year was my first year racing nationally in USAC in all their divisions.”

    “I also ran some outlaw races and I’m the only other driver besides I think Tony Stewart to win in all the open wheel national touring series all in one year,” Larson said. “I swept the four crown last year at Eldora Speedway and I did it my first try. That was cool to do.”

    “Last year I won a lot of big races so last year stands out to me because of that.”

    Larson has also been part of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, running in the K&N Pro Series East under the auspices of Rev Racing. And the young racer credits much of his success so far to that program.

    “It’s helped me a lot,” Larson said. “My mom’s Japanese so that’s how I’m in the diversity program.”

    “I run for Rev Racing and we’ve been pretty good all year,” Larson continued. “We got a win at Gresham a couple weeks ago.”

    “We just got to make the right calls for the race,” Larson said. “That’s our biggest problem we’ve had this year, not keeping up with the race track because it changes so much.”

    “I think if we work on that, we’ll be better and win some more races.”

    While Larson enjoys driving all types of race cars, his favorite being the winged sprint car, he sees himself racing in NASCAR’s highest levels. And ultimately, he would like to own his own race team.

    “Hopefully the route I’m going will take me to the Sprint Cup Series some day,” Larson said. “That’s my goal and that’s what I want to do.”

    “I want to race with Stewart and Gordon and Kahne and all those guys every week,” Larson continued. “And I’d like someday to own my own team like Kahne and Tony do.”

    “That’s my goal is to get to the Sprint Cup Series so I can help young kids coming up.”

    Larson aspires to be like two drivers in the Cup Series currently, but for very different reasons.

    “As far as a driver, I’d like to be like Kyle Busch because he wins, not a whole lot this year, but he’s a talented driver and he always gives 110%,” Larson said. “As far as off the track goes, I think I need to be like Jimmie Johnson.”

    “He’s really good with the fans and really good with the sponsors too,” Larson continued. “I’d like to be a driver like Kyle and like Jimmie off the track.”

    But for now, the young up and comer just hopes he can do some more truck racing, which of course is dependent on sponsorship.

    “Yeah, sponsors mean a lot as far as getting rides,” Larson said. “I’ve been lucky being with Chip Ganassi Racing and he helped out a lot with this year and also with the truck race at Kentucky.”

    “He has been a great help to me and hopefully we can find some more sponsors to get some more races,” Larson continued. “It’s tough to do with the economy being so bad.”

    “They’ve talked about a few more races but it all depends on if we get a sponsor,” Larson said. “If it were up to me, I’d be racing every weekend in that truck.”

    “I had a lot of fun.”

    Larson’s family also had a great time watching him race in his first ever Truck race. Although his parents still live in his native California, they have taken off this summer to watch their son and to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

    “Right now, my mom and dad are with me at these races, hanging out,” Larson said. “My dad just retired so he has some time now to come watch me.”

    “They were really happy after the Truck race,” Larson continued. “My dad’s a crier so he was up in the stands tearing up.”

    “They were really excited and happy that I did good in my first start.”

    For fans who want to get to know the young Larson, he has two surprises to share. The first is his passions off the track and the other is his interesting exercise regimen, or lack thereof.

    “These past few weeks, I raced every day,” Larson said. “I don’t get a lot of free time but when I do, I’m out fishing.”

    “During the winter, I like to go snowboarding when I can,” Larson continued. “I’m not good at it but I like going down the mountain.”

    “I’m also really skinny but I love to eat,” Larson continued. “And no, I don’t work out at all.”

    “I worked out a few times this year with Rev Racing but then I started racing so I didn’t have time,” Larson said. “I don’t get tired though.”

    “That’s what I think people would find surprising about me,” Larson said. “I never get winded. I think it’s just because I stay calm.”

    Finally, the young racer is simply enjoying his time in the sun, especially during his Truck debut.

    “That’s really the first time I’ve ever raced with all that media around,” Larson said. “So that was cool to get interviewed.”

    “I really did feel like a super star.”