The American Auto Racing League (NASCAR) under the program Drive for Diversity began training aspiring minority and female drivers in 2004. The program aims to attract female and minority individuals as drivers, crew members, sponsors, owners and to attract a variety of an audience to the sport. The Drive for Diversity program also aligns the chosen racers with a group of mentors, executives, crew chiefs, and athletic directors who help them succeed in their careers and thus improve on their chances of getting into any of the NASCAR national series.
Selection Criteria
To be considered, applicants must present their curriculum vitae, references, headshot, and a video of them racing and another video explaining why they want to be selected. They are then accepted to participate in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity annual combine event where they compete in various races. The leading drivers are thereafter chosen for the Drive for Diversity development team, and later they participate in more competitions.
The 2018 Drive for Diversity development team comprises of drivers from diverse backgrounds all sharing a common goal of reaching the topmost levels of NASCAR. The drivers come from different driving disciplines and heritage, and before being accepted into the program, they are closely watched by officials from NASCAR.
2018 Participants
The roster for 2018 includes; Ernie Francis Jr., Chase Cabre, Nick Sanchez, Isabella Robusto, Ryan Vargas, and Ruben Garcia Jr. Past participants have competed in various races and went on to win in many of those races. The selected individuals have talent, and it is expected that they will improve over the years and win champions as they elevate their careers and leave a lasting legacy in NASCAR.
