Auto racing has never been the most diverse sport, either NASCAR, IndyCar or Formula One.
The prohibitive costs of the vehicles, the difficulty in getting corporate sponsorship and the historical lack of access to training facilities and experience have all been part of the reasons so few Blacks and other people of color have participated in the sport.
But now there has been increased Black involvement in NASCAR at the ownership level.
The most successful has been the team owned by former NBA and University of North Carolina star Brad Daugherty.
He’s been a team owner since 1988 and is currently co-owner of the NASCAR cup team JFG Daugherty Racing.
His team won the Daytona 500, NASCSR’s biggest race, this past season. Daugherty also owns vehicles in the truck and Xfinity series, and previously was a racing commentator for ESPN.
But more importantly, he has partnered with NASCAR to create a training program for minority youth that prepares them for other opportunities in the sport besides driving.
“There are so many other jobs on this field that offer good pay and opportunity, “Daugherty told HBO’s Real Sports earlier this month. “The program has had some success, as NASCAR is seeing more diversity in the stands and on pit row.
One thing that Daugherty wasn’t able to make inroads was in finding a Black NASCAR driver. But fellow Tar Heel and NBA great Michael Jordan, also a team owner, has Bubba Wallace as his team driver. Wallace is only the second Black man to be a NASCAR driver. Though he has yet to win, Wallace has plenty of confidence as he showed often during last season’s struggles. Wallace was the subject of a Netflix documentary last season, and he remains a popular if also at times baffling and excessively combative individual.
It will be quite interesting to see if this year he can get his car into the NASCAR playoffs.
If so, there could be a rematch of old NBA foes Jordan and Daugherty. Only this time it will be their cars pitted against each other.
