Full Throttle

Having just completed perhaps the program’s most exciting preseason to date, the 11-member 2010 Drive for Diversity Class was introduced Tuesday night at the Daytona 500 Experience’s IMAX Theater. This latest group of young, talented and diverse NASCAR drivers was announced for the first time during Speedweeks.

Forgive the too cute by half headline, but when someone files a discrimination lawsuit against NASCAR’s Diversity Program claiming he’s “too white” to be in a sport pilloried for being “all white” it brings out the best, or worst in me take your pick.

The new look Drive for Diversity Combine presented by Sunoco entered the on-track portion Monday, as all 30 drivers climbed into Late Models for individual practice sessions at the Motor Mile Speedway.

Thirty drivers from different forms of racing across the United States will showcase their skills in front of NASCAR executives and officials at the annual Drive for Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine presented by Sunoco.

Megan Reitenour, first year driver for the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program pulls through with another top ten finish for her season finale event. Reitenour completes her season compiling a impressive record with 16 top tens, seven top fives in seventeen events.

The evolution of the Drive for Diversity, NASCAR’s leading on track diversity initiative, will continue in 2010 as competitors relocate to Charlotte and enter “academy-style” development under a single team ownership structure.

Paul Harraka was able to shake his bad luck this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, coming from the back of the field to a second-place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Series West road-course event.

Juan Pitta grabbed the lead with six laps remaining and earned his first win of the season in the Late Model Division at All American Speedway Saturday night.

It was a night of firsts on a fantastic evening of racing at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway. Twenty-three year old Emily Sue Steck went home with her first feature win in her third full season in the Late Model Division. It was also the first time that a female driver had taken home the checkers in that division.

First year Drive for Diversity participant Megan Reitenour scored a top-five finish at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C. on Friday night. Reitenour, driving the No. 92 Leicht Motorsports Chevrolet, finished fifth in the Late Model feature.

When the going gets tough Kristin Bumbera gets going. After being the victim of circumstances in her first two races this season Bumbera is going the extra mile to prepare for the third stop on her Camping World East Series tour.

Unlike football and basketball, NASCAR has had great difficulty attracting blacks to the sport. In a savvy move, BET has teamed up with the sport in hopes of attracting more blacks with an all-new reality-based show.

The Drive for Diversity program is gearing up for the 2009 season with the launch of a new online social gathering space Drive for Diversity: The Community. The social community, which launches today offers website visitors a more interactive and intimate way to learn about the Drive for Diversity initiative.

Megan Reitenour, a first-year participant in the Drive for Diversity initiative, was recently honored by her hometown of Miamisburg, Ohio, for her racing accomplishments. Reitenour will begin the 2009 season next month at Tri-County Speedway in Hudson, N.C., racing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series for Leicht Motorsports.

Nationwide Mutual Insurance, in partnership with local Nationwide Insurance agent Carlo White announced this week that it will sponsor NASCAR Whelen All-American Series driver, Michael “Fast” Cherry.

Rick Clark and Boris Said have announced a merger between Rick Clark Motorsports and No Fear Racing for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup campaign. The new organization will run with majority minority ownership with Said at the wheel of the #60 entry for 12-18 events during 2009.

Drivers accepted for the 2009 Drive For Diversity program were recently announced as the program moves with an expanded driver lineup and a new management group headed by Max Siegel through his new sports and entertainment marketing company, 909 Group.

Mackena Bell said she realized she’d have to try to fill a trailer with coats, hats, gloves and toys for Carson City children instead of her race cars that she brought to her charity drive Saturday.

12 Women Drivers Confirmed for Lyn St. James’ Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation 2008/09 Driver Academy

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (Oct. 13, 2008) – More than a dozen drivers took to the track Monday as the fifth annual Drive for Diversity Combine presented by Sunoco got underway. The two-day event, sponsored by NASCAR, is designed to showcase the sport’s top minority and female drivers in front of NASCAR car owners.
Twenty-five drivers will [...]