NASCAR has quietly changed the name of its ‘Drive for Diversity’ program.
According to the Sports Business Journal, the name of the program that aimed to provide opportunities for women and minorities was changed without fanfare over the winter and was the result of mulling that decision for a couple of years, and reflects a widened scope of the program.
And thus, not a reflection of any political climate.
“But a person familiar with NASCAR’s thinking, while confirming the change, said that the alteration had been under consideration for the last couple years in a bid to broaden the program’s scope,” wrote the Journal’s Adam Stern.
NASCAR celebrated the 20th year of the program last season and enjoyed several additional successes in that campaign with Nick Sanchez winning the Truck Series opener at Daytona and Rajah Caruth winning a month later at Las Vegas.
Over the past two decades, the program has steered the driving careers of the likes of Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson and Daniel Suarez but also provided guidance and assistance to athletes joining pit crews and aspiring communications specialists and executives.
The report now states that REV Racing, which served as the program’s primary team partner, is now part of the ‘Driver Development Program.’ NASCAR still has a diversity section on its website and vice president of diversity and inclusion Brandon Thompson still holds that position.
