NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity celebrates 20 years of success

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program has launched countless careers on the track, from drivers to pit crew members.

"We’ve had of course, several drivers come through. Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suarez, Kyle Larson, Rajah Caruth, Lamar Scott just to name of few," Drive for Diversity pit crew coach, Phil Horton said.

The program is now in its 20th year. The goal is to develop and train athletes from diverse backgrounds aspiring for a career in motor sports.

"NASCAR only had like one or two. That’s just the way it was, to have more Hispanics, to have more African-Americans. It’s very important," Horton said.

Kyle Larson is a 2012 Drive for Diversity graduate. He’s been wildly successful, winning a Cup Championship in 2021.

"I was just racing dirt stuff before then. That was my first glimpse into what it was going to take to be a cup series driver," Larson said.

Wallace, who is also a Drive for Diversity graduate, is coming off the best season of his career, advancing to the playoffs for the first time.

He’s hoping to perform well in the Daytona 500 on Sunday.

"I think we’ve done some things help us in the past, hurt is in the past. Just trying to weed out the bad things, make the most out of every time we’re on the track," Wallace said.