NASCAR Drive for Diversity to Host First National Pit Crew Combine
Top College Athletes, Former NFL Players Compete for Spots with
Rev Racing Development Program
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 27, 2016) – Following a national talent search, 18 multicultural and female athletes earned invitations to compete in the first-ever national NASCAR Drive For Diversity® (D4D) Crew Member Development Combine today in Concord, North Carolina.
Former college football, basketball, softball and track and field athletes will be evaluated based on a series of fitness, agility and pit crew drills at the NASCAR Research & Development Center.
The 10 top-performing participants will be invited to join the NASCAR D4D Crew Member Development Program, operated by Rev Racing, and receive expert training as tire changers, carriers and jackmen, with the goal of gaining fulltime employment with NASCAR national series race teams.
“As NASCAR Drive for Diversity continues to grow and benefit from national exposure, we’re seeing more and more athletes want to be involved,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “This is a great way to introduce top competitors to NASCAR and provide the opportunity to one day shine in our sport’s biggest events.”
Earlier this year, NASCAR and Rev Racing hosted tryouts at six universities spanning coast to coast – from Norfolk State University to San Diego State University – as part of a revamped crew member scouting process.
Twelve men and six women hailing from 12 states and one U.S. territory are now one step closer to a career in NASCAR and will look to impress during today’s four-hour skills competition.
“We are extremely excited about the continued growth and evolution of the Crew Member Development Program,” said Max Siegel, CEO of Rev Racing. “Our expanded college recruitment and outreach efforts have attracted some of the most talented and promising athletes our program has seen yet.”
Most D4D participants begin with no motorsports background and learn to apply athletic prowess from their primary sport to the skills required on NASCAR’s pit road. Joshua Tate, an All-American football player at Clark Atlanta University, recently tried out for the Chicago Bears and is now hoping to go professional in motorsports.
Former Norfolk State point guard Brehanna Daniels could follow in the footsteps of Emily Cox, a D4D alum who now pits regularly in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Jeremy Kimbrough, a former Washington Redskins linebacker, will attempt to join fellow NFL veteran Andre Neblett in the D4D crew member program, which has a 100 percent job placement rate for graduates. Neblett played for the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots and was accepted to D4D as part of the program’s ongoing open enrollment.
There are 35 current and former D4D crew members working in NASCAR, including 23 graduates in the sport’s top series – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In November, Roush Fenway Racing team members Mike Russell and Raphael Diaz became the first D4D graduates to win a national series championship when No. 60 driver Chris Buescher clinched the NASCAR XFINITY Series title.
NASCAR D4D pit crew member combine participants include:
| First |
Last |
Hometown |
University |
Primary Sport |
| Robert |
Clay |
Nashville, Tenn. |
Alcorn State University |
Football |
| Kasuela |
Cooper |
Charleston, Mo. |
Virginia State University |
Basketball |
| Paris |
Cotman |
Richmond, Va. |
Virginia State University |
Track & Field |
| Brehanna |
Daniels |
Norfolk, Va. |
Norfolk State University |
Basketball |
| Mykael |
Dixon |
Baltimore, Md. |
Virginia State University |
Track & Field |
| Branden |
Dozier |
Topeka, Kan. |
UNC Charlotte |
Football |
| Kapil |
Fletcher |
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. |
University of Kansas |
Football |
| Quinta |
Funderburk |
Chesapeake, Va. |
Norfolk State University |
Football |
| Jemond |
Hazely |
Corona, Calif. |
San Diego State University |
Football |
| Tedarian |
Johnson |
Jackson, Miss. |
University of Kansas |
Football |
| Jeremy |
Kimbrough |
Decatur, Ga. |
Appalachian State University |
Football |
| Corey |
King |
Boca Raton, Fla. |
University of Kansas |
Football |
| Toto’a |
Leilua |
Leloaloa, AS |
Alcorn State University |
Football |
| Lamar |
Neal |
Virginia Beach, Va. |
Norfolk State University |
Football |
| Breanna |
O’Leary |
Amarillo, Texas |
Alcorn State University |
Softball |
| Jorden |
Paige |
Buffalo, N.Y. |
Clark Atlanta University |
Football |
| Diedra |
Smith |
Aurora, Colo. |
San Diego State University |
Basketball |
| Joshua |
Tate |
Memphis, Tenn. |
Clark Atlanta University |
Football |
Following today’s event, the D4D combine participants will attend the Hisense 4K TV 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 28 (2:30 p.m. ET on FS1).
NASCAR D4D also offers a driver development program, operated by Rev Racing, and each year fields six drivers in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Successful graduates now competing in a national series include NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson and NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers Darrell Wallace Jr. and Daniel Suárez.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 will be broadcast live from Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 29 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Additional live coverage can be found on
NASCAR.com.
About Rev Racing
Headquartered in Concord, NC, Rev Racing, owned by Max Siegel operates the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, which is the industry’s leading developmental program for ethnic minorities and women drivers and pit crew members. For more information about Rev Racing visit
https://revracing.net or follow us on Twitter @RevRacin.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit
http://www.NASCAR.com and
http://www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
Contact:
Pete Stuart
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications
(704) 348-9621
[email protected]
Concord, NC (Apr. 7, 2016) – Rev Racing will partner with the Autism Society of East TN in honor of Autism Awareness month. With the organization’s presence at the next race, Rev Racing hopes to bring further awareness to this important subject.
NASCAR has been a long-time supporter of Autism Speaks, the national organization for the cause. Rev Racing is more than excited to continue to carry out this mission.
A group from Autism Society of East TN, including staff, parents and children, will join Rev Drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 16th. Children will meet with Rev Drivers, sign autographs, be up close and personal with the race cars and have opportunities for photographs. Rev Racing will also be presenting a rear bumper cover to the organization, signed by the drivers and crew members. The Speedway will also offer a full schedule of events for fans, including a Kid and Fan Zone, a cornhole tournament, concerts and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East autograph session beginning at 11 am.
“We love partnering with organizations to help bring about awareness and education. The Autism Society of East TN is a very active group that provides incredible support and service to the autistic community in TN,” said Christy Gormal, Rev Racing’s Chief Marketing Officer.” Rev Racing is an organization that strongly believes in providing opportunities for everyone. Being able to expose these children and their families to opportunities in the racing industry is exciting for us and hopefully inspiring to them.”
Driver of the #42 Braille Battery Toyota, Jairo Avila, Jr. (J.A.) is especially excited about this opportunity. As an advocate, J.A. makes an effort to inspire kids to be anything they want if they put their heart and minds to it.
“Rev Racing has added a platform for me to better reach and work with kids of different backgrounds,” said Avila. “I can’t wait to have this organization join us and hopefully inspire families to achieve their goals – no matter what they might be.”
Both groups welcome these partnerships, as exposure and education assist in advancements for causes everyday. “The timing for this event could not be more perfect as we just launched our new East TN Autism Social Scene,” said Melissa Keeler, Board Member of Autism Society of East TN. “This group is dedicated to building a community that empowers those affected by autism through educational, social and supportive services. We are extremely excited for the opportunity to work with Rev Racing and believe this is an awesome platform to bring awareness to the community.”
Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person’s lifetime. It is part of a group of pervasive developmental disorders known as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) that significantly affect how a person perceives the world, interacts with others, and communicates. It is estimated that as many as 1 out of every 68 children born today will be diagnosed with some form of ASD.
“It’s a privilege to be a part of Autism Awareness Month in this way and to provide this opportunity to families and children through Rev Racing,” said Gormal. “It will be a special race. I hope we can continue to be an avenue for exposure to racing and young people who are fulfilling their goals, like our drivers.”
The 125-lap PittLite 125 will begin 4:30pm on April 16th. Questions can be directed to Christy Gormal, 
Madeline Crane, an 18-year-old Meansville, Georgia native, has joined this season’s NASCAR Drive for Diversity roster. Crane will drive for Rev Racing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
Crane was named the first alternate after her performance in the October combine. She will make her debut with Rev Racing in place of Juan Garcia, who will pursue opportunities in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.
Crane started racing Bandoleros at 10-years-old in the Thursday Night Thunder Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway. She finished her first season strong with two consecutive wins. She quickly moved into Legend cars, and by the time she was 14 she had already garnered 59 top-5 finishes in just 82 starts, and finished the year as the Pro Division Winter Flurry Champion.
At the age of 15, she again moved up and started racing Crate Late Models at Dixie Speedway. After another strong year, Crane finished her first season second in points. From there, she focused on driving Super Late Models.
“We are excited to have Maddie join our program,” said Max Siegel, Rev Racing team owner. “Crane has continued to show growth year-after-year during her combine evaluation. We are ready to get her in the car and prepared for the season ahead.”
Crane, along with her teammate Enrique Baca, will hit the track on Saturday, March 19th at Hickory Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season opener for Rev Racing. 
SHOP TALK BY MATT BUCHER
Big news on the Rev Racing home front! No, my proposal for Fridays being strictly for golf and beers hasn’t passed. And no, no new sponsors were signed – which is unfortunate. Someone should really consider becoming a 2016 sponsor, so I can shamelessly plug you and your business.
On a high note, after a brief meeting and consultation, a handshake agreement was made between upper management and a new driver. The driver of an older model, yet shiny Roach Coach (food truck for those of you not familiar with the term). Since we really enjoy our snacks around here, this is very big news. Let’s just say that shop morale really picks up around 10:15 am every morning.
Other than that bombshell, it’s been all business in the shop. Each of our drivers did a very good job at bringing their respective cars home in one piece from New Smyrna. That is a very big deal for Rev Racing and owner, Max Siegel. We can actually focus our efforts on fine tuning and making our cars better, rather than fixing and rebuilding everything.
This past weekend we traveled to Mobile, AL for some pre-race testing. This is a great opportunity to further prepare the cars and the drivers for the race. We will head back to Mobile, this Thursday, for the NASCAR K&N Series Mobile 150. The race is set for March 12th at 2:00 pm. Here we come, Mobile!
CHARLOTTE, NC – After rain postponed Friday’s Drive Sober 125 race at the Monster Mile, Rev Racing drivers were uncertain with their ability to run in the final competition of the season. The team found themselves back at the track Saturday morning in the middle of additional rain, NASCAR Sprint Cup practice and the NASCAR Xfinity race.
Rev Racing drivers finally hit the track at 12:30 p.m., without qualifications or practice. The delay and lack of track time, however, didn’t slow down Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Collin Cabre. The 21-year-old from Tampa, Florida, scored his first K&N Pro series East career victory.
Cabre became the sixth driver from the NASCAR Drive For Diversity Program to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race and gave Rev Racing, which has fielded the competition team for the program since 2010, its 17th win.
“I wasn’t really sure what to expect having had no opportunity to practice or feel out the track,” said Cabre. “The car just felt great and my crew guided me into a comfort zone. I realized we not only had an opportunity to be competitive, but to actually win this thing. I put everything I had into it and we won.”
Cabre started the race in 12th position, as the starting lineup was set according to the rulebook. Cabre’s No. 2 UTI/NTI Toyota crossed the finish line 6.454 seconds in front of series veteran Eddie MacDonald. Cabre will finish his rookie season 10th in overall point standings.
“I think the best thing about working with Collin this season was his willingness to listen and take in as much information as we could throw at him,” stated Crew Chief Matt Bucher. “Every situation we’ve run into this year, he has never doubted what we have done or asked of him. This goes a long way with our confidence in him and his confidence in us as a crew. The more he races, the better he gets and I’m sure Dover won’t be his last trip to victory lane.”
Kenzie Ruston, driver of the No. 4 Sunoco Toyota, started in 11th position and finished the race in 13th position. Ruston had her best ever Dover finish, as historically this track has posed a challenge. Ruston will finish the season 11th in overall point standings.
Devon Amos, driver of the No. 6 Honda Generator Toyota, started in 15th position and finished the race in 12th position. Amos fluctuated back and forth several spots throughout the race, battling for position as the checkered approached. Amos will finish the season 14th in overall point standings.
Jay Beasley, driver of the No. 4 Special Smiles Toyota, started in 10th position and finished the race in 21st position. As the green flag waved, Beasley quickly moved up several spots to P7. Approaching lap 15 Beasley had a left front tire blow, which forced him to the garage for timely repairs. His crew got him back on the track to finish the Drive Sober 125 for his return to the K&N Pro Series. Beasley will finish the season 16th in overall point standings after missing three races this 2015 season.
Rev Racing drivers will focus on the 2015 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine, as it is set to take place October 19th -21st at Langley Speedway. Other participants competing for the 2016 class will be announced this week. 
