DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR on Tuesday celebrated the outstanding accomplishments of pioneering individuals and organizations in the area of diversity at the third annual NASCAR Diversity Luncheon.
“Teams, tracks, sponsors and other stakeholders play an integral role in our efforts to further diversify our sport,” said Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR’s managing director of public affairs. “The NASCAR Diversity Awards are a small way to say thank you and recognize just a few of those making a difference in creating awareness and opportunity.”
During a ceremony held in the Bill France Room at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR recognized the following individuals and organizations across the industry for their outstanding impact:
Drive for Diversity Participant: Paul Harraka
Harraka, 20, of Wayne, N.J., returns to the Drive for Diversity program for the fifth year in 2010 and will race in the K&N Pro Series West. Harraka, who is of Syrian descent, has a racing resume that extends from go-karts to K&N Pro Series cars. Harraka has won a total of 158 races in all types of race cars. In 2007, Harraka was named All-American Speedway’s NASCAR Late Model Rookie of the Year. In 2008, he won the Whelen All-American Series Championship when he won 11 times. During his rookie season in the K&N Pro Series West, he won the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award while winning two races. He is currently a sophomore at Duke University majoring in public policy.
Young Racer Award: Amber Colvin
Amber Colvin, 16, hails from Tallahassee, Fla. Colvin has been racing since 2004 in Bandoleros and Legends cars and placed second in the Georgia Winter Points Series in her first season racing Bandoleros. In 2008, she made the switch to Legends cars. In the Legends cars, Colvin had 39 starts, 24 top-5 and 36 top-ten finishes, including six wins. Colvin is affiliated with the Lyn St. James Driver Development Program.
NASCAR Diversity Internship Program: Arionne Allen
Arionne Allen, 23, of Mauldin, S.C., was an intern last summer in the NASCAR Series Operations department in Daytona Beach where she performed a number of integral duties. Allen was responsible for everything from the on-track schedule to ensuring all cars participating in racing events had the proper decals for the NASCAR contingency program, and that all decals were within guidelines. She was very much on the front line of NASCAR’s business. Allen also worked very closely with drivers and teams to ensure compliance with NASCAR agreements. Allen currently works for Revolution Racing in Mooresville, N.C.
Educational Institutional Award: NASCAR Technical Institute
The NASCAR Technical Institute was recognized for this award given to a college/university that attracts and trains diverse students for careers in the motorsports industry with a relevant curriculum. NTI, a branch of Universal Technical Institute, is the exclusive educational partner of NASCAR located in Mooresville, N.C.. As the first technical training school to officially combine a complete automotive technology training program with NASCAR specific courses, NTI addresses the nation’s shortage of automotive technicians by boosting the number of entry-level technicians entering the workforce. Students get hands-on experience in engines and repair, fuel and ignition systems, power trains, brakes, transmissions, electronics and diagnostic equipment. In addition, students are introduced to NASCAR technology, specifically advanced techniques for building and testing NASCAR engines, fabrication and pit crew training.
NASCAR Sponsor: Sunoco, Inc.
“Sunoco is proud to be a supporter of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program,” said Dawn Zimmerman, regional marketing manager for Sunoco, Inc. “The [NASCAR] Combine specifically allows for a new generation of diverse drivers to gain experience not only in racing, but media training, lessons in building self-confidence and the lifestyle that is racing. And we’re especially excited to be fueling the next generation of drivers who will be carrying on the legacy of NASCAR racing.”
Individual Recognition: Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James runs the Lyn St. James Academy, which was established in 1994 through the Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation. The academy is an educational and training program for talented women race drivers who aspire to the professional levels of motorsports. St. James is one of only five women to have qualified for the Indianapolis 500 and became the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year in 1992. “I want to thank NASCAR for this honor and recognition,” St. James said. ” While I’ve been actively working in the area of diversity for many years, I really feel I’m only representing the many partners who have enabled us to continue doing our Driver Development Academy and other programs.”
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A life-changing opportunity could one day evolve into a sport-shaping career for 24 young men and women come the middle of next week.
Contested from Oct. 18-20, the eighth consecutive Drive for Diversity Combine will be held at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va., where drivers will vie for spots in one of NASCAR’s most successful initiatives.
Aspiring drivers of diverse backgrounds ranging from ages 16 to 24, and representing 10 U.S. states, Mexico and Puerto Rico, are prepared to showcase their skills in the hopes of securing a ride with Rev Racing in 2012. Rev Racing will enter its third year fielding teams for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity initiative, in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
[callout_left]Grandstands at Langley will be open to the public from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. ET, Oct. 19-20 during on-track testing. [/callout_left]
The past two seasons of the D4D initiative have enjoyed unparalleled success. In 2010, Darrell Wallace Jr. became the youngest winner and first African-American winner in series history en route to winning the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Sunoco Rookie of the Year. This year’s Revolution Racing team eclipsed that success by placing three drivers in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East top 10 (Wallace had three victories and finished second in points; Sergio Pena also won three races and finished fifth; and Ryan Gifford finished 10th). Overall in 2011, Revolution Racing(now Rev Racing) had six wins, 12 top fives and 22 top 10s in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
The drivers attending the Drive for Diversity Combine will be evaluated by a select committee on multiple fronts including on-track performance, marketing and media aptitude, physical fitness and personality.
2012 DRIVER FOR DIVERSITY COMBINE: INVITE LIST
Mooresville, N.C. (Oct. 14, 2010) – Thirty-Five drivers from 18 states, Mexico and Puerto Rico are prepared to showcase their skills at the seventh annual Drive for Diversity Combine presented by Sunoco Sunday through Tuesday at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.
The drivers, ranging in age from 16 to 26, hope to earn a spot on the Revolution Racing team that will again field teams in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Drivers on the 2010 Revolution Racing team enjoyed the best on-track season in the history of the Drive for Diversity program, earning four victories, 42 top-five finishes and 80 top 10s in 141 starts. Included in that number were impressive results in the highly competitive NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Ryan Gifford, Sergio Pena and Darrell Wallace Jr. each competed in all 10 Series races, while Mackena Bell (six races), Michael Cherry (three races) and Mark Davis (one race) each took turns driving the fourth Revolution Racing car. These four teams scored two wins, 10 top fives and 15 top 10s.
The drivers attending the Drive for Diversity Combine presented by Sunoco will be evaluated on multiple fronts during the Combine including on-track performance, marketing and media aptitude, physical fitness, personality and more.
Following the three-day assessment, the results will be evaluated by a committee that will select participants for the 2011 season.
Grandstands at Motor Mile Speedway will be open to the public Monday and Tuesday with on-track testing scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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On June 1 and 3, Reading Is Fundamental partnered with Revolution Racing’s Drive for Diversity to bring NASCAR excitement to book distributions at Amay James Pre-K and Plaza Road Pre-K in Charlotte, N.C.
RIF could find no better partner in Charlotte, N.C. to support our 
NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, which helps fund female and minority drivers in racing’s lower ranks, has an ample number of promising young women who could one day make their way into the Cup Series. Former Camping World East Series champion Andy Santerre, who oversees D4D cars in the Camping World Series, weighs in with what five members of the current class must do to move up.
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, as they vie for one of 10 spots with Revolution Racing for the 2010 season. The Combine kicks off the new academy-style development for Drive for Diversity, with 10 drivers competing for the program under a single team ownership structure. The scouting event will take place October 16-20 in Charlotte, N.C., and Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.
“The drivers invited to the Combine will compete for an opportunity to be a part of the inaugural class in the D4D programs new academy-style driver development program,” said Marcus Jadotte, Managing Director of Public Affairs for NASCAR, who oversees the sanctioning body’s diversity initiatives, “As the Drive for Diversity initiative enters its seventh year, the program’s focus on driver testing and training will better position drivers to succeed and advance in our sport.”
“The Drive for Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine presented by Sunoco is an integral part of the D4D initiative,” said Max Siegel, Chief Executive Officer of The 909 Group. “We are looking forward to this year’s event and are confident the drivers invited to participate in the Combine will raise the bar in terms of talent and competition.”
Since the creation of Drive for Diversity in 2004, 31 competitors have driven for the initiative in NASCAR’s developmental series, winning 35 races. The 2009 driver class combined for six wins, 51 top fives and 125 top 10s. Driver Paul Harraka captured two wins and Rookie of the Year in NASCAR’s premiere development series, the NASCAR Camping World Series West.
The 30 drivers participating in this year’s Combine, including 12 members of the 2009 Drive for Diversity class, will participate in both on- and off-track evaluation over a four-day period. The on-track session will be conducted in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series late models and NASCAR Camping World Series cars at Motor Mile Speedway. Off the track, the drivers will be evaluated during media and sponsor relations activities.
The drivers attending the Combine will also be featured in a television series, “Changing Lanes,” developed in collaboration with the NASCAR Media Group and set to air in early 2010 on BET. The eight-part series will showcase the development of young Drive for Diversity competitors trying to make it in the big-time world of NASCAR racing.
Ten drivers will be selected to compete for Revolution Racing under the Drive for Diversity umbrella in 2010. Six drivers will compete in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and four will compete in the NASCAR Camping World Series East.
The following drivers will participate in this year’s Drive for Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine presented by Sunoco:
