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Official Release - January 22, 2009 -
CONCORD, N.C.
– The Drive for Diversity initiative continues to move forward
in 2009 with an expanded driver lineup and a new management
group. Twelve drivers will participate in the sixth season of
Drive for Diversity -- four in the Camping World Series and
eight in the Whelen All-American Series. In addition, former
Dale Earnhardt Inc. president Max Siegel and his new marketing
and entertainment company, 909 Group, will take over day-to-day
management of the initiative.
“We are proud of the progress this
important initiative and its drivers have made over the past
five years,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “The
expansion to 12 drivers and 11 teams is a great sign of
opportunities that continue to be created for young diverse
drivers. We look forward to the leadership of Max Siegel and
know he will help bring Drive for Diversity to the next level.”
Entering its sixth season,
Drive for Diversity is NASCAR’s leading on-track diversity
initiative. The program is designed to give young minority and
female drivers opportunities to compete with established NASCAR
teams at the grassroots level. Since 2004, 22 drivers have
competed in Drive for Diversity, winning 28 races. The 2009
expansion from eight to 12 drivers comes two years after the
program expanded to include teams in the NASCAR Camping World
Series.
This year’s class represents
drivers from across the country. Five drivers will return from
2008 and will be joined by seven new drivers.
Full Story |
In October
most racing series are starting to end their seasons, not for
Katie Hagar. The second week in October Katie flew from
Sacremento, California to Portland, Maine to compete in a super
late model race just before flying to North Carolina to help
crew chief, a racing friend and past Drive for Diversity
candidate. Katie played both crew chief and driver role as she
also got some practice laps around historic, Hickory Motor
Speedway.
“ If It wasn’t for having a friend who trusts your judgment on
car changes and help driver coach them, I wouldn’t of been able
to get this experience. It was such a good feeling to work on
both sides of racing and understand concepts and how a driver
and crew chief interact.”
On Sunday October 12th,2008 Katie left the state of
North Carolina and traveled the two and a half hour drive to
South Boston, Virginia where the NASCAR Drive for Diversity
Program took place. |
