NASCAR banks on minority drivers to broaden sport's exposure

Rajah Caruth liked animated autos of “Cars” as a kid, got hooked on race scene after a trip to track and sharpened his driving skills as a teen via online racing.

Caruth might one day earn his shot at inspiring next generation of drivers.

18-year-old Caruth is a NASCAR prospect, a young Black driver and one of a half-dozen youngsters participating in Drive for Diversity program tasked with finding and developing drivers for a sport lean on women and minorities behind wheel.

“Ideally, I’d want to be in Cup Series in next dece,” Caruth said. “Hopefully, by n.”

program has developed few drivers for elite Cup Series over nearly two deces in existence -- Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suarez are among former members and only ones currently with rides -- but a renewed push at scouting younger drivers and promoting m has NASCAR optimistic more recent classes will reverse trend.

Wallace’s extraordinary season and his emergence as a social activist , in fact, have put a bright light on program, which wobbled for years between a public relations exercise and a meaningful avenue toward a Cup Series career.

re are 56 gruates of Drive for Diversity pit crew program actively working across three national series, including 27 at Cup Series level. Cup rides for program gruates are scarce, though. Kyle Larson, who is half Japanese, was most successful alumnus until he used a racial slur during a live-streamed virtual race and was fired by Chip Ganassi.

“re needs to be more resources available for that program,” said Br Daugherty, lone Black team owner in NASCAR.

task of turning program into more of a driver factory is on agenda of Drive for Diversity director Jusan Hamilton.

30-year-old Hamilton, first Black to serve as race director for a Cup Series race, is a former dirt track driver who applied to an early version of program only to be told he needed more experience. As his D4D role expanded, Hamilton helped change goals to targeting prospects as young as 12 and established a coordinated developmental system.

Drivers are tutored by older members or or mentors, receive marketing training and re is an emphasis on physical fitness.

“We can control full process and develop drivers, help m grow within system from beginning up to when y’re rey to race at ARCA level,” Hamilton said. “y can n showcase ir talents and use that to get mselves beyond touring level and up through ranks of Truck, Xfinity and Cup.”

challenges of securing a major ride -- support resources, critical sponsorship money and connections -- are difficult for any young driver but seem greater for minorities. Aside from pushing for more diversity inside race car, D4D is also looking at ways to increase diversity among sponsorship, ownership and support roles.

“It’s an uphill battle and that’s one of biggest things program sets out to offset at youth level,” Hamilton said. “ program is now set up to be able to give m a better opportunity to make those connections and to understand those resources to get to next level.”

NASCAR hasn’t h a Black driver win a Cup race since Wendell Scott in 1963. Caruth knows all about that and could teach a history lesson , if needed. He considers himself a student of stock car racing.

“I was a pretty decent history buff on NASCAR,” Caruth said. “I did tons of school projects on it. My senior project this year, I did it on NASCAR right now. I spoke to a lot of or drivers and I feel like I know a lot more about sport.”

He narrates his senior video titled “ How American Stock Car Racing Can Stay Relevant ” that offers a 4-minute, 25-second crash course to his YouTube channel subscribers on changes in industry.

“A higher priority of esports has been a way to, not only attract new fans in a new demographic, but also provide a new avenue for new drivers to get into sport,” Caruth said. “Like me.”

Like Wallace was. He is one of at least eight Black drivers who have competed in a top-level NASCAR race, but that is stretched over 72-year history of series. Some who came before him question if NASCAR has done enough to involve sport’s trailblazers.

“I definitely believe that utilizing knowledge and experience of those that have raced in NASCAR of color would benefit m,” said Bill Lester, a Black driver who me 145 career NASCAR starts from 1999-2006. “I think I’d be able to offer a whole lot that would le m in right direction.”

Willy T. Ribbs h 26 career NASCAR starts -- notably making 23 starts in Truck Series when he was 46 -- and he said NASCAR has taken small steps in becoming more inclusive and inviting.

“If this was a 500-mile race,” Ribbs said, “we’re in second lap.”

Ribbs, though, said he hasn’t attended a NASCAR race in years and if he does, it’s because “we’re going to celebrate new look of NASCAR.”

Hamilton said he would welcome former drivers back into fold.

“se are guys who can certainly share experiences and if y want to share as driver-coaches, I’d love to have m involved,” he said.

new look Tibbs and ors bank on could be found in a Driver for Diversity class that includes Caruth, Chase Cabre, Nicholas Sanchez, Gracie Trotter and Isabella Robusto.

Caruth, a race fan since he was six, was thrilled in 2014 when his family took him to a second-tier NASCAR race at Richmond International Raceway. Four year later, he attended 2018 K&N finale at Dover and introduced himself to key members of Rev Racing.

Caruth, who gruated from a Washington-area high school and planned to enroll at Winston-Salem State and study motorsports management, is now in his second year of diversity program . He recently helped organize George Floyd 100, an iRacing event that raised awareness within motorsports community about Black Lives Matter movement.

“He’s really represented himself on track and off track like a true young professional,” Hamilton said. “He’s a very impressive young man. It’s been three years of growth. He still has a long way to go."

It’s at least anor year or two until Caruth vances to NASCAR-owned ARCA stock car series. d time in Xfinity or Trucks and it could be a while before any Cup Series shot arrives, not that he is deterred by that.

“I’m going to do whatever I can right now to get close to that,” Caruth said.

(Image credit: AP)