NASCAR alters Drive for Diversity program name

NASCAR has changed the name of its Drive for Diversity program to the Driver Development program, a move that was made over the offseason but has largely gone unnoticed.

NASCAR celebrated the 20th anniversary of the program last year, which has endeavored since 2004 to elevate drivers and pit crew members from diverse backgrounds.

The initiative has seen its share of success, as there’s now a graduate from the project in every national series of the sport.

The program was created under then COO, George Pyne, and CEO, Brian France, as President Trump signed an executive order in January that directed the federal government to terminate DEI-related programs, and since then, a host of private companies around the country have also been changing wording or in some instances altogether scrapping divisions related to the topic.

Familiar with NASCAR’s thinking, while confirming the change, said that the alteration had been under consideration for the last couple years in a bid to broaden the program’s scope.

The team Revs racing that NASCAR has worked with on the Drive for Diversity program since 2004, now says on its website that it is the competition arm of the NASCAR Driver Development Program and serves as the NASCAR-supported racing team charged with developing drivers and pit crew members.

NASCAR still has a section of its website about its diversity efforts, and the drive for diversity name remained there as of Tuesday night.

Some drivers involved with the program now have Driver Development Program in their social media biographies.

The changeover had not been previously reported as NASCAR had no on-record comment when contacted.

NASCAR VP/Diversity & Inclusion Brandon Thompson, who was named to that newly created position in 2020, continues to hold that title and role, according to his LinkedIn page.

Despite the name change, NASCAR has no plans to move away from the Driver Development Program itself, the person familiar with NASCAR’s thinking said.

Among the graduates of the program are Kyle Larson, who became the first driver from the project to win a premier series championship in the sport in 2021.

There’s also established Cup Series drivers such as Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suarez and rising prospects like Rajah Caruth and Nick Sanchez, Caruth was voted by fans as the most popular driver of the Craftsman Truck Series last year.

Since 2012, 25% of drivers from the program have made at least one start in one of NASCAR’s three national series. The NASCAR Pit Crew Development Program has had an even higher percentage of success, placing 100% of graduates in one of NASCAR’s national series, with more than 60 working in the sport, including 25 at the top level.

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