October 16, 2008
By Brian Watkins
Brian Watkins
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Before I get called a sexist, racist or other ‘ist’, I’m not saying that NASCAR should have only drivers of a specific race and gender. I am simply asking why NASCAR, or any sport, has to have a specific program designed to give special opportunities to “diverse” people?
A press release by NASCAR on Tuesday touted the successes of participants in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine in South Boston, VA. According to the Drive for Diversity website, “selected drivers are invited to participate in the annual Testing & Evaluation Combine and earn the opportunity to compete with an established NASCAR team for a full season”.
I understand the mindset of quotas. I spent several years in the Army, and during a period, I saw many good people passed over for promotion because they did not fit the demographic of the month. Likewise, I saw many mediocre soldiers promoted that could not lead troops out of a wet paper bag. It was bad for morale, it was bad for the troops and it was bad for the Army.
NASCAR wants to expand its fan base, and to do so it feels it needs to have a more diverse stable of drivers. There are various reasons the driver pool at the sport’s top level is the way it is. Whatever they may be, the answer is not to lower the bar or give special opportunities to specific demographics. Not just in NASCAR, but in any sport or institution. When you set quotas or special programs that are race or gender based, you are telling the participants that they are not good enough to get in any other way and are promoting the very issues you’re trying to eliminate.
If NASCAR is looking for specific demographics in the stands, why not give discounted tickets to specific races and genders. Why not reserve a number of infield spots and sell them only to “diverse” people? If it’s all in the name of diversity, it should be okay, right?
I understand that racing is an increasingly hard sport to break into. Anyone can haul an old wreck and run it at a local track for a Detroit Iron event, but truly making a name for yourself in the sport takes much more. More dedication, more opportunity and more money.
If NASCAR wants to expand its fan base, keep the racing exciting. Keep developing the young talent, and open up opportunities for drivers who might not have otherwise had one- but do not do it based on race or gender.
Why not develop a program that does for racing what American Idol did for the music business- give unknowns a chance to shine and prove themselves. Let their talent be their leg up, not the color of their skin or the cut of their underwear.
Get some sponsors together, outfit some cars and have regional trials. The good drivers rise in the standings until you have a number of winners. They move on for a trial season on a Wheelen All-American or Camping World team.
Promote the crap out of the program and the drivers. Have profile segments before each race. Make a primetime show out of it. Not only would it generate a following for the young stars, it would also provide yet another revenue stream for NASCAR. Is there a loser here? I don’t see one. Fans get to take some personal stock in up and coming drivers, up and coming drivers get a shot at the big time and NASCAR gets even more money.
While it is obvious by this column that I do not support this particular diversity program, I’m not a complete closed-minded Neanderthal. I would be very interested to hear from other fans as to what they think of the Drive for Diversity. So fire up that e-mail and let me have it.
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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