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Drive For Diversity program looking toward bright future of NASCAR

Earlier this week, a group of young drivers gathered at Langley Speedway in Virginia to showcase their talents behind the wheel, hone their skills off the track and try to impress some top brass within NASCAR.

The Drive For Diversity combine is an event in which minority and women drivers are given the opportunity to advance their careers in the hopes of making it to one of NASCAR's top three national touring series.

With a wide variety of participants, the Drive For Diversity program is seen as an essential part of NASCAR's future growth both on the track and in the grandstands.

"It is essential for the sport to continue growing in a positive way. We're working hard at NASCAR every single day to continue to grow the sport of stock car racing, and that mission is never going to be complete," Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations, told FOXSports.com.

"This is an important day for NASCAR, probably one of the most important of the year as far as us taking a look and evaluating the drivers of tomorrow," Cassidy said Tuesday afternoon from Langley Speedway. "It's a program that's still relatively new -- 11 years we've been doing the combine -- and it's one that is seeing results."

Max Seigel, CEO of Rev Racing, said the Drive For Diversity program is essential for a number of reasons.

"In addition to things that can grow organically, I think there needs to be some kind of catalyst often to effectively change, Seigel said. "NASCAR recognized the need to focus as a business objective to grow as a sport. That ranges from participation on the track, all the way through their internship program."

After 11 years of hosting the combine, Cassidy said he is not ready to sit back and let the results speak for themselves. He believes NASCAR and Rev Racing can continue to evolve and move to the next level.

"I look at it as still the beginning of the efforts to grow the sport across a lot of different fan segments and borders," he said.

Siegel pointed out the program goes much deeper than just putting women and minority drivers behind the wheel of racecars

"I don't want to overlook the fact that since we've worked with NASCAR on the pit crew program we have placed 28 women and minority pit crew members through the NASCAR national touring series as well," he said.

Aside from the racing aspect of being an up-and-coming driver, the Drive For Diversity program also is designed to help hone the skills potential drivers will need away from the track to becomes major players in all facets of NASCAR.

"Driver star power is something we talk about on a regular basis at NASCAR," Cassidy said.

The sanctioning body understands that not only do drivers have to be fast, they have to be able to carry a fan base and have a unique personality, all while carrying on the legacy of the sport and representing sponsors well at the same time.

"From a sponsorship standpoint, you want somebody who can represent not only their brand, but brands of Fortune 500 and Fortune 50 companies to keep that involvement healthy," Cassidy said.

Cassidy points to the success of standout Sprint Cup rookie Kyle Larson. A graduate of the Drive For Diversity program, Larson made the transition from open-wheel cars to stock cars, and used his experience in the program in how well he represents the Target brand.

"That is a huge responsibility and we're proud to have played a small role that he was prepared as a driver when he made it to that level," said Cassidy. "We're just starting to see the benefits at the highest level, and that's also the highest level of partnerships out there."

Siegel could not agree more. After starting his diversity efforts 11 years ago with the late NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White, Siegel also looked to Larson, as well as Darrell Wallace Jr. and Daniel Suarez, as success stories for the Drive For Diversity program.

"It's interesting because they all come from diverse backgrounds in terms of their competition experience," said Siegel. "Kyle is an enormously talented driver, but before he came to my team with the Drive 4 Diversity program he had never driven a stock car.

"Darrell was extremely talented, his family had invested quite a bit, but his family had reached the point where without the support of the program his career could have potentially plateaued. Daniel competing in both of the K&N Series here gave him the seat time and exposure to land where he is now."

That exposure, seat time and refinement of skills is exactly what 22-year-old Kenzie Ruston hopes to take away from the program as well. Ruston finished ninth in this season's NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship with three top- five and seven top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at Iowa Speedway.

"I feel like I've proven myself in the K&N Series that I can run up front, but I need to excel at that and get that first win," she said. "I think I just need more track time. I know I've been in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series for the last two years, but every time I go out there I feel like I learn something new. (The Drive For Diversity program) supports women. I feel like everywhere I've been hasn't been the Diversity program."

Ruston was one of 11 women drivers participating in the Drive For Diversity combine this week at Langley Speedway. The group also included seven Latinos, three African-Americans and one Native American.

For NASCAR Mexico Series driver Ruben Garcia Jr., the combine was an opportunity to showcase his talents and get in the type of cars needed to advance to the next level.

"As a Mexican driver to go up to a national series like this is the first big step, a big opportunity," said Garcia. "Just being here is enough to feel proud. A lot of drivers apply to be part of this combine and not many of us make it."

Garcia learned through his three Nationwide Series starts earlier this year that NASCAR fans are more diverse than expected.

"Not all the NASCAR fans are American people," he said. "There's a lot of Latino and Hispanic people following NASCAR. It's good to know all these guys. For a big series to have international drivers helps grow the series. If one of us gets to the big series, Mexican people will start to see NASCAR and Latin Americans will start to see the series. It's very important that we can represent our country in one of the most important motorsports divisions."

Fellow NASCAR Mexico Series driver Abraham Calderon echoed Garcia's thoughts saying it was a "great opportunity" to be part of the combine and would "be an honor" to be part of Rev Racing. Calderon also commended NASCAR's efforts in Mexico, as the sanctioning body is laying the seeds for future growth and stars like German Quiroga and Suarez start to make inroads in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series.

"I think it means a lot for us to be here," said Calderon.

As the sport continues to grow in Mexico, Cassidy also pointed to the potential growth in Europe as essential for the future of stock car racing outside of the United States.

"If you look at Europe, that's an even newer proposition for us. ... I would say the opportunities are endless as it relates to the global growth of stock car racing," said Cassidy

While the Drive For Diversity program is open to a wide variety of people, both Cassidy and Siegel believe there is room for growth within the program.

"I don't think you'll see us let down in this area," said Cassidy. "We focus a lot on diversity efforts both on and off the track. So this is just one element of what we're doing as a sport to try to advance that. We understand also that this driver portion is not easy. It's not easy to make it here to the combine and it's not easy to make it as a driver, no matter who you are."

There also is the hope that as these young, diverse drivers develop through the ranks of NASCAR, that a younger, more diverse crowd of fans follows them throughout their career.

"I have yet to bring anybody to a NASCAR race in the last 11 or 12 years that has not walked away with a positive impact," said Siegel. "There's a perception of this sport that maybe it's not welcoming, maybe it's difficult to access, but everyone we've been able to get to experience the sport has walked away with a great feeling about the competition.

"If you go to an event, it's one of those rare sporting events where you will see someone from every socio-economic background and more and more racial and ethnic backgrounds that come around something they're very passionate about."

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