Drive for
Diversity
The 2006 Drive for Diversity driver roster was announced
Monday by NASCAR Director of Diversity Tish Sheets. The
program, which is managed by Access Marketing &
Communications, will give eight ethnic and gender
diverse drivers the opportunity to compete in the NASCAR
Dodge Weekly Series. The drivers were chosen from a pool
of more than 300 applicants.
"Through the team work and
dedication of NASCAR and our program sponsors we are
able to continue reaching our goal of providing a steady
pipeline of talented individuals into the sport," said
Greg Calhoun, president and CEO of Access Marketing &
Communications. "Once again, we are excited to have such
skilled, ambitious drivers on our roster. They have
truly earned their position in the program and we wish
them much success."
"We are thrilled with the
opportunities that the Drive for Diversity program has
created for diverse drivers and crew members over the
past two years," Sheets said. "It is through the support
of the entire industry that programs like this can
succeed in helping to further diversify NASCAR."
The Drive for Diversity
program was founded in 2004 to help develop diverse and
female drivers and crew members and is endorsed as
NASCAR's leading on-track diversity initiative. Nineteen
applicants were chosen to participate in the Drive for
Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine last October.
They were observed during various on-track test sessions
and off-track interviews.
The following eight
drivers were selected by their respective team owners to
compete in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series this season:
• Chris Bristol,
competing with Ken Schrader Racing, is a Columbus, Ohio,
native who made history as the first black to win a race
at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Caraway (N.C.)
Speedway. He had three wins, 12 top-five and 14 top-10
finishes in 2005.
• Brianne Cronrath
of Fleetwood, Pa., participated in the Drive for
Diversity program in 2005 competing at Motor Mile
Speedway in Radford, Va. This season she will join
Spraker Racing Enterprises.
• Allison Duncan
will drive for Richard Childress Racing in 2006. Duncan,
from San Rafael, Calif., has been with the Drive for
Diversity program since its initial season in 2004. Last
year she became the first Drive for Diversity
participant to win a race and the first woman to win at
Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway.
• Marc Davis of
Mitchellville, Md., will join Joe Gibbs Racing. In 2005
he competed at Summit Point (W. Va.) Raceway and Hickory
(N.C.) Motor Speedway where he became the NASA Road
Course Points Championship in the Super Unlimited
Division.
• Paul Harraka
will compete with Spraker Racing Enterprise. The
Fairlawn, N.J., native had 20 wins in the World Karting
Association and Stars of Karting Series in 2005. He is a
seven time World Karting Association National Champion.
• Jessica Helberg
of Petaluma, Calif., competed at various tracks across
the west coast in 2005, earning four top-five and 12
top-10 finishes. She will drive for drag racing icon
Frank Pedregon in 2006.
• Jesus Hernandez
of Fresno, Calif., returns for his second season as a
Drive for Diversity participant. He finished 2005 with
one top-five and six top-10 finishes. He will join MB2
Motorsports in 2006.
• Peter
Hernandez from Blue Island, Ill., competed in the
Mid-American Stock Car Series in 2005, finishing first
in points with 14 top-five finishes. This season he will
compete with Bill McAnally Racing.
