New African-American Led Team Shows Better NASCAR Diversity
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Chicago commercial lender Art Shelton has purchased Fitz Motorsports and will rename the team Trail Motorsport in what appears to be the "largest and fullest commitment in the history of NASCAR by an African-American investor," according to Ed Hinton of ESPN.com. African-American driver Chase Austin has agreed in principal to drive a full Camping World Truck Series season in '09 for Trail Motorsport, and with African-American driver Marc Davis planning to run both Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races with his family-owned team, "diversity appears to be making leaps and bounds in NASCAR." Austin and Davis boost the number of African-American drivers in NASCAR's top three series "from zero to two, virtually overnight." Shelton and Fitz Motorsports Owner Armando Fitz, who will remain with the team as a consultant, said that they have "verbal commitments and assurances from major sponsors." In addition, Shelton is "committing personal financing to the team for a five-year plan that should take Austin all the way to Cup level." Shelton is "developing a Web site, TrailMsport.com, focused on encouraging fans, with an eye toward minorities, to participate in the team." Hinton wrote Shelton "seems the perfect fit for Austin," because "youth has steadfastly refused to participate in NASCAR's underfunded -- and some say superficial, cosmetic -- Drive for Diversity." Should Austin, who previously had been part of Hendrick Motorsports' development program before its shuttering, make it to the Cup level, he "doesn't ever want it said that he got there on any semblance of affirmative action." Hinton noted Austin's "sticking by his principles had stirred resentment deep inside the NASCAR hierarchy, which has always wanted its hands on the controls of everything, now even the diversification it sorely desires." Meanwhile, NASCAR yesterday "didn't send a representative to the formal arrival of Shelton" and his new team, and the "absence of NASCAR officials seemed odd if you'd been around ... all those years to see the fanfare and the red carpet for other minority efforts in the past" (ESPN.com, 1/21).
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