An iconic African-American sports star announces a drive for diversity within the traditionally Southern, and very white, sport of NASCAR.
Forgive us if we hold our applause.
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| Johnson |
This time it was NBA legend Magic Johnson, NASCAR’s co-chairman of its newly created executive steering committee on diversity, the sport’s latest — and to be fair, broadest — effort to generate minority interest and participation.
Last time, seven years ago, it was NBA legend Julius Erving, who along with football great Joe Washington formed a NASCAR team in the late ’90s. That day was the announcement of the first full-time, minority-owned NASCAR team in nearly 30 years.
The “diversification” of NASCAR has come in many forms, for many years.
The Erving-Washington effort lasted two years, fielding an entry on the second-tier Busch circuit before folding in 2000 because of lack of sponsorship. That at a time when NASCAR was having little trouble attracting sponsors.
African-American driver Willy T. Ribbs has been cycled through the NASCAR picture on at least three occasions in the last 26 years, beginning in 1978. Olympic track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee and her husband, Bob, tried unsuccessfully to get a team on the track in the late ’90s.
None of them could make it work.
None of them enjoyed the proper time and money, either. It’s not a secret equation.
NASCAR’s drive for diversity will take patience, financial and otherwise. Short-term efforts, however broad, will fail. Only after years in the sport’s “minor” leagues do drivers and crew members reach the big time. Only then will minority fans have someone to identify with, possibly even racing’s version of Tiger Woods or the Williams sisters. Only that level of commitment by NASCAR will make it happen.
And only then will it be time to applaud.
