Why Diversity in NASCAR Is NASCAR's Responsibility

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Keywords: diversity, Ask the White Guy, NASCAR, driver, race, race car, race car driver, Joe Henderson, Jeff Gordon, Brian France

Question:

Luke presented a factual scenario regarding the manner by which drivers are identified as potential racers. He may not have had his facts correct as they apply to DiversityInc, but he was spot-on regarding driver development.

One of the most well-known Sprint Cup drivers is Jeff Gordon. If you read his bio, he began in racing in "go-carts" at an age many of us were still learning to ride a bicycle. His career grew as he moved up to another level of racing.

You cannot decide at age 18 to be a race car driver and expect to walk in to a NASCAR team. It is a matter of driving experience and driver achievement. Expecting NASCAR to just plop someone into a race deal would be much like taking someone out of a grade school or even high school and expecting them to function as a CEO/COO of a Fortune 500 company. We know that isn't going to happen, don't we?

Anyone that hasn't been sleeping under a rock has heard about the discrimination case placed against NASCAR, and this scrutiny of their diversity commitment is an outgrowth of that process. While we need to examine the efficacy of their diversity applications, we must not forget that they too have the protections all of us enjoy: innocent until proven guilty. Thus far, it is only an accusation, so let's give them a break until the verdict comes in!

Answer:

I completely agree that we should never judge based on a lawsuit alone. However, your driver and CEO analogy is disingenuous. Hiding behind a "process" is about as honest as hiding behind a poll tax or SAT scores. It's a straw dog.

Mr. France, CEO of NASCAR, expressed a desire to have a more diverse fan base. This isn't about altruism, it's about money; advertising rates and sponsorships are driven by viewership ratings. Viewers are becoming more diverse, and the millennial generation expects diversity regardless of their race and/or gender. An event that is exclusionary (by fact) is going to have diminishing returns.

The desire for more diverse fans requires NASCAR to develop a relationship with Black and Latino fans--as they did with their Southern white fans.

Our data demonstrates that representation drives recruitment and retention, whether you're talking about employees or customers. For the past 10 years, we've reported on this very well-defined process and the subsequent business benefits. Our data also shows that without CEO commitment, diversity efforts fall short.

Representation for NASCAR is going to require an effort because, as you note, a huge hurdle for participation exists. There are no Black or Latino NASCAR family dynasties--and drivers like Jeff Gordon had extensive family support. Again, representation isn't about being "fair," it's about business--in this case the sustainability of NASCAR.

I couldn't care less if NASCAR develops an effective Black and Latino driver base, but that's exactly what's going to be necessary for Mr. France to achieve his desire of a more diverse audience. If NASCAR wants it, NASCAR is going to have to make it happen.

Unfortunately, NASCAR's diversity efforts are ineffective according to their own web site and outside media.

To reiterate, this is a significant business problem for NASCAR, which is a billion-dollar company that relies on television viewership and sponsorships from progressive companies. Ineffective diversity efforts--or passing the blame to a third party (blaming Black and Latino kids for not being interested)--is a psychological salve, not a business solution. Salves won't bring in viewers, nor will they stop progressive companies from losing interest.

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