The NASCAR College Tour visited Johnson C. Smith University last week, and a group of about 50 students gathered at Biddle Hall to hear from African Americans the stock car racing company hopes represent a significant part of its future.
There was Marc Davis, a 19-year-old driver and team owner in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series. There was Arionne Allen, a 23-year-old who went through NASCAR’s Diversity Internship Program. There was Mike Phillips, a senior manager for track services, who helps run emergency crews at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
For the past nine years, NASCAR has sent a team of officials every year to historically black colleges and universities. The goal is to recruit minorities into a sport that hasn’t always welcomed them.
