Nascar has announced Advance Auto Parts will be the lead sponsor of the Drive for Diversity Combine.
Already the official auto parts retailer of the stock car racing series, the automotive aftermarket supplier has dedicated its resources to developing Nascar by also sponsoring the Nascar Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (NAAPWS) and Advance My Track Challenge.
“This programme has been advancing careers for many years, with so many talented drivers getting the opportunity to showcase their abilities,” said Jason McDonell, Advance’s executive vice president of merchandising, marketing and ecommerce. “Increasing diverse representation within the motorsports community is paramount, and our Advance team is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Nascar to create a pipeline for tomorrow’s racing stars.”
Brandon Thompson, Nascar’s vice president of diversity and inclusion, added: “We’re excited to welcome Advance Auto Parts as our combine partner. Their commitment to our industry diversity and inclusion efforts, and specifically their commitment to advancing the next generation of Nascar drivers will aid us in identifying, attracting and developing young, diverse talent.”
The Nascar Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program was created in 2004 to develop and train ethnically diverse and female drivers both on and off the track. Nascar Cup Series drivers Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suárez and Kyle Larson are alumni of the programme, which is operated by Rev Racing in Concord, North Carolina.
“We are thrilled that we are in a position to return to an in-person evaluation for this year's Advance Auto Parts Drive for Diversity Combine,” Rev Racing chief executive Max Seigel said. “We are energised by the high-level of participating athletes and look forward to building the best driver class for 2023. As an organisation, we have never been more positioned for success and future growth.”