NASCAR Attempts To Kill DEI, But This Smoking Gun Says Otherwise
Great news for all sane race fans out there – NASCAR has killed DEI! That's right. It's over. Gone. Kaput. Finished.
DEI, the most racist thing on the planet, is now DOA. Good riddance!
Well … sort of.
Yes, I know, a bit of a rug-pull there, but hear me out.
According to Adam Stern, NASCAR renamed their long-running Drive for Diversity program after last season. It's now known as the Driver Development Program, which, frankly, is exactly what it should be.
Sources told Stern that the move had been considered "for years," which I find a little suspect, but whatever. I'm also quite sure there is no coincidence in NASCAR finally pulling the trigger and making the change during the offseason before Donald Trump retook the White House.
Don't know if you've heard, but Trump ain't a fan of DEI – unless it's Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, of course!
More to this NASCAR story than meets the eye
A person familiar with NASCAR’s thinking, while confirming the change, said that the alteration had been under consideration for the last couple years in a bid to broaden the program’s scope.
Rev Racing, the team that NASCAR has worked with on the Drive for Diversity program since 2004, now says on its website that it is the "competition arm of the NASCAR Driver Development Program and serves as the NASCAR-supported racing team charged with developing drivers and pit crew members."
Some drivers involved with the program now have Driver Development Program in their social media biographies. The changeover had not been previously reported. NASCAR had no on-record comment when contacted.
NASCAR VP/Diversity & Inclusion Brandon Thompson, who was named to that newly created position in 2020, continues to hold that title and role, according to his LinkedIn page.
So, a bit of a mixed bag here from NASCAR, which is shocking for them! (Not really)
Look, I've been pretty open about my hatred for DEI. It's truly the dumbest thing in this world. It's also the most racist thing in this world. Black people – anyone, actually – should be insulted by the premise, which is ‘we’re only going to talk to you and maybe hire you because of your skin color, not because you're actually good for this position.'
Do you understand how insane that is? We've lived in a DEI world for years now, and it's been awful. Trump came back in January and basically took a blowtorch to the whole thing. Luckily for NASCAR, they were already ahead of the eight-ball!
Again, sort of. Look at the current website. DEI doesn't seem very dead to me:
Gross. Look at the insufferable BLM car. Remember those days, back in the summer of 2020? God, they were stupid. Yet, here's NASCAR, continuing to showcase it even though they claim DEI is dead. Don't think so!
Here's their "philosophy," which doesn't exactly clear anything up:
NASCAR Diversity & Inclusion strives to create an inclusive environment in all facets of the NASCAR industry recognizing the value of diversity, which allows us to go faster and farther in our workplaces, at the race track and in the stands.
See? Still confused. Now, when you click further, that new name – Driver Development Program – starts to come up. Still doesn't really clarify what that is, or who it's for, but you start to see it.
A mixed bag indeed.
Now, as for the actual Drive for Diversity program … it's a good program at its core. It's used to spot, sign, and develop talent at a young age.
Bubba Wallace went through it. Kyle Larson, hilariously, by the way, went through it. Daniel Suarez did, too.
I get the idea, but limiting yourself with the name "Drive for Diversity" is so silly. Again, it's racist. If you're white, you ain't getting in. That's what DEI is. That's what Drive for Diversity is saying, whether it's actually saying that or not.
You know who's diverse? Anyone on God's green earth who can drive a race car 200 MPH without killing themselves and anyone else in their path.
THAT's diverse. So, maybe we allow everyone in and cut the nonsense. Sounds like NASCAR is doing that … I think? The program should be a developmental program for any kid NASCAR thinks has the potential to be a star.
Doesn't matter if they're black, white, or orange – if they can wheel it, let them in.