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DIVERSITY IN NASCAR--or the lack of it!

Diversity has been on e of the biggest issues in NASCAR over the years. As in the past with people trying to be equal depending on race or gender, in NASCAR too there is a big gap of diversityl. Other sports such as basketball, football, and baseball have been making lots of changes to make the environment more diverse and the results of these efforts are outstanding because they have brought more fans to the sports.

NASCAR is usually seen as a predominately white American sport, while most other sports are trying to become more diverse. Juan Pablo Montoya, a Colombian, who is currently a NASCAR driver, has made a difference in NASCAR. He has performed well in many races and he has done a great job overall. Due to his performance in NASCAR, Juan has attracted many Spanish fans to follow and watch NASCAR. The Indy Racing League has Danica Patrick, who has broken the male dominance of the sport and has given women the opportunity to see anything is possible.

So my concern is why is NASCAR is not so diverse? Why there are no African Americans or women involved as drivers in NASCAR at the upper levels? Why can't there be a Tiger Woods in NASCAR? Why can't there be more women like Danica Patrick in NASCAR? All of these are concerns that are very important because I think that by bringing women and other races to the sport a more diverse environment can exist. The biggest result of this diversity would be a more diverse fan base in NASCAR.

And that's the view from here.

EK

Comments

This is a sensitive topic.

I agree with your assessment about diversity in this sport. Black Americans has always been fans of Nascar. It goes back to the begining of the sport. Wendall Scott was supposedly blazing a trail but it never materialized. I believe that they need to start at the junior level like other sports.


NASCAR is the perfect symbol of our cheerful self destruction. While global warming is getting worse, and pressure is growing for our leaders to reach a strong agreement in Copenhagen, millions of fans are cheering this extravagantly wasteful "sport".

http://www.selfdestructivebastards.com/2009/11/nascar.html

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