Drive for Diversity to begin fielding own teams in 2010

[Schwartz Fan]

NASCAR's Drive for Diversity to begin fielding own teams in 2010
By SceneDaily Staff


NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity initiative will begin fielding its own teams instead of trying to place drivers and crews with existing teams in 2010.

The 909 Group, which took over operation of Drive for Diversity this year, will own and operate 10 teams fielding the organization's competitors. Competing under the Revolution Racing banner, the minority drivers will compete on four NASCAR Camping World Series teams and six NASCAR Whelen All-American Series teams.

“This new structure for developing young drivers and crew members is an evolution of an initiative that has seen 31 drivers compete, winning 33 races," said Marcus Jadotte, managing director of public affairs for NASCAR and overseer of the sanctioning body’s diversity initiatives. "D4D drivers will be located in the nerve center of NASCAR, with greater access to industry resources, technology, training, testing and shop experience.”

The 909 Group will continue to provide marketing support to NASCAR’s diversity initiatives. John Story will serve as president of Revolution Racing and manage day-to-day operations of the company. Max Siegel will maintain his role as chief executive officer of both Revolution and The 909 Group.

“We’ve spent most of 2009 thinking about ways to expand opportunities available to the drivers and crew members involved in Drive for Diversity,” Siegel said. “All of the teams involved in the initiative since its inception in 2004 have provided meaningful support for the program. To better assess and develop talent, we are putting the drivers under one roof and in identical cars. This new standardized structure will also create more meaningful sponsorship opportunities that will in turn provide resources necessary to compete at the highest level with the goal of getting drivers to NASCAR’s premier series.”

Andy Santerre, a four-time NASCAR Camping World Series champion as a driver and team owner, will join Revolution Racing to oversee its Camping World Series operations. Blair Addis, a current Drive for Diversity team owner, will oversee Revolution Racing’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series program.

Current and former NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series drivers will serve as coaches and mentors to the drivers, who will be given additional seat time and be allowed to compete in more than one series as they develop. The coaches will share information with the drivers in the shop and during their intense on-track testing program, which will begin in early November and continue throughout the 2010 season.

In addition to drivers, Revolution, along with corporate partner Sprint, will continue to develop over-the-wall athletes led by long-time NASCAR pit crew coach Phil Horton, who has trained a significant number of current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew members.

Revolution’s drivers for the 2010 season will be determined following the Drive for Diversity Combine presented by Sunoco Oct. 16-19. Those drivers will be featured in a television series, “Changing Lanes,” developed in collaboration with the NASCAR Media Group and set to air in early 2010 on BET. The 10-part series will showcase the development of young Drive for Diversity competitors trying to make it in the big-time world of NASCAR racing.


NASCAR's Drive for Diversity to begin fielding own teams in 2010 - Sprint Cup Series | NASCAR Racing News - SceneDaily.com

[revvinjim]

I think this is a great idea. It will help solve the sort of problems Chase Austin and Marc Davis have had after being dropped from the Hendrick and Gibbs diversity programs due to lack of funds. I hope it works.

[Schwartz Fan]

Santerre sells to Siegel's 909 Group, will run diversity teams
By Larry Mahoney - Bangor Daily News, Maine
Thursday, Sep. 24, 2009



Maine native Andy Santerre will begin a new chapter in his impressive auto racing career next month.

Santerre has sold his Camping World East Series inventory to the 909 Group and will work for their Revolution Racing team next season.

He will be the competition director for the Camping World East Series teams.

He has owned his Andy Santerre Motorsports Team since 1995. Previously, he had driven in NASCAR Busch competition and other divisions.

The team inventory includes six race cars, the tractor-trailer and "everything we use for the race team including all of my equipment and tools."

Santerre leased the shop itself but all of the equipment inside belonged to him.

The 909 Group has taken over the operation responsibilities for Drive for Diversity and will own and operate 10 teams at different levels of racing dedicated to providing opportunities for minority and female drivers and crew members.

Four of those drivers will be in the Camping World East Series and Santerre will basically oversee the operations of those teams.

The other six teams will be in the Late Model Whelen All-American Series.

He will begin his job Oct. 5 after the Camping World East Series concludes this weekend at Dover, Del.

Rookie Brett Mofitt is driving for ASM this season and the 17-year-old is fourth in points. In addition to managing the race team, Santerre is also Moffitt's crew chief.

He won't be a crew chief next season.

''I'm excited about it," said the four-time Camping World East Series points champion. "I love doing what I've been doing but trying to find sponsors and fund our team throughout the winter is really tough. We were struggling to keep the shop open from October to January. I told 1/8wife3/8 Sue I didn't want to go through that again. This was the perfect time to sell.

''My job will be to oversee the crews, the people doing the work on the cars. I won't have to turn a wrench as much as I have in the past," said Santerre, who will be doing the hiring and firing for the four teams.

The 41-year-old Santerre had announced he intended to sell his inventory at Thompson International Speedway (Conn.) in July and John Story, who will serve as president of Revolution Racing, expressed interest in buying it.

''He was the only one who was serious about it. It was a fair deal for both of us," said Santerre. "I priced it fair so I could move it quickly. I'm finally seeing a return on my investment.

''I didn't want to break up the stuff. I wanted it to go to one place. I'm happy they're keeping it altogether," added Santerre, who preferred not to discuss the financial terms of the deal.

He said it was also important the members of his race team be able to find jobs with him and that has occurred.

''That was a big part of my decision," he said. "I really wanted to bring the crew with me. That was definitely a big plus."

The crew includes Santerre, wife Sue, fabricator Corey Williams of Boothbay Harbor; decal applicator and truck driver Warren Hamilton of Scarborough. Jerry Babb, also of Scarborough, who will be one of the crew chiefs and Massachusetts native Ed Horracks is the lead mechanic.

Sue Santerre will be handling the travel itineraries and the licensing.

Revolution Racing will operate a fully-equipped race shop in Mooresville, N.C. , 35 miles from Santerre's home in Harrisburg, N.C.

''Andy is the cornerstone of our program," said Story, former general manager for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. "If you go anywhere in Charlotte (N.C.) and tell someone Andy Santerre is going to be working with you, they'll tell you that you couldn't have made a better choice. He'll really kick our program into high gear. I've known Andy and Sue for a number of years and nobody has anything bad to say about either one of them. Having them with us speaks to the quality of program we're trying to build."

Story said when he found out Santerre wanted to sell his assets, he wanted to first find out if Santerre would be interested in "partnering with us.

''This allows him to do what he loves and what he does best: Work on race cars and with young drivers. We want to build winners and that's what he has done his entire career," said Story.

Story said he is optimistic that Santerre's reputation will help them attract more diversity drivers and some of those drivers will eventually land in the Sprint Cup series.

A committee will select the drivers for the four Camping World East Series teams and the six Late Model teams at following the Drive for Diversity Combine Oct. 16-19 at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.

''There will be a lot really good drivers out there," said Santerre.

Story said there will be 29 drivers vying for the 10 jobs.

Max Siegel, former president of DEI, heads up the Drive for Diversity program. He was formally the highest-ranking black man in NASCAR.

Before he assumes his new responsibilities, Santerre will try to guide Moffitt to Victory Lane this weekend at Dover.

''We're 35 points out of third place and if we can get a top-five finish, we can get third," said Santerre. "The driver currently in third, Jody Lavender, doesn't run that well at Dover."

Santerre and Moffitt will be reunited for the Toyota All-Star Showdown on Jan. 30 at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, Calif.


Santerre sells to Siegel's 909 Group, will run diversity teams | www.thatsracin.com