Being an activist was never a part of the plan for Bubba Wallace. However, the turn of events within the NASCAR paddock has compelled the driver to be one of the most vocal drivers of NASCAR. But that doesn’t undermine his position as a driver in the highest echelon of stock car racing. The driver who has been an alumnus of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity has proved there is more to him than his ethnicity. 

NASCAR’s initiative to make the sport more inclusive and also to increase its audience base kickstarted Drive for Diversity back in 2004. Since then, two decades have passed, and the program has faced its fair share of obstacles and gained a modest amount of success. While there are still glaring absences, one of its success stories is none other than Bubba Wallace, as asserted by the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, Brandon Thompson. 

Bubba Wallace outshines NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity initiative

The 2023 season has been a landmark year for 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace. For the first time in his Cup Series career, Wallace was able to qualify for the playoffs. The driver had already crystallized his position as a chiseled driver after earning two career victories in the series. While it was the individual talent that had propelled Wallace to savor victory, there is no denying the fact it was the initiative of Drive for Diversity that had catapulted the driver to the limelight. 

Read More: Bubba Wallace’s Crew Chief Keeps His Mouth Shut About His Teams’ Vegas Struggles

As a result, this success story of Bubba Wallace has been providing impetus to the program and carrying forward its ambition. When asked about the current standing of the program and whether it is seeing a palpable outcome, Brandon Thompson, the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, stated to Mike Bagley of MRN, “So excited. I think when you see again just the fruits and the importance, I think one of the things that we are really ahead of us is sort of doubling down on our stance about just being an inclusive sport.”

Speaking on how Bubba Wallace has been one of the defining factors in this program, Thompson also expressed, “One of the things I love and I think I picked up from Marty Smith to Bubba said it, this is not about excluding anybody but including everybody. We all know how electric this sport is just want more people to get in on this thing. We kind of feel like it’s a best-kept open secret, in a lot of demographic ethics and for a lot of consumers, and I think we have seen that build where there are things that we have done with Bubba’s block party or the speed season or just the positive things that you see and hear and read on Twitter. We have got people calling him on radio shows and all these different representations, we have done about representations and really get to see that.”

“At the end of the day, it’s about passion for good hard racing and door-to-door competition and that’s what really it’s been, about. Excited about just the momentum that the program has in this sort of landmark year, and excited about what it is going to be moving forward. I think we just want to open the doors of these race tracks and how people could choose to consume the sport. iRacing, esports whatever it is just to understand there is a place for them,” Thompson added.

With the 2024 season marking 20 years of the Drive for Diversity, the program has remained relentless in creating the world of stock car racing more inclusive in nature.

NASCAR unveils the new faces for the 2024 season under the D4D program

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Rev Racing, which operates the program, strives to piece together a unique academy-style environment. Now the program unveiled the new nine faces for the 2024 season. 

To add to the success of the program, the past members who were under the umbrella of this program had swept the past weeks of NASCAR. Daniel Suarez, the only Mexican in the Cup Series, marked his first victory at Atlanta, while his Chevrolet teammate Kyle Larson, the only Asian-American driver, tasted victory in Las Vegas. 

Furthermore, Rajah Caruth marked his maiden victory in the Truck Series and is also a graduate of this program and is mentored by Bubba Wallace. 

Read More: Kyle Larson Not Worried About His “Legacy” as He Slowly Creeps Up NASCAR’s All Time Win List

There has been enough deliberation on the success of the initiative, however, these drivers stand as proud examples of how this program has created ripples and brought forward changes in the season.