Jay Beasley, the 2013 NASCAR Super Late Models Bullring champion, is one of six drivers who have been selected for NASCAR's Drive for Diversity Class of 2017.
This marks the third time that Beasley, a nine-time Bullring race winner, has been selected for the prestigious honor. The drivers were selected after a competitive combine held last October at New Smyrna Speedway and will compete for Rev Racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
The 2017 class features returning drivers Beasley, Collin Cabre, Madeline Crane and Ruben Garcia Jr., as well as newcomers Chase Cabre and Macy Causey. Beasley was thrilled by his selection.
"I'm super excited," said Beasley, 24, the first African-American driver to win a NASCAR Super Late Models race at The Bullring. "I'm looking forward to this year. I feel good and have learned a lot.
"I'd really like to win in this series, have a lot of top-five finishes and be in the hunt for the championship."
In his first season with the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program in 2014, Beasley earned two top-five and five top-10 finishes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
NASCAR Drive for Diversity aligns drivers with a team of executives, athletic directors, crew chiefs and mentors tasked with helping them achieve career successes, and thus improving their goal of reaching one of the three NASCAR national series. Since it began fielding NASCAR Drive for Diversity cars in 2010, Rev Racing has been one of the most consistent teams in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, registering 17 wins, 65 top-five and 124 top-10 finishes with drivers finishing in the top-10 in points each season.
"Now more than ever, we're seeing the impact of NASCAR's development program in producing drivers who excel at the highest echelons of our sport," said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. "There's a great deal of talent and potential in this year's class. With the strong foundation that NASCAR Drive for Diversity provides, these drivers will have the opportunity to develop the skills needed to elevate their racing careers."
The 2016 NASCAR season was a historic year for NASCAR Drive for Diversity alumni. Kyle Larson, who is Asian-American, became the first program graduate to win a race and reach the playoffs in the sport's premier series, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. With his NASCAR XFINITY Series victory at Michigan International Speedway, Daniel Suárez was the first Mexican-born driver to win a national series race, and last November he became the first foreign-born driver to win a national series championship.
The 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener will take place on Feb. 19 at New Smyrna Speedway, where Rev Racing scored a win with Suárez in 2014.
For more information on NASCAR Drive for Diversity, visit NASCARDiversity.com.
