The Drive for Diversity (D4D) program is a development system instituted by the American auto racing league NASCAR. The program's purpose is to attract minority and female individuals to the sport, primarily as drivers, but also including ownership, sponsorship, and crew member roles, and to attract a more diverse audience to the sport. Before an applicant is accepted into the program, their resumes are checked by NASCAR officials. The system is similar to a driver development program where applicants progress through minor-league and regional racing levels to prepare them for a possible shot at one of NASCAR's three national series. The program was started during the 2004 season by NASCAR marketing executives in order to attract female and minority fans and drivers to the historically white and male-dominated sport. The year before, Joe Gibbs Racing, along with former athletes Reggie White and Magic Johnson, had started a similar program.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) is a modified stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified Division. The Modified Division is NASCAR's oldest division, and is the only open-wheeled division that NASCAR sanctions. NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events are mainly held in the northeastern United States, but the 2007 and 2008 tours expanded to the Midwest with the addition of a race in Mansfield, Ohio. The tour races primarily on short oval paved tracks, but the NWMT also has made appearances at larger ovals and road courses.
The University of Northwestern Ohio Battle at the Beach was a nonpoints, all-star race that brought together the top drivers in NASCAR's lower-level series and club racing. A successor to the Toyota All-Star Showdown, held from 2003 to 2011 at Irwindale Speedway in California, the inaugural event was held at a newly built short track that was located on the backstretch of Daytona International Speedway on February 18–19, 2013.
Corey Daniel LaJoie is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports and part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado for Spire. LaJoie is the son of two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie. He was formerly a development driver for Richard Petty Motorsports and JGL Racing.
In 2014, NASCAR sanctioned three national series, and five touring series.
The 2014 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards was the 62nd season of the ARCA Racing Series. The season began on February 15 with the Lucas Oil 200 presented by MAVTV American Real and ended on October 3 with the ARCA 98.9, after a total of 20 races.
The 2014 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series was the sixth Racecar Euro Series season, and the second under the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series branding. The season consisted of six meetings – with two races at each meeting – starting on 12 April at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, and ending on 12 October at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans.
Edward MacDonald is an American professional stock car racing driver. He most recently competed part-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2018, a series which he competed in for over a decade and a half. In addition, MacDonald raced numerous times in the American Canadian Tour between 2007 and 2018, and in the PASS North. MacDonald has made starts in all three of NASCAR's national touring series, the K&N Pro Series East, and the Whelen Modified Tour.
The 2015 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour was the thirty-first season of the Whelen Modified Tour (WMT). It began with the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on April 12 and concluded at the same venue with the Sunoco World Series 150 on October 18.
In 2015, NASCAR sanctioned three national series, and five touring series.
Ryan Preece is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Stewart–Haas Racing.
In 2016, NASCAR sanctioned three national series, and six touring series.
In 2017, NASCAR sanctioned three national series and six touring series.
Andrew T. Seuss is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won two consecutive championships in 2014 and 2015 in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, and also competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Truck Series, Whelen Modified Tour, ARCA Menards Series and what is now the ARCA Menards Series East. As an owner, he owns KLAS Motorsports, which fields the No. 73 car part-time in the ARCA Menards Series for Andy Jankowiak.
Spencer Scott Davis is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner, who currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 04 Ford F-150 for Roper Racing.
Max McLaughlin is an American professional stock car racing and dirt track racing driver. He currently competes full-time in the World of Outlaws Case Construction Late Model Series, driving the No. 22 Longhorn Chassis for Team 22 and part-time in the Super DIRTcar Big-Block Modified Series, driving the No. 8 for Heinke-Baldwin Racing. He has also previously competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. He is the son of former NASCAR driver Mike McLaughlin.
For 2019, NASCAR sanctioned three national series and six regional touring series:
In 2020, NASCAR sanctioned four national series:
Frank Douglas Coby III is an American professional racing driver who competes part-time in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the SMART Modified Tour, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing, he has also competed part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado for GMS Racing. He is a six-time champion of the Whelen Modified Tour, winning titles in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019.