Karsceal Turner – I Got NEXT!
In a rain soaked, shortened 56th Coke Zero 400, Aric Almirola won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Daytona International Speedway, 100,000 fans were in the stands when Almirola put Richard Petty’s famed No. 43 in Victory Lane for the first time since 1999.
I’m like…WHO? I am disgusted because I am a Dale Earnhardt Jr., fan and the #88 car was swallowed up in the first of two huge wrecks. One claimed 16 cars and included damn near all my favorites (including Jr.). Later, a 22 car pile-up pretty much cleaned up the rest of the favorites. There were two red flags. Finally, after 113th lap, those persistent Florida rain showers ended the race 48 laps before the finish line.
A day prior, as the thunder rumbled in the distance, yours truly was inside the Coke Zero Hospitality tent in front of Daytona International Speedway sipping on “beverages” and eating shrimps, and oysters and such. That was my Saturday highlight because the race was rained out and postponed to 11 a.m. Sunday because of persistent rain showers and lightning in the area.
It takes an hour and 45 minutes to dry this track, but it never stopped raining. I felt cheated. It isn’t often one hears about a Black man who digs NASCAR. It isn’t exactly a “brothers” type of setup but I’m glad to be among the growing number of Black racing fans (that was odd to type).
You see, as a student at Bethune-Cookman, my classmates and I would often work the races at different intervals each year. We’d serve as servers, runner, drivers, and hosts, whatever. The pay was decent, especially for starving college kids. This was another opportunity to take in the culture as opposed to staying at home all weekend to avoid the gridlock like many people in Daytona Beach do this time of year.
The skinny on Blacks and NASCAR
According to Market research, NASCAR’s fan base is about 60 percent male and 80 percent white, mostly from the Southern and Midwestern states. However, as the country becomes more diverse, the sport fan base is diversifying too. The number of African American fans stands at roughly 8.8 percent today. 10 years ago it was probably 1.1 percent.
My personal favorites for the record are Dale Earnhardt (senior and junior), Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Gordon. Of course my list is rounded off by ALL Black drivers…unless they are riding my ass on I-4.
Although the number of Black NASCAR fans is raising, pump your brakes…I counted at least a dozen Confederate flags on the way to the speedway, around the city, and on I-95. It wasn’t enough to stop my masonic brother Louis Jones and me from taking in all the sights and sounds. I was adorned in my Dale Earnhardt Jr. racing jacket, and pit-stop cap looking like the fan that I am. I forgot to mention that Bro. Jones is an imposing figure. Me? Not so much, we made our way around the facilities with no issue while exchanging pleasantries with other NASCAR fans.
Black NASCAR fans unite and know your NASCAR history
Allow me to give you the benefit of my research regarding Blacks who drive fast cars.
Wendell Scott became the very first African-American to start a NASCAR race when he took the green flag on March 4th, 1961 in Spartanburg, SC. Unfortunately, Wendell had engine problems that day and did not finish.
Scott became the first and most prolific of all African-Americans in the sport but also the most successful. He went on to start a total of 495 races in NASCAR’s top series from 1961 through 1973. On December 1st 1963 he took the checkered flag first at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, FL and sped into the history books. Scott also managed four consecutive top ten points’ finishes. Career wise, he finished no worse than tenth in the final standings from 1966 to 1969.
There was a “Blackout” in NASCAR until the eighties when Willy T. Ribbs started three races in 1986. Willy’s first race was at North Wilkesboro Speedway on April 20th, 1986. That was the only race that he finished in his short career as he finished thirteen laps down in 22nd. Ribbs started two more races that year for DiGard Racing but he suffered engine failure in both.
Bill Lester is a name that has become more familiar regarding racing. Lester got one Busch Series start in 1999 but didn’t land a full-time NASCAR ride right away. He began racing full-time in the NASCAR Truck series in 2002 and finally made his first NASCAR Sprint Cup series start in 2006 when Bill Davis put him in a car for the 2006 Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. Lester is currently racing sports cars in the Rolex Grand Am series. Marc Davis won in the lower levels of the sport and was signed by Gibbs Racing but raced in only 10 Nationwide Series events from 2008 to ‘11.
While there isn’t word on when (or if) Lester will return to NASCAR, there are a few “New jacks” ready to step in and pick up where he left off. Darrell Wallace Jr. became the second black driver to win on NASCAR’s national level and first in a half-century, taking the Truck Series race Saturday at Martinsville Speedway in 2013. Tia Norfleet is the first Black woman to ever be issued a license by NASCAR. You didn’t know that did you?
Perhaps this little information regarding how Blacks actually dig a sport known for its rowdy, sometime raunchy fans and the stereotype of rednecks who all hate Black people. Brother Jones and I had a blast, some great dialogue as we shared our extensive knowledge of the sport, and some complementary “beverages” with our Caucasian counterparts. You should try it. Next Race in Daytona Beach is in February, it’s the Daytona 500. At least I gave you some insight before you decide to place it on your calendar.
