Black.Smart.Fast

NASCAR Driver Tries to Break Color Barrier

Now here's a black man I can stand behind. After going on and on about a man I can't stand yesterday, here's the guy who should be held up for all to see. It's not groundbreaking and it's not even new. But this guy is setting a fine example. He bid his time and paid his dues. After a couple years in the Craftsman Truck Series and several good runs in the Bucsh Series, Bill Lester is going to attempt on Friday to qualify for Sunday's Nascar Nextel Cup race in Atlanta. Is this a good thing? Yep. Is it ground breaking? No. Black drivers have been in Nascar before. Lester has been driving professionally for years. Heck, Danica Patrick did well in Indy cars long before everyone 'discovered' her after she qualified fourth at the Indy 500. As NASCAR says in a new ad campaign heralding their diversity, "there's room for everyone." There has been for years. As i've previously stated on numerous occasions, the NASCAR color(and sex) barrier has been gone for a long time. The biggest factor between minorities and NASCAR is drive, experience and time. You can't just put people in the driver's seat who don't belong there and haven't earned it. Women and minority drivers have had enjoyed a large presense in Drag Racing for years. But the difference between a drag racer and a oval circuit racer is huge. It takes years of racing from the time a person is too young to get a driver's license and the dedication of a finely tuned athlete. It won't happen overnight. For two years running, NASCAR has provided and funded a minority racing program to help "diversify" racing. It will help, but we need something more.... Here's my suggestion.
Attention Rich Vocal Minorities: I'm putting out challenge part two to the likes of Oprah, Kanye West, Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al and various other minority bankers, investors, hollywood stars, gansta rappers, etc. Quit bitching that not enough is being done and put your money where your mouth is. Build a dirt track. Build a paved track. Start an inner city soap box derby league. Contribute to the program and start being part of the solution and less a part of the problem. Nothing in my mind is sadder or stupider than a bunch of minorities sitting around grousing for "someone" to fix a percieved inequity when the solution was at their fingertips all along. Racing takes time, money, dedication and money. Lots of white drivers don't make it because they lack one of those ingredients. Lots of minority drivers won't make it for the same reason. White folks aren't keeping black folks out of NASCAR. Their parents, friends, teachers, etc are. Popular society is telling our minority youth to strive to be basketball players, hip-hop singers, athletes and thugs. They should be telling them to strive to be scholars, engineers and politicians. The astronauts, race car drivers and fighter pilots will come along on their own. As previously stated, hip hop quashes dreams and re-enforces the negative stereotypes that minorities put on themselves. I'm sick and tired of minorities blaming everyone but themselves for not getting where they want to be. Let's celebrate Bill Lester's achievment, and not cheapen all he's put into it by making a huge deal out of it. He's just another rookie in the field who's earned a right to be there.

P.S. When Lester does start racing regular in the Cup series, and he has that same fat yellow rookie stripe that all the rookies put on their car, he will crash. He will have few friends. He will have a hard time. Like ALL the other rookies who came before him. If he doesn't perform in a reasonable amount of time, he'll be canned. It has nothing to do with color. Welcome to the big time, Bill. I hope you do well.