Bowie, MD, June 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, visited Bowie State University as part of a two-day event that featured a presentation from drivers and a trip to a regional racetrack to drum up interest in iRacing and raise awareness of career possibilities with the motorsports league.
Bowie State hosted African American stock car drivers Jesse Iwuji and Dylan “Mamba” Smith Friday, April 28 for a panel discussion about each of their journeys to NASCAR and how iRacing is transforming the landscape of the sport. Bowie State’s sport management program previously received an iRacing simulator, which is designed to mimic the experience of driving a race car across NASCAR’s various tracks, which was available for testing out along with a second simulator following the panel presentation and Q&A period.
On Saturday, April 29, Dr. Alex Anderson, a sport management professor, took a group of 25 students to Dover Speedway in Delaware to meet and talk with the track president and pit crew member before heading to the stands to take in some of the pre-race activities ahead of Sunday’s Wurth 400.
“This trip to Dover is a great opportunity for our students to gain an authentic and unique experience at the racetrack,” said Dr. Anderson.
NASCAR has been working with select HBCU’s over the past three years expanding their diversity and inclusion efforts to draw in more minorities to what has historically been a white-dominated industry while exploring the potential benefits of sim racing on a college campus. The events are also meant to highlight other career opportunities outside of driving, such as roles in marketing, esports and gaming or communications. Dr. Anderson sees the partnership as a chance to broaden the possibilities for students who want to make a career in the sports industry outside of the traditional avenues.
“We are trying to build a partnership and provide some opportunities for our students that may not have known much about NASCAR,” he said. “This is a way to broaden their horizons and open their minds to something other than just basketball, football and baseball.”
