Larson, Suárez fuel success for diversity
Marketing sports stars is predicated on an important fact: Success. Gimmicks fade. Winning remains a constant marker.
So kudos to and They are the perfect ad, streaming every weekend, for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Series.
As graduates of the program, Larson and Suárez are on the honor roll. Larson won at Fontana last weekend and leads the Monster Energy Cup standings with a 29-point cushion in front of Suárez, driving a Cup car competitively for the first time in his career, is 19th in the standings, ahead of established veterans including (21) and teammate
(25). The program was conceived in the 1990s to attract minority and female individuals to the sport on all levels. But it’s hard to market stars of a pit crew, hence the importance of drivers making an impact.
Although other graduates — including rising star
— have found success in the Xfinity Series, Larson in particular has definitely established himself as a young man with the “it” factor.
Larson. 24, had previously become the first NASCAR Driver for Diversity program graduate to win a NASCAR Cup Series race, winning in Michigan last August. Sunday’s victory just solidifies the fact that he isn’t going to be a one-hit wonder.
“I was talking to someone this morning about how everybody wants to compare these drivers coming up to ]orto
or this guy, that guy, whoever they want to compare to,” owner
said Sunday. “They always say, ‘Well,
only won one Xfinity race. Everybody has these sort of one-liners that there's no answer to. They want to compare everybody.”
In other words, it’s complex, and everybody is his own man with his own pace.
Suárez, 25, has competed only in five Cup races after winning the Xfinity title last season. He was forced into an accelerated pace with the unexpected retirement of
shortly before the start of the season. COMMENTARY
Racing turned to Suárez as the obvious replacement, and he already has delivered two Top 10s, including a seventh-place finish at Fontana.
“We have to keep working,” he said at Fontana. “I know that there is room to improve still, but for now we’ll take the top 10.”
Larson’s learning curve is far less challenging. He already is there, with 116 Cup starts dating to 2013. But this has been his breakout season, finishing second in three previous races — at Atlanta, Las Vegas and Phoenix before wining in Southern California.
“It’s really cool to see kind of the future of the sport and them all running up front,” Larson said, alluding to other young drivers such as Elliott and
“I’m sure NASCAR is really happy about that and it’s fun to race with all of them on the track because I feel like we’ve all gotten a little bit added aggression and excitement.”
Spread the word: The Kids are All Right.
recently addressed the impact of penalties after his team failed post-race inspection at Phoenix International Raceway. The team was docked 35 driver and owner points, and crew chief
was fined $65,000 and suspended for three races.
“To lose a guy like that, it definitely hurts,” said Keselowski, who nevertheless holds fourth place in the standings. “He’s a great asset to our team, but this is one of those setbacks that I think every team faces and we’re just going to have to get through it. It looks like it’s going to be a handful of races and we’ll do the best we can during that time.”
The refurbished Daytona International Speedway has become more than just a racing hub. Check out upcoming episodes of "American Ninja Warrior."
The series — an Emmynominated sports competition filled with obstacle courses — will come to Daytona as a filming location on April 7-8.
“We're excited to serve as a host location for the filming of American Ninja Warrior and add another new event to an already busy schedule,” Daytona International Speedway President said.
“We're thrilled to welcome the competitors to the world's only motorsports stadium and provide an electric atmosphere as individuals attempt to navigate these challenging obstacles. To succeed, they are going to need strength, speed and perseverance, very similar to what we see on the high banks of the Speedway."
American Ninja Warrior, now in its ninth season, stages competition across the country, with the finals set for Las Vegas. A grand prize of $1 million awaits the winner. Fans will be able to view the tapings at Daytona, each starting around 8:30 p.m., just outside the speedway between the Axalta and Chevrolet Injectors. Fans will need to sign up to attend the event at http://oncamera-audiences.com/ shows/American_Ninja_Warrior.