Question:

It's interesting reading Joe Henderson's complaints--that he was given poor equipment and was not even provided a race car. That's how all NASCAR drivers have it when they start out. These drivers typically are groomed from a very young age to race. Cars and equipment are not provided by NASCAR--it is the sponsors and teams who determine what their teams are furnished, and those with significant promise are typically given more money to invest in the team. They are scouted and watched at many local small-time tracks and then recruited by the teams or by the sponsors. NASCAR doesn't do the recruiting, it's based on talent. I think it's cool that girls have women like Danica Patrick, Ashley Force and Angel … that they can look up to, but to include others solely based on a desire to increase diversity could prove to be dangerous for all other drivers out on the track. If a driver were fully qualified and gifted in racing, he or she should be given an opportunity to race, but it's not NASCAR's decision that prevent that; it's the team owners and the sponsors--look at them for answers.

By the way, at least 13 of the companies on your Top 50 list sponsor race teams. This year, it's even called the "Sprint" Cup. Should Sprint have its name on the racing series this year if diversity is such a problem in NASCAR? Maybe they shouldn't be on your Top 50 list based on the diversity problem in NASCAR. Major sponsors include Coca Cola, Ford, Pepsico, Toyota, Xerox, General Mills, Sprint, GM, Citigroup and Capital One, among others. Also, have you ever asked NASCAR to see their data without charging them the large fee to evaluate the data? Perhaps it's not a "we're afraid of what you'll find" but more of a "we don't want to have to pay for it."

In other words, NASCAR is becoming the scapegoat for problems that they may not have any control over.

Answer:

You are incorrect in your assertion that NASCAR would have to spend money to understand how their diversity efforts stack up to The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity^®.

There is no cost to participate in The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity and every company that participates receives a free report card on their total diversity efforts, as well as their results in each of the four areas we measure: CEO Commitment, Supplier Diversity, Human Capital, and Organizational and Corporate Communications.

There is an open invitation for any company to participate in the DiversityInc Top 50 competition, including NASCAR (which does not participate). There is no connection between the Top 50 process and business conducted with our company. It is strictly an editorial process and is not pay-to-play.

The reason we covered this story is that they have had a heavy public-relations campaign to attempt to build an image as a diverse and inclusive sport.

There is nothing wrong with a sport that innocently attracts mostly white people and white participants as NASCAR has; however, Mr. France, CEO of NASCAR, has said that NASCAR must broaden its audience to grow. Their diversity effort isn't charity--it's a realistic reaction to declining audience numbers for NASCAR (at the same time America is becoming dramatically more diverse).

And you're right, I think any sponsor that is interested in developing an image of diversity and inclusion needs to be very concerned about the environment in which their brand image appears. Companies should carefully consider what their sponsorship says about their company. I wouldn't advise a company that cares about its diversity image to sponsor an event where a Confederate Battle Flag is flying. Doing so indicates that the sponsor has a contradiction of values. This is not conducive to building a good customer relationship (except with people who like to fly the Confederate Battle Flag).

In my opinion, it is disingenuous for a company to hide behind the behavior of its patrons, and I have no problem with people and/or companies expressing their First Amendment rights by flying a Confederate Battle Flag. The First Amendment, however, does not guarantee protection against the repercussions of such expressions.  

According to a 2006 CBS "60 Minutes" segment, NASCAR is a $3-billion business. If they have a desire to build an inclusive sport, like every other business, they need to take meaningful steps to do so. Mr. Henderson's complaints and Ms. Grant's lawsuit, viewed in a larger context, are indicative of a conflicted and halfhearted attempt to build an inclusive sport.

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