NASCAR Announces 2017 Drive for Diversity Class

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – NASCAR revealed its lineup for its Drive for Diversity Class of 2017 on Wednesday afternoon.

Six drivers will comprise the 2017 roster with two new drivers joining the four returning faces to the Drive for Diversity program.

Returning for this year’s lineup are Collin Cabre, Jay Beasley, Madeline Crane and Ruben Garcia Jr. with new faces Chase Cabre and Macy Causey joining the program.

Collin Cabre enters his third year in the program with his sights set on another season in the K&N Pro Series East with Rev Racing. The 23-year-old is coming off of a four top-five and six top-10 finish season with Rev Racing in 2016.

Cabre’s younger brother, Chase, enters his first year in the program and will compete in the K&N Pro Series East with Rev Racing as well. The younger Cabre brother moves up to the NASCAR Home Track ranks after running in a 600 Mini Sprint Car over the past season.

Garcia Jr., the 2015 champion of the NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series, is also set to return to the K&N Pro Series East this season following a 10th-place championship effort last year.

Beasley enters his fourth season in the Drive for Diversity program and is set to return for his third season with Rev Racing in the K&N Pro Series East. Beasley made history in 2013 as the first-ever African-American driver to win a super late model race at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Causey will compete in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series as a newcomer to the Drive for Diversity program. Causey earned rookie of the year honors in the Whelen All-American Series’ Virginia ranks.

Crane will also compete in the Whelen All-American Series for Rev Racing for the 2017 racing campaign. The 19-year-old’s racing background comes from racing bandolero and legend cars at tracks as varied as Atlanta Motor Speedway.

NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program has produced multiple prominent names at NASCAR’s national circuit since its inception.

Drivers such as Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers Kyle Larson and Daniel Suarez and XFINITY Series regular Darrell Wallace Jr. have been the prominent faces of the program in the past.

The three drivers have combined for 17 wins across the national series with a series championship in the XFINITY ranks being earned by Suarez in 2016.

Photo Credit: NASCAR/Scott Hunter