Former rim star becomes NASCAR owner, still driven by diversity

Website design By BotEap.comA former 6-11 year old high school and college All-American, as well as a five-time NBA All-Star, he is a stock car racer at heart. His love of NASCAR was the initial impetus that brought Brad Daugherty into racing circles as part owner of the Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series, and later as a race analyst for weekly NASCAR coverage on ESPN/ABC. . What takes him further is his inner drive for diversity.

Website design By BotEap.comDaugherty, who handed out the No. 43 jersey in high school and the NBA in honor of NASCAR legend Richard Petty (he lost a coin toss for 43 in North Carolina), bought a 33 percent stake in JTG Racing. , located in Harrisburg. , NC The famous Wood Brothers operation was part of the team until the beginning of the 2008 season.

Website design By BotEap.comThe JTG team currently fields two Nationwide Series cars and has also driven a truck in the motorsports’ third-tier series. The Black Mountain, NC native teamed up with former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi to fulfill one of his long-term ambitions of becoming a Cup Series owner. At the end of this season, the new team name will be JTG/Daugherty Racing.

Website design By BotEap.comDaugherty is the second prominent minority to become involved in NASCAR ownership this year. NFL All-Pro Randy Moss announced the formation of a Truck Series team in April and plans to sign a driver to race this season and race full-time in 2009. The team is called Moss Motorsports, LLC. . The truck is expected to be No. 81, the same number Moss wears with the 2008 Super Bowl runner-up New England Patriots.

Website design By BotEap.comDaugherty, 42, co-founded the NASCAR Diversity Council with NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France in 2000, and has been an active supporter of the initiative. He also held a position on the sport’s Rules and Competition Committee. When he was a young man growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, his father and his uncle built and bred hot rods for local unauthorized races. Brad has also built cars and enjoys the mechanical side of racing.

Website design By BotEap.comHe intends to finance a trip in the Sprint Cup Series in 2009, as well as two Nationwide cars, and aspires to continue his broadcasting career. The No. 47 Little Debbie Ford will be driven in the Cup Series by Australian driver Marcos Ambrose. Number 43 is already occupied by Bobby Labonte of Petty Enterprises.

Website design By BotEap.comAmbrose currently drives the No. 59 Ford Carbon Kingsford in the Nationwide Series. Little-known Kelly Bires drives the Clorox-sponsored car 47. Ambrose has had top-five and three top-10 finishes in the Nationwide Series prior to last weekend.

Website design By BotEap.comDriving one of the two Nationwide cars next season will likely be Coleman Pressley, a 19-year-old JTG employee and late-model weekend racer and son of former NASCAR driver Robert Pressley, a personal friend of Daugherty for a long time. born and raised in Asheville, NC Pressley drove a Daugherty car to victory in the 1989 Busch Series (now Nationwide). Two years earlier, Kenny Irwin Jr., who was later killed in a 2000 accident during a practice race at New Hampshire, he drove a Daugherty Ford to two Truck Series wins for what was called Liberty Racing.