by Reg McGhee
After a success­
ful N A S C A R
stock car race, the
media usually
.
' '* « > '
swarmsaround
n o t car drivers
Jeff Gordon, Dale
Earnhardt, M ark
M a rtin or Rusty
Wallace — all well-known, top-notch drivers. A ll white.
So more than a few heads have turned this year with
the increased media interest shown in D r. Pepper’s # 5 0
car. I t recently posted its first top ten finish in its second
year on the Busch circuit —N A S C A R ’s equivalent o f the
m inor leagues. In feet, a few race veterans were a bit upset
by the recent attention shown by H B O , F O R T U N E and
V IB E magazines to a second-year team w ithout a big
name driver. B ut there is something very “big name" .
Wendell Scott won the
Grand National (now
Winston Cup) in 1963.
He is the only African
American to do so.
about the team; it is owned by Washington Redskins’ for­
mer N F L running bock Joe Washington and legendary
basketball superstar Julius “D r. J.’ Erving. Moreover, it is
noteworthy when an Afincan American team cruises into
the inner racing circle w ith a mission to w in, and to w in
big.
Along w ith co-owners Fields Jackson, Jr., a N o rth
Carolina businessman, and Philadelphia businessman Asa
M urray, this Afocan American-owned racing team is
Fields Jackson with M r. & Mrs. Jackson
Joe Washington and
Julius "Dr. J " Erving
(NASCAR
is an
acronym for
the National
Association
of Stock Car
Auto
Racing).
The series is
considered
preparation
for the coveted Winston Cup, using lighter-bodied
Chevys, Fords and Pontiacs with less horsepower than the
Winston Cup cars. The Busch races are held on Saturdays;
the Winston Cup cars race in front of millions on Sunday
afternoons, prime time for TV racing fans.
Both Washington and Erving are keenly aware of the
significant step they took into the professional auto racing
circuit when they pioneered their team last year. “The
timing was simply staring us in the face," Washington
explained in a recent telephone interview, noting that it has
been 25 years since Scott’s retirement.
“Julius and I wanted to do ... something distinguished,
something that people would remember us by, “ Washington
stated. “This is one of the most exciting team sports," he con ­
tinued. “It’s not hard to get the bug. Being in the pits on race
highest-rated sport on television, trailing only pro football, and
attendance at W inston C u p events is up 6 3 % since 1990.
Retail revenue is expected to exceed $1 billion this year, up
from only $80 m illion in 1990.
Competitors in the N A S C A R Busch Series race on the same