For over 20 years, NASCAR has celebrated its Drive for Diversity program. And yet, a major change was recently made that could ruffle feathers.
NASCAR's Drive for Diversity initiative has been quite successful. For starters, Kyle Larson was a graduate of the program. We can't forget about Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suarez. They've both established themselves as quality Cup Series drivers.
That being said, DEI has become a hot topic ever since President Donald Trump took over the White House. He has made it abundantly clear over the past few months that he won't tolerate DEI programs.
"My administration has taken action to abolish all discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion nonsense," Trump said in February. "These are policies that were absolute nonsense throughout the government and the private sector."
Although we highly doubt Trump's plan was geared towards altering NASCAR's DEI-related program, he'll probably be thrilled about the latest update.
It was reported by Sports Business Journal that NASCAR changed the name of its Driver for Diversity program. It's now being called the Driver Development program.
Even though NASCAR has changed the name of its diversity program, it's not completely ditching its DEI efforts.
From Sports Business Journal's report:
NASCAR still has a section of its website about its diversity efforts, and the Drive for Diversity name remained there as of Tuesday night. Some drivers involved with the program now have Driver Development Program in their social media biographies
Despite the name change, NASCAR has no plans to move away from the Driver Development Program itself, the person familiar with NASCAR’s thinking said
According to Sports Business Journal, this name change has been under consideration for the last couple of years. NASCAR's top decision-makers just finally pulled the trigger.
NASCAR's 2025 season will resume this Saturday with an Xfinity Series race at Rockingham Speedway.
More must-reads:
Christopher Bell has experienced mixed results during the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. He is tied for the second-most wins in the series (three) with Kyle Larson and Shane van Gisbergen and won all three consecutively, becoming the first driver to do so in the Next Gen Car (since 2022). While he also tacked on an All-Star win at North Wilkesboro in May, the summer months have not been kind to Bell with five finishes outside the top 10 in his last nine races, including an 18th-place finish on Sunday at Dover. That was the result of a pair of spins while battling for the lead, which led to 2014 Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick calling out this tendency of Bell's that he believes could use some improvement if he is going to compete for championships. "This is the difference between Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell. Denny's going to go as fast as he can go and not spin out," Harvick said on the latest episode of his "Happy Hour" podcast. "You look at a Bell and you look at (Kyle) Larson and some of those guys. They get themselves into these positions. It's the dirt car mentality. It's like drive it to the edge, and if it spins out, okay. If it doesn't, I guess it works. "I think in these scenarios, this is still one of Bell's weaknesses, in my opinion. ...When you're racing for the win, you've got to be able to capitalize on if you don't win, finish second and being able to do that, not step over the edge. That's just one of the things that Bell needs to get better at, in my opinion, of not stepping over the edge. We've seen it happen a number of times, and it puts him in a bad spot. I think that makes it harder to win a championship, because you're going to make those mistakes in pressure moments of not finishing second." Bell has become one of the most consistent drivers in the Cup Series, having finished in the top five of the final standings each of the last three years. He may have lost control multiple times at the "Monster Mile," but he led his most laps (67) in a points-paying race since the last of his three consecutive wins at Phoenix (105) on March 9. On top of that, he spun while battling for the lead on both occasions at Dover, so it was not like he was off the pace or running toward the back of the field and the car just came around on him. Bell has proved he has the speed and talent to win races and compete for championships, but his tendency to go past the edge and spin out could still prove costly when points are at a premium and consistent finishes are rewarded. Whether this continues to be an issue or not, there is no denying that Bell is giving it everything he's got, which is all you can ask for in a points system that puts a greater precedence on winning. If he makes the same mistake in the playoffs, though, it could be the difference between advancing to the next round or getting eliminated.
Before Ryan Reaves was traded to the San Jose Sharks earlier this summer, he had a front-row seat to Auston Matthews' first season wearing the “C” for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matthews dealt with injury setbacks throughout the year, missing 15 games after hurting himself during training camp. He still found a way to finish the season, racking up 78 points in 67 regular-season games, adding 11 points in 13 playoff outings. Reaves appeared on the "Leafs Morning Take" podcast on Monday to discuss that and many other topics. Reaves opened up on his two seasons in Toronto. The enforcer offered insight into what made the 2024–25 campaign unique and how Matthews handled the spotlight during his first year as the team captain. “I think a lot of (Matthews') leadership is led by example,” Reaves said. “He works incredibly hard in practice. And on the ice, I think you see how hard he works in all three zones. “Obviously, grinding through some issues this year, and, you know, really trying to grind through it for the team.” Reaves said that even though Matthews was forced to miss time throughout the season, the captain maintained a presence Reaves — a 38-year-old veteran — found instructive, especially for younger players in the locker room. “To me, Auston was a guy who really led by example, really tried to drag guys into battles, practice,” Reaves said. “Never took days off, never, never coasted in practice. Always working his (expletive) off, on the ice before everybody else, off the ice last, you know. “(It’s) something that, as a vet, it was great to see. It really teaches those young guys how to, how to be, you know, the best in the world.” Reaves, however, acknowledged that Matthews wasn’t the most vocal captain he’d ever played with. That said, the veteran still respected Matthews' approach to leading the Maple Leafs. “Everybody leads differently, right?” Reaves said. “You can’t be the most vocal and the most leading by example, you can’t, you can’t do it all.”
One question remains after New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu announced his retirement. How long until Canton calls? On Tuesday, the 12-year NFL veteran revealed he was retiring, effective immediately, ending the New Orleans native's legendary football career. In a statement published to social media, the three-time first-team All-Pro wrote, "As I hang up my cleats, I'm filled with gratitude as I close this chapter of my life and officially retire from the game that's shaped me in every way. "From my first snap in college to my final play in the NFL, this journey has been nothing short of a blessing." He's a surefire first-ballot Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame honoree, breaking out while at LSU (2010-11). During his freshman and sophomore seasons, he forced 11 fumbles with eight recoveries, four interceptions and four total touchdowns while finishing fifth in Heisman voting in 2011. Mathieu was dismissed from the team in 2012 after failing multiple drug tests and then was arrested on marijuana charges, but he didn't allow that to define his career. Instead, he carved out what could be considered a Pro Football Hall of Fame resume, too. Mathieu ends his professional career with 838 tackles, 100 passes defended and 36 interceptions. In addition to being named first-team All-Pro three times, he received three Pro Bowl honors and was a member of the Hall of Fame All-2010 Team. Mathieu also won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in February 2020. Per Mathieu's Pro Football Reference's Hall of Fame Monitor score (65.2), he has a below-average case for enshrinement, with the average Hall of Fame defensive back scoring a 96.93. But players have received a gold jacket with worse scores in the PFR metric, including John Lynch, Eric Allen and Dick LeBeau. While he might have to wait past his first ballot to make it into the Hall of Fame, it would be a shame if Mathieu didn't one day receive his flowers. It certainly helps his case that in addition to being one of the greatest safeties of his generation, Mathieu was, by all accounts, just as outstanding off the field. NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill and Arizona Cardinals insider Kyle Odegard, who covered Mathieu when he played for the Cardinals, were among the media members to share fond stories about Mathieu. "One of those guys who really respected the job we do and would take the time to explain the game," Underhill shared. "He an all-world talent and the most accessible, genuine, introspective superstar I've ever met," Odegard wrote. It could take longer than five years, but it should surprise no one if one day Mathieu receives Hall of Fame recognition. He is the Honey Badger, after all. He takes what he wants.
It’s not been a drama-free start to training camp for the Dallas Cowboys, and the majority of the reason lies with the comments of their owner, Jerry Jones. Already mired in a dispute with Micah Parsons, Jones chose to use the team’s training camp press conference as his bully pulpit earlier this week, making comments on a number of the team’s players, particularly the ones he’s signed to lucrative extensions. Among those were defensive back Trevon Diggs, who drew criticism from Jones over his lack of participation in offseason workouts, forfeiting part of his contract in the process. “He didn’t earn it; he didn’t come. That’s in his contract that he doesn’t get that unless he’s going to be here,” Jones said. Parsons has chosen relatively lukewarm responses so far, but Diggs may have escalated the situation with a simple post on Tuesday. Trevon Diggs responds to Jerry Jones, says ‘they knew where I was’ On his X account, Diggs made a quick and strong response to Jones’ comments, pointing out the facts and leaving no doubt where he is going into the season. Diggs signed a lucrative five-year, $97m extension in 2023 after impressing following joining the Cowboys in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The former Alabama prospect earned that deal following two Pro Bowl nods in 2021 and 2022, with an All-Pro berth in the former. He led the NFL in interceptions in 2021 to boot, with eleven. However, having only played 13 games since his big extension, he’s part of the increasing scrutiny Jones seems to be placing on long-term deals with his team’s young talent, a possible reason for the ongoing impasse with star linebacker Micah Parsons. Jones continues to be a detriment to his team At this point, Jerry Jones is an active deterrent to the Cowboys succeeding in 2025. While people can rightly disagree over an owner’s intentions or philosophy when it comes to roster building, being in open warfare with your players, particularly ones you’ve already paid, is nothing but hurtful to team chemistry. It’s not even that he was wrong to call out Diggs, who has largely been underwhelming since signing his deal, but it’s just not something an owner should be doing publicly about one of his players, particularly one who he still needs to provide value to the team over the coming years. Jones’ recent outbreak of foot-in-mouth syndrome only increases the pressure on first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who already faces an uphill task dragging a middling roster to reach Jones’ outsize expectations. With disgruntled players and the possibility still existing of a holdout by Micah Parsons, things could continue to get worse. It’s a mess of the Cowboys’ own making, and it’s a pity no one has the power in Dallas to tell Jerry to spend less time at the microphone and more time at the negotiating table resolving these disputes.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!