At least that is what Terrance Cox, CEO of Diversity Motorsports, believes and has filed a $500 million lawsuit against NASCAR and almost all of its racing teams. His suit claims that NASCAR and its teams “engaged in unlawful intentional racial discrimination by refusing to sanction African-American owned racing teams. and by refusing to hire African-American drivers for its racing teams”. Its national series team ownership includes JTG Daugherty Racing co-owner Brad Daugherty (an ESPN basketball analyst) and Xfinity Series team owner Victor Obaika.
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The lawsuit seeks $75 million in compensatory damages and $425 million in punitive damages. Numerous small teams have announced plans to compete at NASCAR’s highest levels and have either not done so at all or made it a few races before having to make changes.
“Motorsports remain the most racially segregated sport in the United States”, the complaint said.
Steve Harvey wanted to start a racing team but his efforts stalled before they even got started because NASCAR is a good ole boys league and Steve Harvey is… well, Steve Harvey.
The lawsuit, filed Friday by Diversity Motorsports CEO Terrance Cox, charges that the stockcar racing organization “has intentionally interfered with the efforts of Cox and Diversity Motorsports to integrate the US motorsports industry by perpetuating, condoning and actively participating in actions created to humiliate, degrade, ostracize and exclude Cox”.
Cox is not listed as a team owner of a auto in NASCAR or ARCA in Racing Reference’s comprehensive owner database.
“NASCAR not only will defend our organization against these meritless allegations, but we will be asserting our own claims against Mr. Cox for his defamatory actions”.
It also said it “embraces all individuals interested and involved in our sport, whether as partners, fans, competitors or employees, and there is no merit to this lawsuit”. In a statement, NASCAR slammed the lawsuit as a “publicity seeking legal action”.
We broke the story. a racing exec is suing NASCAR and almost all of its racing teams for more than $500 MILLION – claiming he tried to team with Harvey to start a team a year ago, but NASCAR shot them down. But Harvey denied that this meeting took place, saying, “I don’t even like fast-ass cars”, according to the gossip site TMZ.
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Ronald Paltrowitz, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said any funds would go toward groups that the plaintiffs sponsor to boost minority participation in motorsports. “Coca-Cola ain’t done nothing to them, ‘” Harvey said.
