Eight drivers have been named to this year’s NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program.
Lavar Scott, Andrés Pérez de Lara, Jaiden Reyna and Justin Campbell are returning to Rev Racing, which operates the diversity program. Paige Rogers, Eloy Sebastián López Falcón, Caleb Johnson and Nathan Lyons will make their debut this year.
Nick Sanchez, who participated in the diversity program in 2022 and won the ARCA Menards Series Championship, is advancing to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Sanchez will drive the No. 2 Gainbridge Chevrolet for Rev Racing with its technical alliance partner, Kyle Busch Motorsports.
Rajah Caruth also graduated from the program and will be competing full time in the truck series, driving the No. 24 for GMS Racing.
“We’re excited to welcome our newest class of drivers and be a part of their growth and development,” said Jordan Leatherman, NASCAR’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion in a statement released by NASCAR. “We’re proud to see Nick Sanchez and Rajah Caruth graduate from the program and start a new chapter in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Their success reflects their talent and hard work.”
Drivers were selected after participating a combine in November in Charlotte and South Boston, Va. Participants from the United States and Mexico were evaluated by judges from across the NASCAR industry. Each driver was assessed in different areas, including physical fitness, on-track performance and media and marketing skills.
The diversity program was created in 2004 to develop and train ethnically diverse and female drivers both on and off the track. NASCAR Cup Series drivers Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suárez and Kyle Larson are alumni of the program, which is operated by Rev Racing in Concord, N.C.
This year’s class:
Andrés Pérez de Lara, ARCA Menards Series: The Mexico City, Mexico, native, 17, returns to Rev Racing after competing in the NASCAR México Series and NASCAR México Challenge categories. He is 2022’s NASCAR México Challenge champion.
Lavar Scott, ARCA Menards Series East: The 19-year-old from Carney’s Pointe, N.J., returns to Rev Racing after scoring his first career win in the NASCAR Truck México Series at Autódromo de Querétaro in Mexico in 2021.
Justin Campbell, NASCAR Weekly Series Late Model: The 17-year-old Griffin, Ga., native returns to Rev Racing for his third season after earning two top fives and two top 10s in the 2022 Summer Shootout in the semi-pro division.
Jaiden Reyna, NASCAR Weekly Series Late Model: The Cornelius, N.C., native, 16, returns to Rev Racing after scoring two wins at Lincoln Speedway in the Young Lion division. Reyna also finished a career-high second at Florence Motor Speedway in the late model division.
Paige Rogers, NASCAR Weekly Series Late Model: The 19-year-old from Fort Wayne, Ind., will make her debut with Rev Racing in 2023. Rogers is the 2021 runner-up in the Late Model Sportsman division at Corrigan Oil Speedway.
Caleb Johnson, INEX Legend Car Series: The Denver, Co., native finished fifth in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series point standings. The 14-year-old also has an iRacing background.
Nathan Lyons, INEX Legend Car Series: The 13–year-old, originally from Texas, moved to Concord, N.C., to pursue his dream to race in NASCAR. Lyons had five top 10 finishes in the 2022 Summer Shootout Outlaw Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Eloy Sebastián López Falcón, INEX Legend Car Series: The Oaxaca, Mexico, native will make his debut with Rev Racing in 2023. The 17-year-old is the 2022 NASCAR Truck México Series champion.
