Posted: March-04-2010 at 8:47am | IP Logged

In honor of the anniversary of African-American racing trailblazer Wendell Scott making his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start, vehicles competing this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway will have a commemorative decal baring the image of Scott. Scott made his first start in NASCAR’s premier series on March 4, 1961 at Spartanburg, S.C. On Dec. 1, 1963 in Jacksonville, Fla., Scott became the first African-American to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup event, a distinction he still holds. To further recognize the occasion this weekend at AMS, Sybil Scott, daughter of the late Scott, will be in attendance as will NASCAR Drive for Diversity competitor Jason Romero. Romero was last season’s winner of the Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award, given annually to a female or minority driver in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series who personifies excellence on and off the race track.  ...Daily Headlines

Posted: March-04-2010 at 9:13am | IP Logged

Glad to see NASCAR finally paying tribute to Wendell Scott.

Sort of a strange way for NASCAR's PR to end that sentence about Wendell being the first African-American driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup event though......

"A distinction he still holds".....?

I would think that unless someone decides to re-write history, that will be a distinction he will ALWAYS hold!   HA HA  

Posted: March-04-2010 at 9:55pm | IP Logged

That is funny, indeed. Yepp-ee, I believe Wendell still holds claim to being the first African-American driver to win.

Also, what quickly jumped out at me was: "will have a commemorative decal baring the image of Scott."

I thought, "Why are they 'baring' the image of Scott?" Meaning, I thought NASCAR wasn't going to allow a decal to bear the image of Scott.

Bear, bare, and "bar" all have different meanings. Seems like Insider Racing News would've caught how that word was used.

Posted: March-04-2010 at 10:28pm | IP Logged

It just amazes me to see some of the misspellings and misused words which appear in the media now. I grew up in an era when proper grammar, correct spelling and correct punctuation were taught and expected. I see misspelled words and malapropisms all the time in published materials now. Writers today seem to have never conjugated verbs or learned about synonyms... or in some cases even how to write a complete word..... I hate to see text message short hand in a publication, but have actually seem some.

Comedian Norm Crosby, whose whole comedy routine consisted of misused words and malapropisms which created a hysterically funny routine, was very popular 30 to 40 years ago. Today, people wouldn't catch his jokes........ because our society has become a society of Norm Crosby's.

Yep.. per the press release, Wendell still to this very day holds the distinction of being the first African-American to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup event. One can only wonder how long that distinction will stand.

And, yep, per the press release all the cars at Atlanta will have a decal on them which bars the image of Wendell Scott.

Posted: March-05-2010 at 5:22pm | IP Logged

Wendell won that race at Jacksonville in convincing style. He had lapped the field and everyone knew he was leading and had won. he was given the checkered flag as the race winner, but Buck Baker was waved to the winner's circle while officials blocked Wendell from getting there. After the post race winner's interview, after the pictures had been taken and after the reporters got their victory quotes for their stories... and after the fans had left the stands... Wendell was given his trophy.  He was recorded as the official winner after the press had departed.

So... yeah... as Van 84 stated.... NASCAR barred his picture from victory lane, and that was something which the man never got.