Davis driving to role-model status

Marc Davis is the only black driver to race in a NASCAR national series this season. Getty Images Tim Tuttle's Mailbag Submit a comment or question for Tim. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

Marc Davis never intended to become a role model or a trailblazer.

"I've been racing for 12 years and I've never thought of myself as an African-American driver," Davis said. "I'm just a race car driver."

Davis is a top prospect who happens to be the only black driver to race in a NASCAR national series this season. He made his debut in the Craftsman Truck Series at Gateway in September, finishing 16th. Davis was 23rd in his first Nationwide race at Memphis and was 30th in the Nationwide race at Texas last week. He'll also run the final two Nationwide races, Saturday at Phoenix and at Homestead-Miami.

Next year, Davis hopes to run the full Nationwide or Truck schedule. Eventually, of course, the goal is Sprint Cup. Davis stands a good chance of making it. At 18, he's been a Joe Gibbs Racing development driver for three seasons and is signed with the organization through 2011.

Davis has an impressive resume. He began on BMX bicycles before moving into junior dragsters at eight and won national championships, on ovals and road courses, in Bandolero and Legends (5/8th-scale fiberglass full-fendered versions of NASCAR modifieds). He also raced quarter-midgets against future Gibbs' teammate Joey Logano.

The Bandolero and Legends run on the quarter-mile tracks at Lowe's, Atlanta and Kentucky and it was there Davis got to know Humpy Wheeler, the former Lowe's president and general manager who steered him towards a NASCAR career.

"Marc is where he is [NASCAR] because of Humpy Wheeler," Harry Davis, Marc's father, said.

At 13, Davis began driving in the full-size Protruck series in Florida, commuting from his home in Silver Spring, Md.

"We'd drive 15 hours each way to race a 25-lap race in Florida," Harry Davis said. "It was the only place in America where a 13-year-old could race full-sized cars."

Next, Marc moved into the heart of NASCAR, racing at famed Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway's .386-mile track in Limited Late Models. At the end of that season, Davis participated in NASCAR's Drive for Diversity combine and was signed by Gibbs.

"Our pit space at Hickory had been next to Gibbs and they had seen Marc," Harry Davis said. "We went to the combine and they were ready to sign him."

Gibbs had its own diversity program, co-founded by a the late football star Reggie White, and sent Davis back for a second season in 2006 at Hickory in Limited Late Models and Late Models. Davis won in his first race with Gibbs and added five more victories and had 17 top-fives and 20 top-10s.

"It was a dream come true to be signed by Gibbs," Marc Davis said. "It was a huge step in my career."

Gibbs moved him into NASCAR's Camping World East the past two seasons. He was fifth in the points this year and ninth in 2007, with eight top-fives and 13 top-10s in 26 races.

Davis faced the same age barrier as Logano. He didn't turn 18 until June, making him eligible for NASCAR national competition.

NASCAR has an approval process for drivers moving into its national series. They have to progress through smaller tracks to intermediate and superspeedways, showing competency and competitive speed. Results are secondary.

Harry Davis, who retired from his job as a NBC news cameraman three years ago when the family moved to the Charlotte, N.C., area to manage Marc's career, and the Gibbs' organization put together a plan to get Marc eligible to run at Daytona, in either Trucks or Nationwide, next February. Daytona is the final step of the approval process.

"It's not about where you finish," Harry Davis explained. "It's about how you run the race and gaining respect from the other drivers. NASCAR wants you to run clean and drive smart."

Davis tested with ARCA, which uses the old-style Cup cars, at Kansas, Talladega and Rockingham. He finished eighth in his first ARCA race at Pocono. In his second ARCA race, Davis started 41st at Talladega, drove up to 20th in 12 laps and was caught up in a crash on the 13th at eliminated him.

With Gibbs' permission, Davis made a deal with Randy Moss Motorsports to drive in the Truck race at Gateway and did exactly what he needed to do, staying out of trouble and driving solidly to 16th on the 1.25-mile track.

Davis drove Gibbs' No. 18 in the Nationwide race at .75-mile Memphis. He had a tire start going down early, kept his poise during a long green-flag run and finished 23rd.

Texas was the next big step, a high-speed oval. With the two Gibbs' entries occupied by Kyle Busch and Logano, Davis was allowed to drive Fitz Motorsports' Supercuts Dodge. He finished 30th.

"It's been great to drive in the Craftsman Truck and Nationwide Series," Davis said. "I was able to get some good experience. I learned a whole lot, made laps, made some friends out there. I'm getting to the point where I can be more competitive."

Davis will drive for Fitz at Phoenix. It's a track where he's raced with success.

"I ran second to Joey [Logano] in the Camping World race at Phoenix last year," Davis said. "I led 48 laps this year and was leading with 10 to go when I blew a right rear tire. Phoenix is a good track for us. I think we can be competitive."

Based upon his performances this year, NASCAR should approve Davis for Daytona next February and that would allow him to run the full Nationwide or Truck season.

"We have some good deals in the works [for 2009]," Davis said. "I'd like to run both divisions, a full-season in one and a partial season in the other. Honestly, I'd prefer the Trucks for the full season. They're more like the Cup cars [which Davis has tested for Gibbs] and its a good mix of up-and-coming and veteran drivers. I can learn a lot there."

Davis would become the first black driver to run full-time in a NASCAR national series since 2006, when Bill Lester ran in the Truck series. Lester is also the last black driver to run in the Cup series, twice in 2006 at age 45. Davis has youth on his side and appears to be headed for a long Cup career. NASCAR needs the diversity Davis will bring. He didn't intend to be a role model, but Davis is about to become one.