Wendell Oliver Scott, born in 1921 in Danville, Virginia, was an American stock car driver and a pioneer of NASCAR.  On March 4, 1961 in Spartanburg SC, he broke down racial barriers to make his first start in the NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) division.  Scott went on to become the first and to date, the only, African-American to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup event.

In recognition of his contributions, NASCAR will pay tribute to Scott this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. All of the competing vehicles will have a commemorative decal bearing his image.

Daughter of the late Scott, Sybil Scott, will attend the race as well as Drive for Diversity competitor, Jason Romero. Romero was the 2009 recipient of the Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award. This award is given annually to a minority or female driver who displays excellence on and off the track in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.

A look into his life gives us insight into a tumultuous part of NASCAR and American history. Continue reading →