2024 NASCAR Drive for Diversity class announced
NASCAR has announced the nine members to the 2024 Drive for Diversity class.
Andrés Pérez de Lara, Lavar Scott, Nathan Lyons, Regina Sirvent, and Eloy Sebastián López Falcón return to the program next year. Lanie Buice, TJ DeCaire, Cassidy Keitt, and LaQuan McCoy Jr., will make their debut in 2024.
“Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program and we’re celebrating this milestone by welcoming a very talented group of drivers,” said Brandon Thompson, NASCAR’s Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion in a statement. “We’re confident that next year’s group of drivers will continue elevating the depth of our talent pool and we’re thrilled to play a role in their development.”
The drivers were selected after taking part in a combine in October.
The Drive for Diversity program began in 2004 to develop and train drivers from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Rev Racing operates the program. The team is owned by Max and Jennifer Siegel.
“We are extremely energized by the talent we saw this past November at the Combine,” said Max Siegel in a statement. “From returning drivers to new participants to our program, we look forward to the season ahead and the development of this pipeline of NASCAR’s future stars. We’re proud of our accomplishments since the program's inception and our expansion into the national series in 2023. We are poised for continued success with this next driver class, as we remain committed to being a championship-contending team and one of the premier development programs in NASCAR.”
Among the graduates of this program are Cup drivers Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suarez.
Recent graduates include Rajah Caruth, who ran a full-time Craftsman Truck schedule and part-time Xfinity schedule this past season, and Nick Sanchez, who finished sixth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck points this past season and was rookie of the year in that series.
Andrés Pérez de Lara - ARCA Menards Series: The Mexico City, Mexico, native, 18, returns to Rev Racing for his third season after earning five top fives in the ARCA Menards Series. He also competes in the NASCAR México Series and was named the 2023 Rookie of the Year. He is the 2022 NASCAR México Challenge Champion.
Lavar Scott - ARCA Menards Series: The 20-year-old from Carney’s Pointe, New Jersey, returns to Rev Racing after earning five top fives in the ARCA Menards Series East. He secured first place at Hickory Motor Speedway and his first career win in the Trucks México Series at Autódromo de Querétaro in Mexico in 2021.
Nathan Lyons - INEX Legend Car Series: The 14-year-old originally from Texas, moved to Concord, North Carolina, to pursue his dream to race in NASCAR. Lyons most recently finished his first season in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program with Rev Racing. Lyons secured the pole and a win in a U.S. Legend Car during the Cookout Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Lyons received the 2023 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards Youth Racer Award and a third-place finish in the 2023 Cookout Summer Shootout point standings.
Eloy Sebastián López Falcón - NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series: The 18-year-old concluded his first season in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program in a U.S. Legend Car. In the NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series, Falcón secured the win on three separate occasions this season. Falcón was the 2021 Rookie of the Year in the Trucks México Series and the 2022 Trucks México Series Champion.
Lanie Buice - NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series: From 2017-20, Buice had 91 wins in go karts, including 23 in a row in her last season. Buice also has raced in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, earning 12 top fives and 18 top 10s during the 2023 late model season.
TJ DeCaire - NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series: During the 2023 season, DeCaire earned three wins in Super Late Models, Pro Late Models and Truck Weekly Touring Series. He also placed in the top five across all three series 17 times throughout the season.
Regina Sirvent - NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series: In the NASCAR México Challenge Series, the 20-year-old from Mexico City finished fifth at Tuxtla Gutierrez and fifth at Puebla. She received the 2019 Best Driver Award for NASCAR México and was the recipient of the 2021 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards Young Racer. Sirvent was the first female to win in the Trucks México Series and placed third in the 2020 Championship points.
Cassidy Keitt - INEX Legend Car Series: Keitt earned two top fives and five top 10s in U.S. Legend Cars at the Cookout Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway. She is the 2022 Young Lions Winter Heat Champion, winning two races throughout the season.
LaQuan McCoy Jr. - INEX Legend Car Series: McCoy collected a first-place finish and three top fives across all five Bandolero races at the 2023 Citrus County Speedway Winter Nationals. During the 2023 Cookout Summer Shootout, McCoy placed in the top five twice followed by back-to-back wins. He is the 2023 Charlotte Motor Speedway Winter Heat Champion and 2023 Winter Showdown Bandit Champion at Auburndale Speedway.
