Sunday, September 07, 2008
Marc Davis, NASCAR’s newest diversity headliner, may have stumbled on Chevy-Toyota politics
Marc Davis: learning perhaps that a little duct tape over the wrong logos may sometimes be the right way to go. The Toyota driver made his NASCAR Truck series debut—in a Chevrolet (Photo Credit: Ronda Greer/NASCAR)
By Mike Mulhern
RICHMOND, Va.
So what’s the next step for Marc Davis, the up-and-coming 18-year-old African-American racer who made his NASCAR Truck tour debut Saturday at St. Louis’ Gateway?
Still up the air, apparently.
Davis, who qualified 12th and finished 16th, is a Toyota project who drives for Joe and J. D. Gibbs.
However Davis drove Randy Moss’ Chevrolet in St. Louis, because the Gibbs don’t have a Truck team. Moss’ Silverado will be at Loudon this week, but who will drive it is not yet set. Davis will be at Loudon too, but he doesn’t have a Truck ride confirmed.
J. D. Gibbs says Davis “did a great job” in St. Louis.
But a Toyota guy in a Chevrolet? Apparently that was a move set up by NASCAR promoters.
“We were trying to find a way to get him in that race…and he still comes under our umbrella…but this was a great shot, and we couldn’t pass up that opportunity,” J. D. Gibbs explained.
“Toyota was cool about it. They said ‘Okay, let him go do that. We understand.’
“Hopefully, down the road, he’ll be back racing Toyota stuff.
“They might try to make Loudon (Davis in Moss’ Chevy). There are three or four other Truck races they’re looking at. We’re just going week to week.
“Loudon is up to Moss’ guys. They’re trying to find some financial partnerships to make that happen.”
Gibbs says he’s trying to put together a sponsorship package for Davis for NASCAR’s Nationwide race at Memphis next month too.
While Toyota officials call that Toyota-Chevy story “a warm and fuzzy,” General Motors executives aren’t that happy – because Davis wore a Toyota uniform while driving their Silverado.
“Wearing my manufacturer’s hat, I was not that happy seeing Marc in our Truck,” GM’s Pat Suhy says. “I don’t think we should be out there supporting a competitor.
“We’ve got a program, we’ve got people in our program….
“So I didn’t see a need for one of our teams to be doing that.”
There are other political issues here too, when comparing Joey Logano, also 18 and now ready for his Cup debut in a few days, with Davis. While Logano is clearly fast-tracking, is Davis being brought along too slowly? That issue is framed because the Gibbs have both men on their roster.
“The great about racing is all the political stuff gets put aside and it’s all about how well you do on the track,” J.D. Gibbs says. “I told Harry (Marc’s father) ‘Hey, let’s just take our time. Don’t be in any hurry.’ You can almost do yourself more damage by trying to go too fast.
“It may be frustrating when you say Joey is 18 and Marc is also 18. But Joey has three times the experience.
“Last year was a learning curve for Marc. He did a good job in the Camping World series. And he’s done a really good job this year; he’s got three (Camping World) races left, and then we’ll try to get him in that Nationwide race and do some Truck stuff. So then he can do some Truck stuff next year, and if some Nationwide stuff pops open…
“Just like we did with Aric Almirola coming – just take your time.
“If you succeed at each level, you’ll get the next opportunity. But if you move up and then struggle, it’s harder to get that next step.”
Meanwhile, out in Roseville, Calif., NASCAR diversity driver Paulie Harraka captured the Late Model division championship Saturday night by winning both ends of a 50-lap double-header at All American Speedway.
Harraka, 18, is of Lebanese descent, and he is the first NASCAR diversity driver to win a track championship. He has 11 wins this season driving for Bill McAnally.
With this part of his season over, Harraka returns this week to North Carolina for his classes at Duke. But he is to return to California for two NASCAR Camping World West races, at San Francisco’s Altamont Motorsports Park Sept. 13 and at All American Oct. 25.
Agree? Disagree? Don’t just brood. Express yourself here, and make your voice heard clearly in NASCAR headquarters in Daytona and Charlotte and in NASCAR race shops throughout North Carolina and the rest of the country.
We want your reaction, so please comment on this story and offer your own opinions and insight, on this topic, on our NASCAR videos, and anything about NASCAR. Any questions, just ask Mike at . And bookmark this page for continually updated NASCAR reports: http://independenttribune.net/index.php/sports/mulhern/
New Chevy team owner Randy Moss—with a Toyota driver at the wheel? (Photo: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)
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