The Wendell Scott Racing Icon NFT Collection

Give ‘em Hell Wendell!

 

On December 1, 1963, Wendell Scott broke NASCAR’s color barrier by becoming the first African American NASCAR driver to win a Grand National race, NASCAR's highest level. Until Bubba Wallace’s win on October 4, 2021, there had never been another black driver to win a NASCAR race.

 

To this day, Wendell Scott is the only black NASCAR team owner. Despite Wendell Scott’s triumphant victory, he was never awarded a trophy for this win. It wasn’t until August 28, 2021, nearly 60 years after his Jacksonville win that his trophy was posthumously awarded to his family.

 

 

100 years after his birth and 58 years after his NASCAR victory, Wendell Scott continues to break barriers as his legacy is now irrevocably entwined with technology that is shaping the future of how users engage with the world around them. ***NFTs are a fitting mode to share Wendell Scott’s story as NFTs, like Wendell Scott, disrupted society while simultaneously paving the path for change in a broken system. Akin to NFTs impact on technology, cryptocurrency, and the future of Web 3.0, Scott’s impact shook NASCAR’s status quo and made the sport more inclusive and accessible. Owners of these NFTs have a chance to be a part of history in the making.

 

A monumental series of firsts, these historic NFTs were created in partnership by leading digital agency Worldwide XR (WXR), Extended Reality content developers Vue XR,  and Wendell Scott Ventures and are the first ever NFTs to be released of an African American NASCAR driver. This will be Nifty’s first time releasing a 3D Augmented Reality (AR) digital car on their platform. The first of it’s kind and an exact 1:1 replica of Wendell Scott’s first-ever NASCAR winning 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air.

 

Wendell Scott won #NASCAR Grand National Race on December 1, 1963. To commemorate Scott’s legacy, his journey will be preserved in a series of #NFTs. The #NFT series was developed by WorldwideXR and VueXR.@niftygateway @Worldwide_XR @Vue_XR#NFTCommunity #SportNFT pic.twitter.com/hr6h3gQj4E

— Capital Block (@CapitalBlock1) March 7, 2022

Much like the blockchain allows users to operate on a decentralized system, the Extended Reality (XR) version of Scott’s car breaks it away from its physical confines of its display at the NASCAR Hall of Fame  and brings it to the masses. This AR asset can also be utilized in Metaverse applications. The AR memorabilia include a 3D recreation of his first-ever NASCAR championship trophy and a special edition 3D AR collage featuring a trinity of black barrier breakers Wendell Scott, Jackie Robinson and Arthur Ashe.

 

Depending on which NFT is purchased, owners will also receive Authentik Studios’  SILO™ Digital Frame that brings your NFTs to life by allowing users to display their collections on a 43” HD high-fidelity audio display from the comfort of their home. Users can access their entire NFT gallery via the SILO™ App & enjoy their NFTs in unparalleled 4K resolution.

 

In 2021, Scott 34 Racing partnered with David Steward II’s Lion Forge Animation (Academy Award®-winning Hair Love), and parent company Polarity, a leading Black-owned entertainment holding company, to create Wendell Scott Ventures and introduce the life and legacy of Wendell Scott to audiences through films, TV series, docu-series, digital content, games, and more. Polarity and Lion Forge Animation are working in direct-partnership with Wendell Scott’s son, Frank Scott, and grandson, Warrick Scott, on all initiatives. The NFT medium presents a new opportunity for storytelling that intertwines education and entertainment, with the NFTs themselves serving as pieces of living history.

 

 

 

*for the older folk (like NRM) who do not know what an NFT is: NFTs (short for Non-Fungible Tokens) are digital items that you own. Proof of ownership is stored on a blockchain, a digital database that is publicly accessible. Augmented reality enables creators to provide more depth and context to any digital artwork.

 

"Once I found out what it was like, racing was all I wanted to do as long as I could make a decent living out of it.… I'm no different from most other people who're doing what they like to do." Wendell Scott

 

 

About Wendell Scott

Born in rural Virginia in 1921 during the Jim Crow Era, a time when racial segregation was enforced by law, Wendell Scott’s life and career was filled with adversity. After serving as a mechanic in a segregated division in WWII , he was denied access to NASCAR due to the color of his skin. From his first job as a taxi driver, Scott sharpened his driving skills bootlegging moonshine during the Prohibition era.

 

Scott used his trials and tribulations to propel him forward. Scott became the first African American team owner and spent nine years in the “Dixie Circuit”, a smaller regional competitor to NASCAR, until he was finally able to persuade NASCAR to grant him a license to race in 1953 – officially breaking the sport’s color barrier.

 

Scott won the Jacksonville 200 race in 1963, only to see the win given to a white driver on a “clerical error” (later reversed). After competing in 496 NASCAR races, with 147 Top 10 finishes, a horrific near-death crash in 1973 ended his career. Scott died of cancer in 1990 and was officially inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015, becoming the first African American in NASCAR history to do so.

 

Wendell Scott’s career was repeatedly challenged by racial prejudice and threats on his life. However, his determined struggle as an underdog would prove to win the hearts of thousands of fans and fellow racers. Scott was, and still is, a pop culture icon who was the subject of the film “Greased Lightning” starring Richard Pryor and was the inspiration for the character of River Scott in Disney’s animated film “Cars 3.”

 

Wendell Scott was inducted into The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and the National Black Athletic Hall of Fame, is an honorary member of the Black American Racers Association, and is a lifetime member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

 

 

source: NASCAR Media

Life and Legacy of Wendell Scott

First Black NASCAR Driver, Being Brought to Life Via Collectible NFTs

From 1963-70, Wendell Scott finished in the top 15 in the
NASCAR premier series points standings every season.

 

NFT Collection Honoring the Racing Legend to Mark Black History Month

A series of historic NFTs created by Wendell Scott Ventures will be introduced and sold to commemorate the iconic and groundbreaking life and legacy of Wendell Scott. On December 1, 1963, Wendell Scott became the first African American NASCAR driver to win a Grand National race, NASCAR's highest level. Designed to share Scott’s awe-inspiring life and inspirational career with the world, the NFTs were created by WorldwideXR and VueXR, and will launch through a series of events. This will begin with a live auction hosted by Authentik Studios at The Wendell Scott Foundation’s  annual Legacy Gala on February 12 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and will be followed by a broader release on March 6th with the premiere NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway.

 

Commemorating the centennial of Wendell Scott’s birth, the 58th Anniversary of Wendell Scott's First NASCAR victory and Black History Month, the NFTs will feature one-of-a-kind augmented reality creations that celebrate the life, career, and impact of the man who broke NASCAR’s color barrier. The AR memorabilia include a 3D recreation of his first-ever NASCAR championship trophy (Jacksonville 200) and a special edition Black History Month 3D collage featuring a trinity of black sports heroes, which is the first-of-its-kind,to be revealed at the Gala. The special edition NFT will come with Authentik’s SILO digital frame that will provide users the ability to display their NFTs at home. In addition, the collection will include an exact 1:1 AR 3D NFT replica of Wendell Scott’s first-ever NASCAR winning 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air that won the Jacksonville 200. This AR asset can also be utilized in Metaverse applications.

 

In 2021, Scott 34 Racing partnered with David Steward II’s Lion Forge Animation (Academy Award®-winning Hair Love), and parent company Polarity, a leading Black-owned entertainment holding company, to create Wendell Scott Ventures and introduce the life and legacy of Wendell Scott to audiences through films, TV series, docu-series, digital content, games, and more. Polarity and Lion Forge Animation are working in direct-partnership with Wendell Scott’s son, Frank Scott, and grandson, Warrick Scott, on all initiatives. The NFT medium presents a new opportunity for storytelling that intertwines education and entertainment, with the NFTs themselves serving as pieces of living history.

 

"The legacy of Wendell Scott includes a Hall of Fame NASCAR career and a long list of firsts." - @DaShawnWSOC9, WSOCTVhttps://t.co/Z9VaazDv90 #NASCARHall #NASCARHOF #racing #NASCARHistory #NASCAR #NASCARLegends

— NASCAR Hall of Fame (@NASCARHall) February 9, 2022

 

 

About Wendell Scott

Wendell Scott’s life and career was filled with adversity, which he triumphantly overcame. Born in rural Virginia in 1921 during the Jim Crow Era, a time when racial segregation was enforced by law, it was from Scott’s father that Wendell received his love and knowledge of cars. After serving as a mechanic in WWII (in a segregated division), he was denied access to NASCAR due to the color of his skin. Scott became the first African American team owner and spent nine years in the “Dixie Circuit”, a smaller regional competitor to NASCAR, until he was finally able to persuade NASCAR to grant him a license to race in 1953 – officially breaking the sport’s color barrier. Scott won the Jacksonville 200 race in 1963, only to see the win given to a white driver on a “clerical error” (later reversed). After competing in 496 NASCAR races, with 147 Top 10 finishes, a horrific near-death crash in 1973 ended his career. Scott died of cancer in 1990 and was officially inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015, becoming the first African American in NASCAR history to do so.

 

Wendell Scott’s career was repeatedly challenged by racial prejudice and threats. However, his determined struggle as an underdog would prove to win the hearts of thousands of fans and fellow racers. Scott was, and still is, a pop culture icon who was the subject of the film “Greased Lightning” starring Richard Pryor and was the inspiration for the character of River Scott in Disney’s animated film “Cars 3.”

 

Wendell Scott was inducted into The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and the National Black Athletic Hall of Fame, is an honorary member of the Black American Racers Association, and is a lifetime member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

 

The Wendell Scott Foundation provides educational programs designed for students aged 8 through 18 using STEM-related resources and programs, as well as learning and mentoring opportunities to communities across the country. For more information about the Foundation and this year’s Legacy Gala at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on February 12, 2022, go to www.wendellscott.org.

 

About Polarity

Polarity, LLC is a leading Black-owned diversified entertainment holding company. With expertise in publishing, film & television, and games, Polarity is focused on producing leading-edge, world-class content for a rapidly changing and diverse marketplace. Completely self-financed, Polarity has developed deep value chains across multiple market platforms to nurture individual brands and creator-driven content, and to produce long-lasting asset value across broad channel consumption.

 

About Worldwide XR

WorldwideXR (WXR) is a digital agency that develops next-level media and works with top digital artists to protect their best interest. WXR specializes in immersive media that is reshaping our future habits and engagement standards. WXR operates mostly within the entertainment technology sector as well as Gov and Edu sectors. WXR offers a strategic advantage because of its prime position in the path of opportunity. CMG Worldwide serves as the legal and rights management partner, which for the past 40+ years has represented thousands of the most historical icons in American history.

 

CMG has a vast library of proprietary IP, legal support and industry relations to provide the partnership. Together, WXR and CMG have endless initiatives surrounding entertainers, athletes, historical figures and top brands.

 

WXR represents technology companies, manages digital artists, provides high-level consultation, develops innovation and delivers engaging, immersive experiences. Founded by licensing giant Mark Roesler and tech futurist Travis Cloyd. The combined expertise of both Mr. Roesler, Esq and Professor Mr. Cloyd, as well as the backing of our strategic partner in entertainment, sports, music, education, marketing, media and more have allowed the WXR team to build into an industry leader in a relatively short time.

 

Find out more at www.worldwidexr.com & www.cmgworldwide.com .

 

About Authentik Studios:

Authentik Studios is a gathering of the minds from the blockchain, entertainment, and manufacturing industries, who have come together to bring top-tier exclusive content and NFT technology to audiences around the world. Through their diverse team of world-class creatives and animators, Authentik wishes to give voice to those who have been historically misrepresented and provide the framework to help illuminate their stories.

 

Authentik’s flagship product, SILO, brings NFTs to life by allowing mainstream audiences to show off their NFT collections from the comfort of their homes. SILO is a digital frame that features state-of-the-art technology in order to revolutionize the presentation of NFTs, bridge the gap between traditional and digital art, and to provide consumers with a tangible sense of ownership. Authentik Studios has made it their mission to provide solutions for both artists and consumers to allow them to seamlessly interact with the NFT market and harness the technological advantages that NFTs provide.

Note:   NFTs are unique cryptographic tokens that exist on a blockchain and cannot be replicated. NFTs can be used to represent real-world items like artwork and real-estate. "Tokenizing" these real-world tangible assets allows them to be bought, sold, and traded more efficiently while reducing the probability of fraud.

# # #

 

source: PR Email

Life and Legacy of Wendell Scott

First Black NASCAR Driver, Being Brought to Life by David Steward II’s Polarity and Scott 34 Racing in Extensive Multi-Media Play

Joint Venture Partnership Between Polarity and Scott 34 Racing Will Deliver Groundbreaking Wendell Scott Stories Through Films, Television Series, Digital Content, Comics, Games and More

David Steward II’s Lion Forge Films (Academy Award®-winning Hair Love), and parent company Polarity, a leading black-owned entertainment holding company, have inked a deal with Scott 34 Racing, creating Wendell Scott Ventures to introduce the iconic and groundbreaking life and legacy of Wendell Scott, NASCAR’s first black racer (and later, owner), to audiences through films, TV series, docu-series, digital content, games, and more through an extensive multi-platform engagement.

Wendell Scott’s awe-inspiring life and career were filled with adversity, which he triumphantly overcame. This started with being born in rural Virginia during Jim Crow times (1921) when racial segregation was enforced by law. Scott’s love and knowledge of cars was passed down from his father, and after serving as a mechanic in WWII (in a segregated division), he was denied access to NASCAR due to the color of his skin. Scott spent nine years in the “Dixie Circuit”, a smaller regional competitor to NASCAR, until he was finally able to persuade NASCAR to grant him a license to race in 1953 – officially breaking the sport’s color barrier. Scott won the Jacksonville 200 race in 1963 –only to see the win given to a white driver on a “clerical error” (later reversed). After competing in 496 NASCAR races, with 147 Top 10 finishes, a horrific near-death crash in 1973 ended his career. Scott died of cancer in 1990 and was officially inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015, becoming the first African- American to do so in NASCAR history.

Wendell Scott’s career was repeatedly challenged by racial prejudice and threats. However, his determined struggle as an underdog would prove to win over thousands of fans and fellow racers. Scott was, and still is, a pop culture icon who was the subject of the film “Greased Lightning” starring Richard Pryor, and inspired the character of River Scott in Disney’s animated film “Cars 3.”

Steward II and his team will work in partnership with Wendell Scott’s son, Frank Scott, and grandson, Warrick Scott, on all initiatives. Immediately being put into development by Steward II and the Wendell Scott Ventures team are a docu-series and a fictionalized limited series for television / streaming that, through the lens of his incredible life, cover themes of family, racism, American culture and racing. These series will tell stories of his upbringing, time in WWII, bootlegging, raising a family, battling racism, breaking color barriers, overcoming adversity, and of course - winning.

The partnership and mission to tell Wendell Scott stories aligns squarely with Steward II’s singular mission to champion diversity and promote underrepresented faces and voices throughout the entertainment ecosystem. His portfolio of companies source, acquire, develop, and produce authentic, diverse content, and are uniquely equipped to create and deliver genuine and diverse stories that meet an increasing market demand fueled by insatiable content consumption and social movements.

Said Steward II, “It’s an honor and privilege to work with the Scott family to bring Wendell’s legacy to life in a multitude of ways, all of which carry the dual obligation to entertain while delivering an important message. What Jackie Robinson did for baseball in breaking the color barrier, Wendell Scott did for NASCAR. However, Wendell’s story transcends his sport, his personality, and his accomplishments to speak about the possibility of hope and drive. These are stories that need to be told – and retold.”

“Wendell Scott built a bridge to diversity in racing, so NASCAR needs to tell that story through the lens of Wendell Scott. He gave people hope because he had a big heart for everyone. He had more love in his heart than (his enemies) had hate in theirs. He did as much for race relations in the South as Dr. (Martin Luther) King,” said Warrick Scott, Wendell’s grandson.

Said Frank Scott Sr., "The creation of this venture is the realization of a dream my father had 60 years ago, it's everything that he wanted and could never get!”

The Wendell Scott opportunity was brought to Polarity by Jimmy Thomas, a leading member of the Business Development team at Lion Forge, who has strong ties to the Scott family and will lead sales and media efforts around the joint venture. Said Thomas, “This is a very proud moment for me in the sense that I can now be assured that the amazing stories I’ve known about throughout my life, thanks to the bond with the Scott family, will be shared with global audiences through every medium possible. Wendell Scott was an innovator and pioneer inside the racetrack, inside the garage, with his ingenuity and inventiveness, and most certainly outside the track where his legacy transcended the sport altogether.”

In addition to Lion Forge Films, David Steward II’s Polarity includes Lion Forge Animation, which was behind the 2019 Academy Award® winning Hair Love, directed by Matthew A Cherry. The studio contributes to the growth of Lion Forge IP and is one of the only black owned animation studios in the world, but unmatched in size and scale (and the only African-American owned studio with an Oscar®). The deal to bring Wendell Scott’s legacy to life comes on the heels of a busy year for David Steward II’s studio, which saw a stream of major deals including a “Hair Love” spinoff series (“Young Love’” with HBO Max), an exclusive first-look partnership with Imagine Kids+Family, and a multi-year / multi project joint venture partnership with Chinese studio Starlight Media.

About Wendell Scott

The story of Wendell Scott is not only a story of a single man defying the standards of the Jim Crow South, but the story of a man who had a goal, a drive, and a determination to accomplish that goal despite all of the challenges laid in front of him. The Wendell Scott brand is a call-to-action to those who not only desire to compete at the highest level, but desire to be the BEST at the highest level. Wendell Scott embodied a competitive cadence that giving up is way harder than trying.

Wendell Scott believed there is no such word as, can’t. This vision helped to build the vision for The Wendell Scott Foundation. WSF organization was established to commemorate the memory Wendell Scott and his plight of social justice and equality. We believe the values of Wendell Scott is a call-to-action to those who not only desire to achieve, but have the desire to be the best at the highest level. He embodied a competitive credence that giving up is much harder than succeeding.

He was inducted into The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and the National Black Athletic Hall of Fame; is an honorary member of the Black American Racers Association; is lifetime member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

About Polarity

Polarity, LLC is a leading Black-owned diversified entertainment holding company. With expertise in publishing, film & television, and games, Polarity is focused on producing leading-edge, world-class content for a rapidly changing and diverse marketplace. Completely self-financed, Polarity has developed deep value chains across multiple market platforms to nurture individual brands and creator-driven content, and to produce long-lasting asset value across broad channel consumption.

Portfolio companies of Polarity include:

Lion Forge Animation: Independent animation production company partnering with premier creators and developers around the world

Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group: Major independent publisher of graphic novels and comics with a 20-year history of pushing creative boundaries. Channels: 1) Publishing, 2) Entertainment, 3) Games

Magnetic Press: Premium branded publisher of graphic novels and comics

Illustrated Syndicate: IP development and holding company; repository of deep and diverse IP libraries

Find out more at www.polarityltd.com. Polarity on LinkedIn:

Source: PR

Wendell Scott / Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. Making #NASCAR History

Wendell Scott was the first African-American driver to win a premier series race. A trailblazer, Scott is recognized during the first race weekend of March, which coincides with his first start — March 4, 1961. NASCAR has created an original commemorative decal that is available to be placed as a B-post decal on all national series vehicles. 

Scott made 495 starts during his career and posted 147 top-10 finishes before retiring in 1973. Scott died in 1990. He won in NASCAR’s top national touring series on Dec. 1, 1963, on a 1-mile dirt track in Jacksonville, Florida. Scott was posthumously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015. 

Interesting Fact: Did you know that Wendall Scott passed Richard Petty, who was driving an ailing car, with 25 laps remaining for his historic win? Bubba Wallace now drives for Petty Motorsports.

Today, Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. is following down the inspirational Scott’s “tire tracks.” The twenty-four-year old rookie competes full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Petty Motorsports. The ride made Bubba the first full-time African-American driver at the sport’s top level since Wendell Scott in 1971.

It is thought that him being one of the new, prominent faces of NASCAR could be a turning point for the sport.

“This is definitely helping, for sure,” Wallace said about his position with Richard Petty Motorsports. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take until we get there, but it’s been a fun journey so far, and we’ve only just started the schedule. It will probably take some years, though. “After being under the spotlight nearly 24/7 as Facebook Live followed him through the final four days leading into the Daytona 500 for its “Behind the Wall: Bubba Wallace” series, Atlanta seemed somewhat tame for the driver.

“After a couple of days, I’m like looking around. ‘Where are the cameras?’ It was just how much they were around,” Wallace said when he met with the media. “We went to dinner one night, Amanda (Wallace’s girlfriend) and I, and I was like, ‘I’m surprised we’re not mic’d-up right now.'”

Saving The Kingdom – @CandiceSpencer on how @BubbaWallace is driving change in @NASCAR. https://t.co/sMSWraF6sP #NASCAR #BubbaWallace @RPMotorsports @Blaney @OdSteve #Exclusive #NASCARGoesWest pic.twitter.com/NewZt415Mk

— Mobil 1 The Grid (@Mobil1TheGrid) March 1, 2018

To read more about How Bubba Wallace Is Driving Change In NASCAR - Click Here.  Very informative article with awesome photos.

Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. and the No. 43 The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will start today's “the Pennzoil 400” from the twenty-six position. It should be a fun show watching him maneuver the iconic #43 through the pack.

“The Cosmopolitan is one of the coolest places on the Strip,” said Wallace Jr. “Everything that is a part of the resort is the best of the best of Vegas. I enjoy going to Las Vegas, having fun, eating great food and just being able to relax at an amazing place like The Cosmopolitan. This is a pretty cool sponsorship.”

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1. Saturday / Sunday Schedule For Las Vegas #NASCAR
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3. Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America Returns to East Coast in 2018
4. Kyle Busch to Go For the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sweep
5. Happy Harvick Sweeps Atlanta

Wendell Scott NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2015

Driver/Owner (b. 8/29/21 - d. 12/23/90)

• Hometown: Danville, Va.
• Premier Series Stats
• Competed: 1961-1973
• Starts: 495
• Wins: 1
• Poles: 1

Wendell Scott wasn’t the first African-American to compete in NASCAR’s premier division. But the Danville, Va. native, whose career on wheels began as a taxi driver, was the first of his race to become a full-time competitor in the series.

Scott served three years in the U.S. Army during World War II where he honed his mechanical skills in the motor pool. Scott started racing in 1947 and experienced immediate success behind the wheel.

He won over 100 races in the next decade at local area tracks. Scott made his first start in NASCAR’s premier series March 4, 1961 at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds in Spartanburg, S.C. He made 23 starts that season, posting five top-five finishes.

On Dec. 1, 1963 at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Fla., Scott became the first African-American to win a NASCAR premier series event. Scott won the 100-mile feature race after starting 15th. Over the next 13 years, Scott would make 495 starts, which ranks 32nd on the all-time list. In his distinguished career, Scott accumulated 20 top-five finishes including eight of them in the same season he won his first career race, 1964. Scott also posted 147 top-10 finishes, more than 25 percent of the races he entered.

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The #NASCAR Induction Ceremony is Approaching

 Class of 2015 Induction Ceremony Draws Near

Each year five legends are inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Tickets are still available for the Class of 2015 Induction Ceremony to be held on Friday, January 30. Highlighting the event is the official induction of Bill Elliott, Fred Lorenzen, Wendell Scott, Joe Weatherly and Rex White.

Drivers, celebrities and legends of the sport will take the stage to usher a new class into the Hall during this premier celebration of ultimate recognition. Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased online. A new Hall of Honor exhibit showcasing each of the inductees with stock cars and personal memorabilia will also be unveiled during induction weekend.

The sixth Annual NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network. Click here for more details and to purchase tickets.

Dec. 1, 1963 - Wendell Scott Wins!

Name: Wendell Scott
Birth date: August 28, 1921
Hometown: Danville, VA
Died: December 23, 1990

Among all the trophies Wendell Scott won in his racing career, there is one that will forever be his legacy to the sport he loved.

It isn't much to look at, just some off-color wood with no plaque or varnish or glitzy, gimmicky metalwork. It pales in comparison to the gleaming, brightly polished trophies is sits among.

But that piece of wood, battered and beaten and sorry compared to the others, is the symbol of Scott's greatest day as a racing driver. It was Dec. 1, 1963, the day he won a NASCAR Grand National event in Jacksonville, Fla. Scott remains to this day the only black driver to have won a Grand National (now Sprint Cup) Series event in NASCAR's 58-year history.

During the 42 years since Scott earned his victory -- which, given the times and the area in which it occurred was not celebrated as victories always have been, in Victory Lane with a trophy queen and photographers -- no black driver has even been close to accomplishing the same feat.

Scott was a taxi driver who graduated to running moonshine and eventually to racing stock cars. For any of those jobs, one had to be a master mechanic and a pretty nifty driver. In 1959, at the age of 38, Scott won the Virginia State Sportsman championship. Two years later, Scott was able to field a car for the Grand National Series. In nearly 500 Grand National races, he was in the top 10 an amazing 147 times.

Story appears courtesy of nascar.com

Related Post:

Wallace a Winner!

Wendell Scott Decal Commemorates First #NASCAR Career Start

Since 2010, NASCAR has designated the first race weekend in March as a time to commemorate Wendell Scott’s first career start. Scott is the only African- American driver to win a Grand National (now Sprint Cup) Series event in NASCAR history.

Cars in all four NASCAR series competing at Phoenix International Raceway (NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) sported a commemorative decal.

The decals were applied to the B or C post of each vehicle during the inspection processes throughout the entire weekend.

Among all the trophies Wendell Scott won in his racing career, there is one that will forever be his legacy to the sport he loved.

It isn't much to look at, just some off-color wood with no plaque or varnish or glitzy, gimmicky metalwork. It pales in comparison to the gleaming, brightly polished trophies is sits among.

But that piece of wood, battered and beaten and sorry compared to the others, is the symbol of Scott's greatest day as a racing driver. It was Dec. 1, 1963, the day he won a NASCAR Grand National event in Jacksonville, Fla. Scott remains to this day the only black driver to have won a Grand National (now Sprint Cup) Series event in NASCAR's 58-year history.

During the 42 years since Scott earned his victory -- which, given the times and the area in which it occurred was not celebrated as victories always have been, in Victory Lane with a trophy queen and photographers -- no black driver has even been close to accomplishing the same feat.

Randy Bethea shocked the NASCAR world in 1973 by knocking Darrell Waltrip off the pole at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, but that was in a Late Model Sportsman event, not Grand National. Willy T. Ribbs, one of the finest road racers in the world, tried out a stock car at Daytona but never qualified for the 500.

That's pretty much been it, in terms of black names in Cup racing on the driving side since Scott won at Jacksonville in 1963. Bill Lester, currently a Grand-Am driver, drove in the Camping World Truck Series from 2000 until 2007.

Scott, who died in 1990, was from Danville, Va., just inside the state line from North Carolina. It was an area rich in history for stock car racers, and also an area where it was not unheard of to run illegal whiskey from town to town in souped-up cars.

Scott was a taxi driver who graduated to running moonshine and eventually to racing stock cars. For any of those jobs, one had to be a master mechanic and a pretty nifty driver. In 1959, at the age of 38, Scott won the Virginia State Sportsman championship. Two years later, Scott was able to field a car for the Grand National Series. In nearly 500 Grand National races, he was in the top 10 an amazing 147 times.

Story appears courtesy of nascar.com

NASCAR During the Holiday Season?

NASCAR greats Curtis Turner, left, and Fireball Roberts in a Ford Motor Co. publicity
photo prior to the start of the NASCAR racing season on Jan. 1, 1957. (Getty Images)

NASCAR at Christmastime? Are you going through NASCAR withdrawals like NASCAR Race Mom? December has always meant NASCAR off season – right?

Wendell Scott scored his landmark victory
(Getty Images)

Well as a matter of fact; not always.

On December 1, 1963, African-American Wendell Scott won in Jacksonville, Florida.

This historical win is the first and only win for an African-American at stock car racing's highest level.

NASCAR's top series has held a total of eight races in December.

 

NASCAR's December Grand National Races

	Date	Location	Winner
	12/11/1955	West Palm Beach, Fla.	Herb Thomas
	12/02/1956	Concord, N.C.	Marvin Panch
	12/30/1956	Titusville, Fla.	Fireball Roberts
	12/01/1963	Jacksonville, Fla.	Wendell Scott
	12/29/1963	Savannah, Fla.	Richard Petty
	12/08/1968	Macon, Ga.	Bobby Allison
	12/07/1969	College Station, Texas	Bobby Isaac
	12/12/1971	College Station, Texas	Richard Petty

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