North Carolina A&T graduate Chris Bristol is expected to be one of two minority drivers selected to drive a Late Model for a team owned by NASCAR owner and NFL coach Joe Gibbs and former NFL player Reggie White. The announcement is expected to take place later this month. Gibbs and White announced last year plans to create their own driver diversity program. Steve de Souza, vice president of Busch operations and special projects at Joe Gibbs Racing, said the organization received more than 200 resumes for the two openings. de Souza declined to name the two drivers but said Bristol was one of five who tested for the program last month. Bristol, a Greensboro resident, graduated from A&T in 1999 with a mechanical engineering degree. He finished second in the Late Model Super Truck division last season at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, winning rookie of the year honors, along with three races. Bristol, an African-American, first began racing six years ago in A&T’s motorsports program and has been trying to race fulltime since. He was one of 13 candidates selected to try out earlier this week for the NASCAR-backed Drive for Diversity program — which will put at least four minority drivers with Late Model teams in the Southeast. Bristol called program officials before the tryout to say he had other plans and wouldn’t need to take part in the program. Bristol and his new team are expected to race regularly at Caraway. The other team is expected to compete regularly at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw.(News and Record)(1-8-2004)
