October 22, 2021
Concord, NC — Rev Racing and NASCAR Drive for Diversity Development driver Nick Sanchez (No. 2 Max Siegel Inc. Chevrolet SS) signed a multi-race Xfinity Series deal with BJ Mcleod Motorsports this week, another triumph in a historic season for Rev Racing and Drive for Diversity Program drivers and alumni.
Sanchez is enjoying a solid rookie year in the ARCA Menards Series, scoring eight Top 5’s and 12 Top 10’s through 19 races this season. This impressive performance prompted the desire to take the next step in his racing career and garnered the acceptance of long-time NASCAR driver/team owner BJ McLeod, who offered the Miami-born driver a multi-race deal for the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
“While racing full-time in ARCA, Rev assisted me in looking for opportunities to move up the NASCAR ranks,” stated Sanchez. “I met with many teams and personnel, and almost all of them directed us to BJ McLeod Motorsports. After meeting with BJ himself, I feel like we both share the same collective goals for next year. I’m excited to learn and get the most out of our car’s performance and get some good finishes for myself and the team.”
With this signing, Sanchez becomes the second 2021/2022 Drive for Diversity Program driver to announce an Xfinity Series contract this year—the first one being his teammate Rajah Caruth, who signed a multi-race deal with newly-formed Alpha Prime Racing back in August. Caruth, who started his racing career through iRacing in 2017, shared some words regarding his teammate’s announcement.
“I am extremely happy for Nick,” Caruth commented. “Everyone involved has been working extremely hard to get this deal done, so to finally see the fruits of Nick’s labor pay off is awesome. I do not know his schedule yet, but I hope we get the opportunity to race against each other. It’s going to be fun!”
Caruth competed in the ARCA Menards Series East this season, notching two Top-5’s and five Top-10’s in eight races, earning him a P3 finishing position in the season points standings. Caruth also has two victories at Hickory Motor Speedway and one at Tri-County Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (NAAPWS) this year.
Sanchez and Caruth are not the only drivers who have had impressive seasons with Rev Racing this year. Lavar Scott scored first career wins in the NAAPWS and in the NASCAR FB y Bohn Mikel’s Trucks in Mexico, and Regina Sirvent was awarded the Young Driver Award at the 2021 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards.
Superseding Rev Racing, many Drive for Diversity Program alumni have been having historic seasons in NASCAR in 2021. 2012 program alum ARCA Menards Series East (formerly K&N Pro Series East) Champion Kyle Larson has been dominating in the NASCAR Cup Series, scoring eight wins, the NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship, and a spot in the Championship-4 race at Phoenix Raceway in November. 2010-2011 Drive for Diversity Program alum Bubba Wallace became a NASCAR Cup Series winner at Talladega, becoming the first African American to win in the Cup Series since Wendell Scott in 1964. Also racing at NASCAR’s highest level, Daniel Suarez is in his fifth season in the NASCAR Cup Series and his first driving for the new Trackhouse Racing team co-owned by Justin Marks and music star, Pitbull.
The program has continued to graduate several of its drivers into the National series over the past several years, most recently including NASCAR Xfinity driver Ryan Vargas, Ernie Francis Jr., Natalie Decker and several others.
“We are proud of the accomplishments of our program and these drivers,” said Rev Racing owner Max Siegel. “Nick and Rajah are current examples of our proven programmatic success. Our goal continues to be focused on advancement and preparation for the next stages of these young drivers’ careers. We see the direct impact of the opportunities we are awarding our minority and female drivers and look forward to the continued growth and bright future of our program.”
Additional details regarding race schedules and partners for Sanchez and Caruth will be announced in the near future. Both drivers will also run the full 2022 season with Rev Racing in the ARCA Menards Series (AMS) in conjunction with their expanded National series schedules. Sanchez and Caruth are set to hit the track this Saturday, October 23, at Kansas Speedway for the Reese’s 150, the final race of the 2021 AMS season. The race will air on MAVTV and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold starting at 6 p.m. CT.
About Rev Racing: Rev Racing seeks to obtain the highest quality applicants representing diverse backgrounds and develop them into successful NASCAR drivers. Started by Max Siegel in 2009, Rev Racing manages the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. Rev Racing currently operates and manages drivers in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, and a youth racing initiative.
Featured Photo Credit: Photo by Daylon Barr / Barr Visuals, courtesy of Rev Racing