According to, http://www.nascar.com, 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.

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.

NASCAR did not comment on what must have been huge hurdles for Wendell Scott to overcome in order to have success on the race car circuit.  NASCAR has long thumbed their nose at any talk of inclusion and diversity choosing to remain silent but their message resonated load and clear, “You don’t belong”.  Of course the bottom line always speaks last and rather than loose it’s coveted fortune 500 sponsors, NASCAR has changed it spots like a leopard.

No matter how often the landscape of NASCAR’s changes Wendell Scott deserved recognition for his accolades in the industry and his fortitude to go after what he wanted.