Sam Belnavis
Sam Belnavis | |
---|---|
Born | August 8, 1939 Roush Fenway Racing Driver Diversity head |
Known for | 1st African American premier series NASCAR owner to complete a full season |
Sam Belnavis (August 8, 1939 – July 14, 2021) was an American executive in
Roush Fenway Racing's driver diversity program, and handled other marketing initiatives for that company.[1]
Education and military service
As a child, Belnavis attended Our Lady of Victory, an all-black parochial school in
U.S. Air Force as a pilot in the 105th Tactical Fighter Wing, located at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.[5]
Career
After leaving the Air Force, Belnavis took a management position at
Miller Brewing. In 1981, while in that job, he signed Bobby Allison to a sponsorship contract.[5] After working at Miller, Belnavis was hired by DiGard Racing; part of his duties were to push a program to diversify DiGard Racing with an African-American driver.[6]
After DiGard, Belnavis took a position as senior vice-president of sports and entertainment with Saatchi & Saatchi, one of the world's largest advertising firms. In 1991 he relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he founded his own advertising and marketing agency, Belnavis & Associates.[4][5]
Belnavis became NASCAR's first full-time minority owner since
Jesus Hernandez.[9][10] Belnavis later joined Roush Racing as its director of diversity programs.[11]
Personal life
Belnavis and his wife Christine had one son, three daughters, and seven grandchildren.[4] He died on July 14, 2021, at the age of 81.[8][12]
References
- ^ "Roush Racing Sales Executive Team". Roush Fenway Racing. Archived from the original on October 18, 2006. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
- ^ a b c "African-American History Month event features first black NASCAR owner". U.S. Army. Archived from the original on March 6, 2005. Retrieved January 2, 2008.
- ^ "Jasper Jottings 2003-07-13". jasperjottings.com. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Samuel Belnavis" Archived August 31, 2004, at the Wayback Machine, bio, Speedway Children's Charities, retrieved January 2, 2008.
- ^ NASCAR.com. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
- ^ "DiGard Racing Company History", retrieved January 2, 2008.
- ^ "Sam Belnavis and Travis Carter Join Forces For 2003" Archived May 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Ford Motor Company, press release, retrieved January 2, 2008.
- ^ a b Taranto, Steven (July 15, 2021). "Sam Belnavis, NASCAR 's first full-time minority car owner and diversity pioneer, dies at 81". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ "Marlin says new Ganassi deal his wish". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Associated Press. March 12, 2005. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Bernstein, Viv (November 8, 2006). "Nascar's Drive for Diversity Is Producing Mixed Signals". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ "Minority-owned NASCAR team closes". USA Today. December 18, 2003. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
- ^ "Sam Belnavis, motorsports pioneer and leader in NASCAR diversity efforts, dies". NASCAR. July 15, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
External links
- "A Conversation with Sam Belnavis", podcast from NASCAR