The 2022 NASCAR season is offering a great example of the ongoing efforts to make STEM motorsport careers more inclusive and inviting for people from underrepresented communities.

That’s thanks to the combined efforts of a former college football player/U.S. naval officer/race driver and NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith. Former Dallas Cowboy running back Smith has partnered with Black driver Jesse Iwuji to launch a team in NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series.

“We can all go out and try to compete for [wins], but what are we doing outside of that to create some type of long-lasting legacy, something that creates opportunity and a pathway,” Iwuji told NASCAR.com. “… A pipeline for people to get in the sport. Whether they want to drive, be part of the industry in general, crew chief, engineers … whatever it is, we want to figure out different ways to expose people to the sport and do it with having the assets on the race team.”

Iwuji elaborated during a streamed press conference in January. “Our entire goal is to empower people more. We are creating a platform so we can inspire people to be the people they were meant to be. There are a lot of people in this world who do not go after their goals, go after their dreams, because they do not see anyone in their industry doing what they want to do. When that representation is not there, they don’t believe they can do it.”

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Smith followed with his own observations on the team’s plans. “We’ll have programs to go out and expose Nascar to people and to try to empower them to their level of greatness. Winning is not there just for us. It is there for you. But you’ve got to create the opportunities.

Asked whether, at the time of his retirement from professional football in 2004, Smith could have envisioned becoming a team owner in Nascar, he responded that it wouldn’t have seemed likely at the time. “I wouldn’t have believed it. I don’t think there were African American drivers at that time in 2004.”

However, in an example of the importance of representation, even for a famous NFL player, Smith mentioned that he did recall when Willy T. Ribbs made his appearance as the first Black driver in Indycar’s Indianapolis 500 in the 1980s.

While Ribbs braved a chilly welcome to racing in the ‘80s, Iwuji reports encountering only goodwill. He said that this has been helpful, considering the stress of launching a new team.

“We’ve been working every hour of the day, all night, every day, just getting everything together,” he said. “It has been awesome to see the support from different teams, lending a hand as far as knowledge, information, people, just helping us so that we don’t fall into any pitfalls. People want to see this team succeed. We’re coming in to use this platform to inspire people, to help people.”

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Following his career with the U.S. Naval Academy football team, Iwuji was active duty in the Navy from 2010 to 2017, where he rose to the rank of Lt. Commander. Since 2015, Iwuji has competed in five Xfinity Series races. This unconventional background is part of what attracted Smith’s attention to the team, Iwuji told NASCAR.com.

“(Smith) saw me basically going from driving warships in 2014 to driving race cars in 2015,” Iwuji said. “He saw that grind and he knew; you know what, I want to associate myself with a grinder. Anybody can have all the ideas in the world, have everything written down on lists, but at the end of the day, it takes a special person to be a true grinder. Someone that makes things happen and he saw that in me.

Jesse Iwuji Motorsports arrives in NASCAR at a fortuitous time. Black driver Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. is driving in the the top-tier Cup Series for a team that is co-owned by driver Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. Netflix has launched a documentary series on Wallace’s trials and tribulations as the only Black driver in the Cup series, which should help draw attention to the same issues that Iwuji is promoting, as it showcases the Black members of that team.

And NASCAR itself is participating in the movement, with the appointment of Jusan Hamilton to race director of the 2022 Daytona 500. “For me, it’s an accomplishment that I’ve put a lot of work into and a lot of effort into growing and building as a race director,” Hamilton told NASCAR.com. “I hope, externally, it just sets a positive example for others that have an interest in motorsports that come from a diverse background or a background that you traditionally wouldn’t necessarily lead to being in motorsports or have a passion for motorsports like I do.”

Thanks to the efforts of Iwuji, Smith, Wallace, Hamilton, and their supporters, surely we will see more representation in motorsports from people in non-traditional backgrounds.