Longtime NASCAR sponsor Busch Light is ready to dedicate $10 million and three years toward the development of women on the path to the sport’s top-level Cup Series in what could be. The only requirements are that those women be at least 21 years old and already be on the path towards NASCAR.
Welcome to Women in Motorsport Monday, where we share the stories of the badass women who have conquered the racing scene throughout the years — and to the people who are making it happen today.
The program, called Accelerate Her, will split the $10 million between the inaugural class of recipients that include Toni Breidinger, Natalie Decker, Amber Balcaen Reaves, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Brittney Zamora, Stephanie Moyer, and Melissa Fifield. (I’ve already seen folks asking where Hailie Deegan is on this list; at 20 years old, Deegan doesn’t qualify for the sponsorship. Things may change when she turns 21 in July.)
Another $10 million will be reserved for a longer-term sponsorship fund to support up-and-coming talent.
The Accelerate Her sponsorship doesn’t just include handing a driver some money and encouraging her to race. Instead, Busch Light also going to provide track time, media exposure, and training to the chosen drivers as a way to provide visibility to future sponsors or teams and to set them up for a great career path.
From the press release:
“Busch Light has been an iconic sponsor in NASCAR for decades and we’ve been lucky to witness some of the greatest women drivers in history, but it can’t be argued that the NASCAR Cup Series field is dominated by male drivers,” said Krystyn Stowe, Senior Brand Director, Busch Family of Brands at Anheuser-Busch.
“Through our sponsorship rights and our platform, we’re seizing the opportunity to make historic progress toward gender inclusivity and while the immediate program goals may start here, we hope the sentiment will carry far beyond that, encouraging the broadest level of inclusivity across all sports.”
The program will officially launch with an advertisement during the Daytona 500 broadcast this upcoming Sunday.