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Max Siegel announced Wednesday that he will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. to partner with NASCAR in broader industry initiatives, beginning with the Drive for Diversity program.
Siegel, 44, will manage NASCAR’s diversity program through his new sports and entertainment marketing company, The 909 Group, LLC. He also will continue to work with Dale Earnhardt Inc. and other sports and entertainment clients through his affiliation with the law firm Baker & Daniels, LLP.
Drive for Diversity was established in 2004 to provide opportunities for minorities and females to compete in NASCAR.
“NASCAR is an incredible sport,” Siegel said. “For years the Gibbs organization, Mr. Rick Hendrick and Jay Frye were all supportive of (former Green Bay Packer) Reggie White and I becoming members of the NASCAR community and growing its fan base and participants as broadly as possible.”
“We are proud to have Max and his team managing the Drive for Diversity efforts,” NASCAR chairman Brian France said. “His strategic, operational and marketing experience will be a great benefit to the initiative and the entire industry. We’re proud of the accomplishments of Drive for Diversity after just five seasons and we expect Max’s involvement will take the initiative to the next level.”
The D4D program pulls together drivers from various forms of racing for a two-day combine that could lead to a job with a race team in low-level NASCAR series. The program also searches for qualified crew members.
Among those who have benefited from the program are Marc Davis, who raced in both the Nationwide and Truck Series last season, and Paulie Harraka, who won the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series title. Several crew members from the program also landed full-time positions in one of NASCAR’s national series.
But Siegel said he aims to make the program more credible both in and outside of NASCAR, improve its marketing and lure more money into the initiative. There are currently no minority drivers in NASCAR’s top two series.
Siegel will work with Baker & Daniels, as counsel to lead the expansion of the firm’s sports and entertainment practice. Siegel had worked at the firm from 1992 through 1994.
Siegel, a former executive in the music business who also has represented athletes such as Tony Gwynn and Reggie White, is an Indianapolis native.
Baker & Daniels will take over management of the diversity program from Access Marketing, which has directed it for the first five years.
At Dale Earnhardt Inc., he was the highest ranking African-American executive in the NASCAR industry.
Siegel served on the executive team that produced pop artists like Britney Spears, Usher and Justin Timberlake.
