Sam Belnavis

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Sam Belnavis

Sam Belnavis (born 1940) is an African American

African American

African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the Black people populations of Africa....
executive in automobile racing. He is one of the few minority persons to have owned a NASCAR

NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is the largest sanctioning body of stock cars in the United States. The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series....
racing team. He is currently the head of Roush Fenway Racing's driver diversity program, and handles other marketing initiatives for that company.

child, Belnavis attended Our Lady of Victory, an all-black parochial school in Brooklyn, New York.

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Sam Belnavis (born 1940) is an African American

African American

NASCAR

Education and military service

As a child, Belnavis attended Our Lady of Victory, an all-black parochial school in Brooklyn, New York. He then attended Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School

Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School

Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School is a Roman Catholic Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools secondary school serving students in grades 9 through 12 in Brooklyn, New York....
, with primarily white students, a very different experience.

Belnavis attended Manhattan College

Manhattan College

Manhattan College is a Catholic school Liberal arts colleges in the United States in the Lasallian tradition in New York City. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale, Bronx section of the Bronx, and roughly 10 miles north of Midtown Manhattan....
in New York, graduating with a degree in accounting, and got a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan is a public university research university located in the state of Michigan. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan, which also includes two regional campuses in University of Michigan-Flint and University of Michigan-Dearborn....
. He was in Air Force ROTC in Manhattan College, and served in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot in the 105th Tactical Fighter Wing, located at Lackland Air Force Base

Lackland Air Force Base

Lackland Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force operated by the Air Education and Training Command . It is located in the western area of San Antonio, Texas, United States....
in Texas.

Career

After leaving the Air Force, he took a management position at Sears, in 1968. From there, he became a director of sports marketing for Miller Brewing

Miller Brewing

Miller Brewing Company is the second largest United States style beermaker and is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It is owned by SABMiller....
. In 1981, while in that job, he signed Bobby Allison

Bobby Allison

Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
to a sponsorship contract. After working at Miller, Belnavis was hired by DiGard Racing

DiGard Motorsports

DiGard Motorsports was a championship-winning race team in NEXTEL Cup that had its most success in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The team won the 1983 in NASCAR with Bobby Allison at the wheel....
; part of his duties were to push a program to diversify DiGard Racing with an African-American driver.

After DiGard, Belnavis took a position as senior vice-president of sports and entertainment with Saatchi & Saatchi

Saatchi & Saatchi

Saatchi & Saatchi is a global advertising agency. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but in 2000 it was acquired by Publicis which is headquartered in Paris....
, one of the world's largest and advertising firms. In 1991 he relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The List of United States cities by population in the United States....
, where he founded his own advertising and marketing agency, Belnavis & Associates.

In 2003, Belnavis became NASCAR's first full-time minority owner when he fielded BelCar Motorsports' #54 U.S. National Guard Ford Motor Company entry driven by Todd Bodine

Todd Bodine

Todd Bodine is a stock car racer. Todd is the younger brother of former racers Geoff Bodine and Brett Bodine. Bodine is known for his aggressive driving style and bald head, which has given him the nickname The Onion....
. In 2004, the team, at the time NASCAR's only minority-owned team, closed when the National Guard elected to sponsor a Roush Racing vehicle instead.

He continues to serves as a team in lower-level NASCAR leagues through the Drive for Diversity

Drive for Diversity

The Drive for Diversity program is a development system instituted by NASCAR in 2004 in order to attract minority and women to the sport in positions such as ownership, driving and crew members....
program, fielding entries for Morty Buckes, Brianne Conrath, and Jesus Hernandez

Jesus Hernandez

Jesus Hernandez is a developmental driver for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing from Fresno, California who is beginning his transition to the NASCAR touring series....
in the past.

Personal

Belnavis and his wife Christine have three daughters and his six grandchildren.

External links

, podcast from NASCAR
NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is the largest sanctioning body of stock cars in the United States. The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series....