NASCAR has named Erik Moses, a former president of the XFL’s DC Defenders, as the first Black president of a NASCAR track. Moses made history when he became president of the Nashville Superspeedway.
The Friday announcement also doubles as an update on the reopening of the track, which had been closed to NASCAR races since 2011.
“I am excited to join the team at Dover Motorsports to lead the reopening of the Nashville Superspeedway and bring the excitement of Cup Series racing to Middle Tennessee,” Moses said.
“I have long admired NASCAR for its commitment to the fan experience and am thrilled to have the opportunity to create the optimal race day experience that NASCAR fans deserve in a market that has such a rich history with the sport,” Moses continued.
Moses, a veteran sports executive and seasoned venue management leader who has done business with professional, college, and high school teams, the NCAA, the NHL, MLB, AT&T, Lyft and Pepsi, called Nashville “one of the hottest markets for sports, entertainment and live events.”
When Moses was the president of the DC Defenders, who were tied for first place in their division right before the XFL 2020 season got canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, ticket sales were promising, according to CNN.
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NASCAR, which has not always been seen as inclusive, due in part to its past acceptance of Confederate flags at official events, has made some change to increase diversity.
“We are very excited and fortunate to hire an outstanding leader and executive such as Erik, who has tremendous experience in all areas of sports, events and live entertainment,” Dover Motorsports CEO Mike Tatoian said, according to Sports Illustrated.
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