Nashville's Erik Moses Becomes 1st Black Track President in NASCAR History

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Nashville Superspeedway has made Erik Moses the first Black president at a NASCAR track.

The track's owners, Dover Motorsports, announced the move Saturday. Moses noted his unique position within the sport in quotes given to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com):

"Any time that you have the distinction of being the first at anything professionally, it is a humbling kind of honor. That said, I'm not naive enough to believe that I'm the first person of color qualified enough to run a NASCAR track. I am thankful [to Dover Motorsports] for their confidence in my experience and ability to lead that effort. I'm also thankful to the folks at NASCAR for their confidence in me, as well. I'm going to focus on the job. I got hired to do a job, not because of what color I am."

The NASCAR Cup Series previously announced it would race in Nasvhille during the 2021 season for the first time in 10 years. Although the track had hosted both NASCAR and Indy Car events from 2001 to 2011, it had mostly been idle for the past decade.

Nashville is set to put $8-10 million into the track to help raise the standards going into the upcoming year.

"I know there's a lot of work to do. Facilities, upkeep, maintenance, revitalization is something I've done a lot of with the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission," Moses said.

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Moses had served as senior vice president at Events DC while overseeing professional and college events in the area, most recently working as the president of the XFL's DC Defenders.

His presence in NASCAR is meaningful as the organization works to improve its inclusiveness within the sport.

NASCAR announced a ban on confederate flags at events in June, while drivers showed support for Black driver Bubba Wallace that same month after a rope tied into a noose was found in his garage.