Sam Belnavis, NASCAR’s first Full-Time Minority Car Owner and Pioneer of Diversity, dies at age 81

Sam Belnavis, a former NASCAR general manager and team owner who became the first racial minority to serve as a full-time Cup team, died on Wednesday. News of Belnavis’ deathshared on NASCAR.com.

Belnavis, an African American who joined the Miller Brewing Company in the late 1970s and headed the company’s sports marketing department, first broke into NASCAR in the 1980s when he signed a sponsorship deal with NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bobby Allison. Miller sponsored Allison from 1983 until the end of his career in 1988, winning the Winston Cup Championship and the Daytona 500 during that time.

Belnavis would continue to serve in many other roles throughout NASCAR, most notably as co-owner of BelCar Motorsports with Travis Carter. The Belnavis team would raise No. 54 Ford full-time during the 2003 season as Todd Bodine’s driver and sponsor from the U.S. National Guard. The team took one of the top ten places, 8th place at Pocono Raceway.

Belnavis left the team at the end of the 2003 season for Roush Racing, where he became team leader and owner candidate. Belnavis was also an integral part of the launch of the NASCAR Diversity Program.

“We are saddened by the death of Sam Belnavis, a true pioneer in motorsport, whose tireless work helped to promote an inclusive environment throughout NASCAR,” reads a statement issued by NASCAR. “For more than 30 years, his efforts as a team owner and leader, as well as work to support the launch of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, helped bring NASCAR’s career opportunities to color. NASCAR gives its deepest condolences to Sam’s friends and family.”

Belnavis ’influence on the races continues as NASCAR’s Black Worker Resource Group is named the Belnavis Collective in recognition of him. NASCAR states that the Belnavis collective “will continue to respect him through his mission and goals.”

Two decades after Belnavis owned the Cup series team, minority rankings in the highest races have grown and will continue to grow. There are currently two black car owners in the Cup series as former NBA All-Stars Michael Jordan and Brad Daugherty act as co-owners of 23XI Racing and JTG Daugherty Racing.