Racing Still Has a Diversity Problem. Robb Holland’s Got a Plan to Fix It
He went on, “The problem with that is that as soon as that driver loses their funding—which will happen as a natural ebb and flow in two or three years—you’re not creating a platform for that driver to succeed past the racing they’re currently doing. More importantly, you’re not creating a platform for any more drivers like them to come through.”
But by using that quick-fix approach, companies can then “blunt any potential possible criticism” that says they aren’t doing enough by pointing to their headline-grabbing campaign, according to Holland. “That’s the thing that’s the most frustrating,” he said. “It doesn’t create permanent, sustainable change. It basically diverts any attention away from the problem. And then that way, we can all go back to doing what we’re doing.”
A Solution Without a Name
Frustrated but clearly not content just to focus on his own career, Holland took things into his own hands. Last April, he announced on Jalopnik that he was starting a new diversity program in racing.
It doesn’t have an official name, by the way; Holland called it “just a thing.” He said, “I always find that programs that have names are like, ‘Hey, let’s draw attention to this thing.'” This isn’t that.
And it’s not just for hiring more Black drivers, either. It’s meant for everyone for all positions. Holland and his team, Rotek Racing, recruited David Middleton, a Black Nürburgring race engineer, and Brian Ma, an Asian-American ex-Champ Car engineer, to not only help out with their race car but also to find and cultivate underrepresented talent in the motorsports world. (Anyone looking to get involved can reach out here.)
