NASCAR shot down comedian and actor Steve Harvey’s bid for a NASCAR team and in the process earned a $500 million racial discrimination lawsuit.
TMZ uncovered the lawsuit, which chronicles the saga between NASCAR, Harvey and Terrance Cox, the CEO of Diversity Motorsports.
According to a lawsuit, NASCAR even rejected a bid from Harvey last year. Cox says the comedian wanted to work with him to start a new racing team called “Steve Harvey Races 4 Education.” Cox was down, but says NASCAR told Harvey it would never approve a team associated with Diversity Motorsports.
In the suit, Cox points out all 48 drivers in the league’s top tier, Sprint Cup, are white … and only one is African-American in its 2nd tier, Xfinity Series.
NASCAR had a rep publicly respond to the lawsuit, notably suggesting this action is something of a publicity stunt:
“Diversity both on and off the track continues to be a top priority for NASCAR and its stakeholders. We stand behind our actions, and will not let a publicity-seeking legal action deter us from our mission.”
Harvey himself spoke on the issue:
Setting the record straight on this #NASCAR story. #SHMS pic.twitter.com/hDPX5vcKB2
— Steve Harvey (@IAmSteveHarvey) September 20, 2016
NASCAR has one full-time African-American driver, Darrell Wallace Jr., over three of its national series.
The case is Cox et al v National Association for Stock Car Racing Inc. et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-07268.
More on this as it develops.