For Immediate Release
ESPN PR
August 7, 2008
860-766-2000

Sunday, OTL to Examine Diversity in NASCAR

Sunday’s Outside the Lines (9:30 a.m. ET ESPN; noon ESPNEWS) will look at minorities and women who work on the NASCAR circuit. This past June, former NASCAR official Mauricia Grant filed a discrimination lawsuit against the stock-car racing association. In light of Grant’s lawsuit, OTL will explore the work culture inside the NASCAR community.

Excerpts from Sunday's Outside the Lines:

"It's a hostile work environment. It took a lot of emotional blows. I would have to gear up in the morning to get prepared for that." -- Mauricia Grant, NASCAR's first African-American official whose job it was to inspect cars, call penalties and supervise the pit box.

"On any given day there is some thing -- or some action or somebody -- that does something that could be perceived as insensitive.” -- Max Siegel, the President of Global Operations for Dale Earnhardt, Incorporated

"There are a lot of apprehensions because you have the people -- sometimes it's the 'old schoolers,' some of the older gentleman that are in the sport -- that say women aren't supposed to work on race cars, they don't know what they're doing, they doubt you.”  -- Katie Muir, a 24-year-old shock specialist for the #88 car in the Nationwide series.

"I can tell you from my 20 years I didn't have that feeling, I never was harassed that way. You know no one ever touched me inappropriately or did anything out of the ordinary.  I demanded respect.” -- Lisa Smokstad, a tire specialist for Hendrick Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series

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