Valrico's Michael Cherry in NASCAR's diversity pipeline again

As a former entertainment executive and president of Dale Earnhardt Inc., Max Siegel has an eye for the skill set a race driver needs to make it to NASCAR's top level.

He likes what he sees in Valrico's Michael Cherry.

"I actually think Michael is the total package," said Siegel, who will be at the Daytona USA attraction tonight when Cherry is announced as a member of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity for a third consecutive year.

"I mean, he's got a lot of talent. I've challenged him to work really hard to develop it, but he's an extremely charismatic, solid person. Everyone in the organization - from pit crew members, drivers to competition directors - really likes him."

Cherry is one of 11 drivers chosen from an application process and combine. The program was founded in 2004 to give young minority and female drivers and crew members an opportunity to develop at the grassroots level.

Thirty-one D4D drivers have won 33 races at short tracks around the country, but none has advanced to NASCAR's top level yet.

Cherry raced at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., and Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C., the last two years. He posted 19 top-10 finishes at Greenville-Pickens, while also serving a two-race suspension for a post-race altercation.

"If I keep making the team, I'll be the oldest one here," Cherry said Monday, only half-joking because, at age 20, he's already older than several top racing prospects.

Siegel is CEO of the 909 Group, which took over management of the D4D program last year. In a major change for 2010, participants are relocating to Charlotte, N.C., for "academy style" development under a single team ownership structure.

Drivers work 20 hours a week in the race shop, train three times a week with a strength and conditioning coach and participate in competition meetings and testing, as well as their racing.

Revolution Racing, owned by 909 and managed by former DEI vice president John Story, will field four teams in the in the K&N Pro Series (formerly the Camping World Series) and six in the Whelen All-American Series.

Andy Santerre, a four-time Camping World Series champion as a driver and team owner, oversees Revolution's K&N Series operations. Blair Addis, for whom Cherry drove last year, manages the Whelen program.

While Cherry isn't among the top four prospects who'll compete in the K&N Pro Series, Siegel said he falls just below that group. Cherry will race at four tracks in South and North Carolina.

"The new setup is great," Cherry said. "You feel like a (Sprint) Cup team. You're in the shop, you've got all the guys to work with. Just to have that around you and knowing you have the equipment and everything behind you is great."

D4D veteran Paul Harraka, Sergio Pena, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Mackena Bell will compete for Revolution in the K&N Series. Pena, 16, finished second to Sprint Cup driver Joey Logano in the Toyota All-Star Challenge last month.

Cherry will be joined by Jessica Brunelli, Katie Hagar, Rebecca Kasten, Megan Reitenour and Jason Romero.