Seventeen year old Marc Davis, an African-American development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), visited the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, February 6th rang The Closing Bell to commemorate Black History Month. 

Davis, a NASCAR racing hopeful, has been called the Tiger Woods of racing, not only because of his potential, but because of his charm, polish and star quality. The young racer is only the second African –American to win a stock car race in Hickory. His triumphs are another example of young men of color being able to dream and live big in the post-Obama “Audacity of Hope” America.

Joining Davis on the bell podium were : Joe Gibbs, Owner, JGR; J.D. Gibbs, President, JGR ; Richard G. Ketchum, CEO of NYSE Regulation; Harry Davis, Marc’s father & manager; Sara White, Widow of Hall of Famer Reggie White (co-founder of JGR diversity program); Steve Phelps, CMO of NASCAR; John Ross, Vice President Marketing & Advertising, The Home Depot; Michele Kessler, President of M&Ms & CMO of Mars, Inc.; Paget Alves, President Sales and Distribution, Sprint; Katie Bayne, CMO, Coca-Cola North America; Norm Miller, Chairman of Interstate Batteries; Tommy Miller, Vice Chairman of Interstate Batteries; Jim Watkins, General Manager of WHUR, Howard University’s Radio Station and Laurie Tucker, Sr. VP of Corporate Marketing, FedEx.

Special Thanks To: Fields Jackson, Jr., Robert Marchman, Judy Shaw, Dean Noble,            Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard E. Pelzer Sr., Nefertiti Strong, Devon Christopher and the MEGA Management Staff.