NASCAR Driver Has Personally Cleaned Up Ocean Oil Spills
FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. (April 20, 2016) – As the NASCAR industry celebrates its fourth annual “Race to Green” program, XFINITY Series driver Ray Black Jr. has his own personal experience with green programs thanks to his time spent as a commercial diver. The driver of the No. 07 ScubaLife.com Chevrolet has done everything from containing oil spills of sunken ships to beach cleanups and reef work.
“There’s a lot of opportunities in commercial diving to get involved with green jobs,” said Black. “At the CDA Technical Institute, there are classes offered that cover how to contain oil spills and keep the oceans clean. It’s important that everyone does their part and helps out. The oceans are where a lot of our food comes from. It’s part of our ecosystem and we need it to survive.”
Black doesn’t just talk about the importance of programs that keep the ocean clean, he actively participates in them. One of the most impactful experiences he was a part of was cleaning up a ship’s oil spill.
“There was a ship that sank in Jacksonville, Fla., and oil was spilling out into the ocean,” he explained. “A team and I had to go out and contain it so it wouldn’t cause any more damage than it already had to the environment. That’s a part of ship recovery that people don’t often think of. We have to salvage the pieces of ships that are harmful to the ocean in order to help keep it clean.”
Black’s other job as the driver of the No. 07 ScubaLife.com Chevrolet in the NASCAR XFINITY Series will have its own connection with green initiatives as NASCAR implements its fourth annual “Race to Green” program. The program will highlight the organization’s clean air tree planting program, relationship with Safety-Kleen and launch of bio-fuel programs during Black’s first trip to Richmond International Raceway.
“I’m really looking forward to this weekend,” Black stated. “It’s a tight looking track and looks like a lot of fun to race on. I’ll race it on a simulator this week just to get a feel for it before we even go out for practice on Friday. With our momentum coming off of Bristol last weekend, I’m really excited for this race.”
The ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond International Raceway will take place on Saturday, April 23 at 12:30 p.m. ET. Fans can tune in via FOX Sports 1 or MRN Radio for live coverage.
Fans can keep up with Ray Black Jr. by following him and his sponsor, ScubaLife, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @RayBlackJr and @TeamScubaRacing.
