Why Winning Sometimes Isn’t the Most Important Part of NASCAR Racing

At a time when auto racing is struggling to prove value and attract new sponsors, race teams have to show that they can do more than produce a race-winning 200 mph billboard. It means that a driver’s role as a spokesperson goes beyond just being able to remember to properly thank the sponsor on camera. Today, a driver’s every move is chronicled, either on social media or by the racing media. Often what a driver does outside his or her race car can be as important as what he does while being strapped inside it. Case in point is 20-year-old Ryan Reed, who drives the No. 16 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for Roush Fenway Racing. Reed was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in March of 2011. His story has been well doc...

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