WS Chronicle

By David Winship 

Steeped in lore and history reflective of the Southern United States in the 1950s -1970s, Wendell Scott raced into history as the first Black driver inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. 

Using strong characters with unique characterization, Russell Nicholas tells Scott’s story through “Faster than the Speed of Race,” a play that was one of six dramatic works in development, chosen from nearly 300 submitted to the Barter Theatre’s Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights located in Abingdon, Virginia. The festival featured works-in-progress from last Thursday through Sunday, ending with the 4th annual “Shine,” which showcased six winning monologues by Black writers, part of the Black Stories Black Voices initiative of Barter Theatre.   

The story of Wendell Scott (played by Vince McGill*), a native of Danville, Virginia, who raced in the dirt-track circuit and during the early days of NASCAR, is a story that has been told in documentaries and movies before, but this is a first stage production. A display at the former Winston Cup Museum in Winston-Salem included a documentary of his life, along with the car that Scott drove during his NASCAR career. Richard Pryor portrayed Scott in the film “Greased Lightning,” released in 1977. 

In the play, “Faster than the Speed of Race,” the main characters included Scott and his car, “Baby Blue,” which was portrayed as a feisty Black woman (played by Rita Cole*), an especially creative device that helped to tell the story of Scott’s life. Other characters were a rotating portrayal of the white men (all played by Rick McVey*) who confronted, restricted and facilitated Scott during his racing career, and his two-man pit crew, (played by James Jiggetts and Jhardon Milton*) who added humorous relief during tense scenes about the racism he faced as he struggled for acceptance as a professional race car driver.  

Scott drove the dirt track circuit of Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida during his career, competing in the Grand National Series in his final years. He was the first African American driver and team owner to compete and win in all divisions of NASCAR. On Dec. 1, 1963, at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Florida, Scott became the first African American to win a NASCAR premier series event, winning the 100-mile feature race after starting 15th. However, he was denied the victory because of racism, only being awarded the prize money a few days later. Over the next 13 years, Scott would make 495 starts, which ranks 32nd on the all-time list.  

Scott died in Danville, Virginia, in 1990 at age 69. 

“Faster than the Speed of Race” provides a true American story of the South during a time when Jim Crow impacted every aspect of life. The play is more than a NASCAR story. It is a story of dedication to a goal and the struggle to succeed despite overwhelming obstacles and audience members who have no understanding of racing and NASCAR can relate and enjoy the performance.  

The Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights, now in its 25th season, is a project to develop and produce new and unique plays showcasing Appalachian stories. In the 2025 season, over 300 plays were submitted and six were chosen for a staged reading with Barter actors. Following the reading, theater and drama professionals, along with audience members, gave feedback to assist the playwright in further developing their play. 

During the feedback session, one of the panelists noted that “Faster than the Speed of Race” provided the key essentials of a docudrama: education and cause for advocacy, entertainment, and inspiration. It is a story from the past that inspires us to make a better future. The careers of NASCAR racers Bubba Wallace and Raj Carruth exist today because of the trailblazing of Wendell Scott. 

During the 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Wendell Scott, race car champion Jeff Gordon said, “Wendell Scott did a lot with a little, on a shoestring budget and a pit crew that was truly a family affair. He carved out a legendary career. His is a story of perseverance and determination in the face of unimaginable obstacles.” “Faster than the Speed of Race” provides help in imagining those obstacles. 

Russell Nicholas is an internationally produced playwright, award-winning speculative fiction writer, poet and journalist. For more information, visit his website at www.russellnicholas.com. For further information on Wendell Scott, contact the Wendell Scott Foundation at https://www.wendellscott.org. 

For further information on Barter Theatre’s Festival of Appalachian Plays and Playwrights and submission guidelines for 2026, visit https://bartertheatre.com/appalachian-festival-of-plays-and-playwrights. 

*These actors are members of the Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. 

 David Winship is a native and resident of Bristol, Tennessee, and a lifelong NASCAR fan. A retired public-school educator, he continues to educate with public presentations, writing and working with letterpress printing. He is a member of Winston-Salem Writers.