Hailie Deegan and others set to benefit from new Busch Light gender equality program

Drivers including the likes of Hailie Deegan, Jennifer Jo Cobb and many others will benefit from Busch Beer’s newly launched gender equality program. The program will support NASCAR women drivers over the age of 21 across multiple series.

Under this scheme, Anheuser-Busch will spend $10 million over the next three years to support women in the sport through their Busch Light "Accelerate Her" program. The brewing company will provide funding, track time, media exposure, and training exposure to potential drivers.

The seven drivers who will receive the inaugural sponsorship are Jennifer Jo Cobb, Toni Breidinger, Natalie Decker, Amber Balcaen, Brittney Zamora, Stephanie Moyer, and Melissa Fifield.

Speaking about the Busch Light "Accelerate Her" program, Krystyn Stowe, senior brand director of Anheuser Busch, said:

“Busch Light has been an iconic sponsor in NASCAR for decades and we’ve been lucky to witness some of the greatest women drivers in history, but it can’t be argued that the NASCAR Cup Series field is dominated by male drivers. Through our sponsorship rights and our platform, we’re seizing the opportunity to make historic progress toward gender inclusivity. While the immediate program goals may start here. We hope the sentiment will carry far beyond that. Encouraging the broadcast level of inclusivity across all sports.”

There is, however, a condition where the driver needs to be at least 21 years old, which is why Deegan, at 20 years of age, is not included in the list.

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How gender equality programs will help drivers like Hailie Deegan

Although Busch Beer's list initially contained only seven drivers, the number is set to increase in the coming years as more drivers turn 21. One such example is Camping World Truck Series driver Hailie Deegan, who will turn 21 on July 18 this year.

Currently, Deegan and Cobb are the only female drivers competing full-time in the NASCAR series. They will both be in the 2022 Camping World Truck Series for David Gilliland Racing and Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing, respectively.

Should this program work as planned in the future, the number of full-time female drivers is likely to see an increase. As per reports, the official launch of this initiative will take place through advertisement at NASCAR’s Daytona 500 on February 20.

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