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Sam Belnavis of Charlotte, a marketing executive who ushered in an era of Black participation in motorsports from pit crew members to team owners, died July 14.

Sam Belnavis, a sports marketing pioneer who helped pave the way for motorsports diversity, died July 14 at age 81.

Mr. Belnavis, a native of Brooklyn, New York, was a trailblazer as a team general manager and owner in NASCAR, becoming the first Black owner in stock car racing’s top series since Hall of Fame inductee Wendell Scott in the 1970s. In 2003, he launched BelCar Racing with National Guard sponsorship, crew chief Travis Carter and driver Todd Bodine. Mr. Belnavis later merged operations with Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 16 car raced by Greg Biffle and sponsored by the National Guard. In addition to his ownership stake, Mr. Belnavis was Roush-Fenway’s chief diversity officer.

“We are saddened by the passing of Sam Belnavis, a true pioneer in motorsports whose tireless work helped foster an inclusive environment throughout NASCAR,” the organization said in a statement. “For more than 30 years, his efforts as a team owner and executive, as well as his work to support the launch of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, helped introduce career opportunities in NASCAR to people of color.”

Mr. Belnavis’ first foray into team ownership was the launch of BH Motorsports in 2002, which campaigned the No. 54 Chevrolet with Ron Hornaday at Charlotte, Atlanta and Rockingham and the Army National Guard as sponsor. Prior to that, Mr. Belnavis managed the sports marketing department at Miller Brewing Company in the late 1970s when the brewer had an established presence with the open-wheel IndyCar series, whose marquee race is the Indianapolis 500.

Mr. Belnavis transitioned Miller into stock car racing when he signed driver Bobby Allison to a sponsorship contract in 1981, and two years later won NASCAR top series championship in the No. 22 Miller High Life Ford.

The Belnavis Collective, NASCAR’s Black Employee Resource Group, is named after him and the North Carolina Motorsports Association, a trade group that lobbies for the industry, awards a scholarship in his honor. Away from the track, Mr. Belnavis was a former president of the Charlotte chapter of 100 Black Men of America Inc., where he mentored young men and helped provide a pathway for their academic and social success.

“Sam Belnavis was much more impactful than most of you will ever know,” Douglas Bender, chairman of MJC & Associates posted on social media. “He touched the lives of countless professionals over the years. He gave me my first start as a new college graduate from Alcorn State University.

“He was a mentor, friend, and confidant. He was a truth teller... and he was a man who believed in the goodness of the world. If he is not in NASCAR’s Hall of Fame, he should be. He led that kind of life.”

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