Lavar Scott finished 21^st in Saturday’s (July 11) Focused Health 250 at Echo Park Speedway in Atlanta in the United States, capping a two-day Brand South Africa campaign promoting South Africa to an American audience.

Driving the No 45 Brand South Africa Chevrolet for Alpha Prime Racing, Scott started in 32^nd position before moving up to 25^th early in the race.

The Focused Health 250 race will be remembered for multiple caution flags due to various incidents, with Scott moving up steadily throughout the race, racing as high as 15^th.

Unfortunately, he was caught up in someone else’s accident shortly before the end of the race, resulting in a 21st-place finish.

Team Africa Racing drives South Africa’s global profile

The two-day activation, which ran on Friday and Saturday, combined business networking with high-profile motorsport to position South Africa as a tourism, trade and investment destination in the United States.

Friday’s Accelerating to Africa: The fast lane to the future of global commerce event connected South African and American business leaders ahead of Saturday’s Nascar O’Reilly’s Series race.

The initiative formed part of the ongoing work of Team Africa Racing, a project established in 2017 by native South African and racing driver Arnout Kok.

Initially created to help fund Kok’s Nascar racing activities in the United States, it has evolved into a unique platform showcasing South Africa’s tourism appeal and business opportunities, says Kok.

“When I initially attended Nascar races, I was struck by how few international drivers were participating in the various stock car series. I saw this as an opportunity to create a project that would stand out, as no other African businesses were involved in the sport at the time.

“By launching an African Nascar project, it allowed me to create a narrative around a continent’s involvement in Nascar, rather than a lone driver or single company.”

Kok established the project with partners in the United States and continues to manage it from Andorra in Europe, travelling to the United States for race events. He says support from local US partners such as AE Engine and Global Atlanta has been invaluable.

“Getting the funding together in time can be a challenge, but overall, we have a good template in place to replicate these events every year,” he adds.

Representing South Africa and the African continent in American stock car racing remains a source of pride for Kok.

“We continue to grow the project. The goal is not to introduce African drivers to Nascar but to generate business-to-business growth, cultural awareness and tourism to the continent. We are also able to assist drivers wanting to enter the Nascar series; however, that is not our primary goal.”

He says Brand South Africa has played a vital role in the initiative. “Having Brand South Africa on board since the inception of Team Africa Racing has given the project credibility and helped get significant new partners on board.

“Brand South Africa has helped grow this project from an idea to a significant annual networking and brand-building event.”

Putting SA on the map

Among the project’s biggest milestones was promoting Brand South Africa on a Nascar Cup Series car in the 2020 Daytona 500, followed by a fully branded entry in the 2024 Focused Health 250 Nascar Xfinity Series in Atlanta.

Kok also counts his ninth-place finish in his first Nascar race at the 2021 Mid-Ohio ARCA race among his proudest achievements under the Team Africa Racing banner.

“At Mid-Ohio, the car was fully branded in South African colours, and I received significant press coverage in the United States,” he says.

Reflecting on the move from South African motorsport to racing in the United States, Kok says adapting to the variety of circuits has been one of the biggest adjustments. He explains that the series features everything from oval tracks to street circuits, adding that the difference between European and South African motorsport and Nascar is comparable to the difference between rugby and American football.

For aspiring drivers hoping to compete internationally, his advice is simple: “Never give up! Speak to as many people as you can in the industry to get advice. Also, remember that motorsport is 90% business, so it’s important to work hard on getting the funding together.”

Scott carries the South African colours

On Saturday, Scott carried the distinctive Brand South Africa colours on the No 45 Chevrolet as part of Alpha Prime Racing’s entry in the Focused Health 250, continuing Team Africa Racing’s mission of using Nascar to raise South Africa’s profile in the United States.

The car also featured Brooklyn Biltong, Southwestern Talent, the South African Chamber of Commerce USA and other partners with South African and Africa-focused connections.

Scott qualified 32^nd in the race, with a strategy to run a conservative race for the first two stages before making a move in the third and final stage.

A broken wheel gun in the second pit stop created a short delay; however, Scott and the Brand South Africa/Brooklyn Biltong #45 Alpha Prime Racing car were soon back up in the top 20.

In a race punctuated by accidents and incidents, Scott did a great job avoiding the on-track carnage before he was caught in a wreck that he couldn’t avoid.

A 21st-place finish was still a good result for the young driver as he continues to learn and develop in the O’Reilly’s Auto Parts Nascar Series.

“It was an honour to represent Brand South Africa this weekend. Meeting so many people who were passionate about building connections through racing made the experience even more meaningful. I’m thankful to Alpha Prime Racing and Brand South Africa for believing in me, and I hope this is just the beginning of what we can accomplish together.”

Business before the green flag

Accelerating to Africa: The fast lane to the future of global commerce was hosted by Brand South Africa and Global Atlanta at Constellations in downtown Atlanta.

Designed as the lead-in to Saturday’s Nascar race, the event introduced Atlanta’s business community to South Africa’s investment potential, highlighting its favourable investment incentives, sophisticated banking infrastructure, highly skilled workforce and strategic position as a gateway to the African continent.

Business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, media representatives and community partners attended the event, which also gave guests the opportunity to meet Scott and Alpha Prime Racing president Jusan Hamilton.

The programme featured networking sessions, a panel discussion exploring business and cultural links between Atlanta and Africa, a South African product showcase, wine tasting with Fumana Wines and opportunities to engage directly with Brand South Africa and its partners.

In addition to the organisations already mentioned, Oryx Desert Salt was also featured.

Panel members included Tami McQueen of BIP Capital, Roxane Francis of Brand South Africa and Hamilton.

“South Africa continues to be a hub for major investors looking to set up in the African continent, and we hope our participation and showcase through the Nascar race will ensure that continues,” says Jimmy Ranamane, Brand South Africa general manager, global markets.

He adds that the showcase aimed to encourage small and medium-sized businesses exploring the African market to visit South Africa and discover what it has to offer beyond its scenic beauty and diverse cultures.

“This weekend showed what’s possible when motorsports is used as a platform to build meaningful business relationships. Brand South Africa didn’t simply sponsor a race team; they created opportunities to connect companies, communities and cultures in a way that’s difficult to replicate anywhere else. That’s exactly the kind of partnership Alpha Prime Racing is committed to building. We’re grateful for their trust and excited about the foundation we’ve built together as we continue growing this relationship,” says Hamilton.

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