Jesse Iwuji talks about the Navy, football, NASCAR, and more

When you think of the Navy, good ol’ American college football, and American stock car racing, a guy of Nigerian descent isn’t exactly what comes to mind, but soon enough it will. Professional Stock car racer Jesse Iwuji has only been on the scene for a short time, but his unorthodox arrival to the world of motorsports has been nothing short of refreshing. The son of Nigerian immigrant parents, the 30-year-old race car driver is the epitome of the American dream. He’s an athlete, a college graduate, a soldier, a business owner, a role model, a philanthropist, and most importantly, an all-around good guy.

Jesse Iwuji is front and center at a time when motorsports, especially NASCAR, is in need of a few feel-good stories. A splash of diversity and a real-life hero like Iwuji wouldn’t be a bad addition either.Today, most of the headlines regarding Iwuji’s story may boast that the Texas native is the first active armored service member to compete in Automobile Racing Club of America Racing, a feeder series into NASCAR’s Truck, Xfinity, and Cup Series; however, there is so much more to his developing storyline. After becoming aware of the Naval Academy graduate and getting to know him a bit through several chance meetings on the track, I found myself often spreading the word that Iwuji was someone to watch. After all, he’s a United States Navy Reserve officer behind the wheel of a race car—definitely a guy you can’t help but root for.

My first impression of Iwuji was that he was way too happy. You see, Jesse has a smile that is beyond infectious and if you are lucky enough to spend time talking to him, you’ll quickly realize that his optimism is contagious. I can go on and on about Iwuji’s spirit and hustle, but instead, I will let his words speak for him.

On the heels of his debut at Daytona in the ARCA Racing Series (he finished 36th) and before the start of his return to the 2018 NASCAR K&N Pro Series, I caught up with the up-and-coming…

[Article originally published on The Drive and written by T. Walker aka Sincerely Tam. For the full article, please visit TheDrive.com.]