CHARLOTTE, NC :: Dylan Smith’s determination and perseverance has finally paid off.

The 22-year-old driver from Vermont, who likes the nickname “Black Mamba”, was selected last week to the 2015 NASCAR Drive for Diversity roster and will compete in a Late Model Stock Car for Rev Racing.  The opportunity came in Smith’s sixth attempt to land a ride with the Rev Racing team.

“I can almost not put it into words I’m so excited because I’ve been trying so hard for so long to break in to this program,” Smith stated.  “I almost didn’t race this year.   Haas Automation helping me last year and this program picking me this year, I’m stoked to get back behind the racecar.”

Smith will compete in 17 races for Rev Racing.  A bulk of his schedule will consist of races at Hickory Motor Speedway in Newton, North Carolina but he will also compete at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia – a track he considers a home track.

“Langley’s a home track for Jefferson [Hodges], our competition director,” Smith remarked.  “Bill Mullis and his guys treat us well there.  I’ve been there with Bobby Creech.  I can’t wait to go race there again.”

Smith says the Hampton Heat 200 at Langley Speedway will be the biggest race of the season for him and the team and that’s the race they’re aiming to win, although he would like to win every race he competes in.

“We have 17 races so I’d like to get 17 wins.  It’s hard to win one.  I’ll shoot for three or four, that’s a doable goal for us.”

The announcement that he was selected by Rev Racing to represent the 2015 Drive for Diversity class was not the only special moment for Smith.  Smith was also able to attend the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Charlotte, North Carolina where he got to see Wendell Scott enshrined.

“It was a really big moment for the Scott family, NASCAR diversity and me personally.  I’ve been in close contact with the Scott family so to watch that event is pretty awesome.  I think it’s hard to break through in NASCAR across the board, regardless of color, ethnicity or gender.  To watch Wendell get into the Hall of Fame, he was such a good racecar driver and better than many really knew because of the equipment at the time.  It’s an awesome story.”

Smith says the entire Rev Racing team works together like a family.  On the Late Model side, he will race along with Eagle River, Wisconsin’s Natalie Decker.  He will also be able to lean on Rev Racing’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series drivers – which includes series veteran Kenzie Ruston.

“We’re all one big team here at Rev.  Everything we do, we do together.  If there’s anything anyone needs, we work together on that.”

Now, Dylan Smith hopes he can follow in Wendell Scott and Darrell Wallace, Jr.’s footsteps on the road to greatness.