John Cohen: Sixteen Years of Ownership, Culture, and Leadership in NASCAR
- Chris Harris
- Nov 21
- 4 min read
In a sport built on speed, power, and precision, longevity is one of the most overlooked achievements. The NASCAR Cup Series is the biggest stage in American motorsports, and the financial demands are relentless. Teams come and go. Investors shift focus as the economy changes. There is an old saying in racing: if you want to end up with a million dollars in motorsports, start with two million. Even well-funded organizations struggle under the financial and operational pressure required to compete at this level. To last sixteen years in that environment is amazing.
John Cohen does exactly that.
As a majority Black owner without the backing of major sponsors, John Cohen keeps New York Racing Team (formerly Team Xtreme Racing) alive through economic shifts, sponsorship challenges, engineering changes, and the pressure of racing against teams supported by manufacturers and major corporations. His presence is not symbolic. It reflects discipline, strategy, and real grit. His team does not compete every single year during the sixteen-year span, which is the reality for many smaller teams in a sport this expensive, but the fact that he is fielding a team in 2025 speaks to his resilience and his refusal to walk away. In a business where most independent teams fold and never return, Cohen’s ability to stay in the sport shows a leader who knows how to face adversity and keep pushing.
What makes his story even more meaningful is that he isn’t just running a race team. He is carrying cultural responsibility long before the industry is ready to recognize it. Cohen views NASCAR as more than competition. He sees it as a platform to highlight identity, pride, and a culture that has been overlooked, while introducing people who look like him and come from where he comes from to opportunities in a sport where there is almost no representation.
As an Grambling State (HBCU) alumnus, he uses his team to spotlight schools that rarely receive national visibility in motorsports. Cars featuring Grambling State, North Carolina A and T, and other HBCUs run in front of millions of viewers. These paint schemes are more than branding. They are statements about Black excellence, alumni pride, and educational heritage. For many NASCAR fans, they create awareness of a world they know nothing about. For HBCU alumni, seeing their school on a car sparks curiosity for the sport, builds a sense of pride, and expands their sense of what is possible.
In my eyes, Cohen’s impact extends far beyond the car. His team trailer is one of the most striking in the NASCAR garage. The graffiti-inspired artwork reflects New York City’s back-alley walls, subway underpasses, and murals that help shape hip hop culture. The trailer is bold, unapologetic, and tied directly to the city and culture that raises him. While most haulers use traditional corporate imagery, Cohen shows up with a rolling piece of urban art that connects motorsports to a cultural foundation rarely acknowledged in this space.
For me, seeing that trailer brings an immediate sense of familiarity and pride. Hip hop culture shapes my life and still influences the work I do in the mobility industry. It is part of how I lead, how I create, and how I support the next generation. So when I see a NASCAR Cup Series hauler carrying the visual language of New York City, graffiti art, and hip hop, it resonates. It reminds me that our culture belongs on the global motorsports stage.
This matters even more when you consider how often our culture is misunderstood or reduced to stereotypes. Not long ago, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem tries to blame rap music for profanity on Formula 1 team radios, dismissing an entire art form and ignoring its creativity and global impact. Moments like that show how far the industry still has to go. That is why seeing Cohen bring the positive, artistic, and community-driven side of hip hop into NASCAR is meaningful. It pushes back against outdated narratives and shows that when culture is integrated with authenticity, it elevates the sport.
His influence also reaches behind the scenes. Cohen creates opportunities for mechanics, engineers, designers, marketers, and young professionals who never imagine themselves working in NASCAR. He partners with the Urban Youth Racing School in Philadelphia, inspiring students to pursue careers in motorsports and showing them they belong in this space. Most importantly, he shows them it is not only acceptable but powerful to show up as their authentic selves with their own ideas.
John Cohen’s legacy proves that progress does not always arrive with fanfare. Sometimes it arrives in the form of an owner who understands that his presence matters. An owner who rebuilds when others walk away. An owner who moves with purpose and remains committed to a vision bigger than himself.
The African American Automotive Association honors John Cohen not only for what he accomplishes, but for what his presence makes possible. His sixteen-year journey as a NASCAR Cup Series owner is a powerful example of resilience, vision, and commitment. As the industry continues to evolve, his influence stands as a foundation for the next generation and a reminder that our culture, our talent, and our leadership belong in every corner of motorsports.