https://ift.tt/chTEpeW and Legacy of Wendell Scott, the First Black NASCAR Driver, Being Brought to Life Via Collectible NFTs

NFT Collection Honoring the Racing Legend to Mark Black History Month

February 9, 2022 – A series of historic NFTs created by Wendell Scott Ventures will be introduced and sold to commemorate the iconic and groundbreaking life and legacy of Wendell Scott. On December 1, 1963, Wendell Scott became the first African American NASCAR driver to win a Grand National race, NASCAR’s highest level. Designed to share Scott’s awe-inspiring life and inspirational career with the world, the NFTs were created by WorldwideXR and VueXR, and will launch through a series of events. This will begin with a live auction hosted by Authentik Studios at The Wendell Scott Foundation’s annual Legacy Gala on February 12 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and will be followed by a broader release on March 6th with the premiere NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway.   

Commemorating the centennial of Wendell Scott’s birth, the 58th Anniversary of Wendell Scott’s First NASCAR victory and Black History Month, the NFTs will feature one-of-a-kind augmented reality creations that celebrate the life, career, and impact of the man who broke NASCAR’s color barrier. The AR memorabilia include a 3D recreation of his first-ever NASCAR championship trophy (Jacksonville 200) and a special edition Black History Month 3D  collage featuring a trinity of black sports heroes, which is the first-of-its-kind,to be revealed at the Gala. The special edition NFT will come with Authentik’s SILO digital frame that will provide users the ability to display their NFTs at home. In addition, the collection will include an exact 1:1 AR 3D NFT replica of Wendell Scott’s first-ever NASCAR winning 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air that won the Jacksonville 200. This AR asset can also be utilized in Metaverse applications. 

In 2021, Scott 34 Racing partnered with David Steward II’s Lion Forge Animation (Academy Award®-winning Hair Love), and parent company Polarity, a leading Black-owned entertainment holding company, to create Wendell Scott Ventures and introduce the life and legacy of Wendell Scott to audiences through films, TV series, docu-series, digital content, games, and more. Polarity and Lion Forge Animation are working in direct-partnership with Wendell Scott’s son, Frank Scott, and grandson, Warrick Scott, on all initiatives. The NFT medium presents a new opportunity for storytelling that intertwines education and entertainment, with the NFTs themselves serving as pieces of living history.

NFT #1:  Special Edition Black History Month Icons

Format: Digital 3D Unlockable Augmented Reality Collage of 2D images 

About: This is a special edition Black History Month NFT about “BROTHERHOOD” and” TRINITY”. The number 3 in the bible signifies great spiritual connectivity. The spirits of each icon have produced the ultimate bridges of diversity and inclusion that still exist in a profound manner today. Where would each sport be without the trials and tribulations of each icon? Their struggles have provided the logistical DNA that is used today to create a more inclusive and dynamic world of both sports and social accountability, which is why this is a “Trinity Series”. The word “brotherhood” helps paint a picture of the support that would have existed amongst the three of them if they had an opportunity to become akin. We can see them standing side by side in solidarity, ready at a moment’s notice to fight together to follow their dreams and uplift their communities. 

NFT #2:  Wendell Scott First Ever NASCAR Winning 1962 Chevrolet Digital Car

Format: Digital 3D Augmented Reality Unlockable (Exact Replica) Asset 

About: A 1:1 replica of Wendell Scott’s home-modified 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air that won the Jacksonville 200 and was powered by a 409 cubic inch engine with 380 horsepower. This 3D AR asset can be transposed onto various platforms, including the metaverse, a phone, or computer. Viewing the AR asset on mobile devices allows users to interact directly with the car. Users can engage with the car in real space and time, minimize or maximize the size, take photos with it, and even enter the car to see Wendell Scott’s personal touches, such as his lucky four-leaf clover that he kept permanently on the dashboard.

NFT #3:  Wendell Scott NASCAR Trophy

Format: Digital 3D Unlockable Augmented Reality (Exact Replica) Asset 

About: On August 28, 2021, nearly 60 years after Scott’s historic win and prior to the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR formally presented the Scott family with a trophy for Wendell Scott’s 1963 Cup Series victory. This is the trophy that Scott would have received for winning at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, Florida in December of 1963. The Coke Zero Sugar 400 took place one day before Scott’s 100th birthday on August 29. 

Once Wendell was flagged as the winner in 1963, he was met with an onslaught of racial slurs. As the day turned to night, the head scorekeeper revealed that Wendell had actually run two more laps than the rest of the field, which was the fact that ended the process of protest. However, by the time he was officially announced the winner, the track was completely empty. He was the first and only African American driver and team owner to win a NASCAR event until Bubba Wallace’s victory on October 4, 2021. Additionally, he was the only non-Ford or Chrysler driver to win within that 62-race season. 

About Wendell Scott

Wendell Scott’s life and career was filled with adversity, which he triumphantly overcame. Born in rural Virginia in 1921 during the Jim Crow Era, a time when racial segregation was enforced by law, it was from Scott’s father that Wendell received his love and knowledge of cars. After serving as a mechanic in WWII (in a segregated division), he was denied access to NASCAR due to the color of his skin. Scott became the first African American team owner and spent nine years in the “Dixie Circuit”, a smaller regional competitor to NASCAR, until he was finally able to persuade NASCAR to grant him a license to race in 1953 – officially breaking the sport’s color barrier. Scott won the Jacksonville 200 race in 1963, only to see the win given to a white driver on a “clerical error” (later reversed). After competing in 496 NASCAR races, with 147 Top 10 finishes, a horrific near-death crash in 1973 ended his career. Scott died of cancer in 1990 and was officially inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015, becoming the first African American in NASCAR history to do so. 

Wendell Scott’s career was repeatedly challenged by racial prejudice and threats. However, his determined struggle as an underdog would prove to win the hearts of thousands of fans and fellow racers. Scott was, and still is, a pop culture icon who was the subject of the film “Greased Lightning”starring Richard Pryor and was the inspiration for the character of River Scott in Disney’s animated film “Cars 3.” 

Wendell Scott was inducted into The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and the National Black Athletic Hall of Fame, is an honorary member of the Black American Racers Association, and is a lifetime member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). 

The Wendell Scott Foundation provides educational programs designed for students aged 8 through 18 using STEM-related resources and programs, as well as learning and mentoring opportunities to communities across the country. For more information about the Foundation and this year’s Legacy Gala at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on February 12, 2022, go to www.wendellscott.org.

About Polarity 

Polarity, LLC is a leading Black-owned diversified entertainment holding company. With expertise in publishing, film & television, and games, Polarity is focused on producing leading-edge, world-class content for a rapidly changing and diverse marketplace. Completely self-financed, Polarity has developed deep value chains across multiple market platforms to nurture individual brands and creator-driven content, and to produce long-lasting asset value across broad channel consumption.   

Portfolio companies of Polarity include: 

Lion Forge Animation: Independent animation production company partnering with premier creators and developers around the world

Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group: Major independent publisher of graphic novels and comics with a 20-year history of pushing creative boundaries. Channels: 1) Publishing, 2) Entertainment, 3) Games 

Magnetic Press: Premium branded publisher of graphic novels and comics 

Illustrated Syndicate: IP development and holding company; repository of deep and diverse IP libraries 

Find out more at www.polarityltd.com. Polarity on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/polarity-llc/

About Worldwide XR

WorldwideXR (WXR) is a digital agency that develops next-level media and works with top digital artists to protect their best interest. WXR specializes in immersive media that is reshaping our future habits and engagement standards. WXR operates mostly within the entertainment technology sector as well as Gov and Edu sectors. WXR offers a strategic advantage because of its prime position in the path of opportunity. CMG Worldwide serves as the legal and rights management partner, which for the past 40+ years has represented thousands of the most historical icons in American history. 

CMG has a vast library of proprietary IP, legal support and industry relations to provide the partnership. Together, WXR and CMG have endless initiatives surrounding entertainers, athletes, historical figures and top brands. 

WXR represents technology companies, manages digital artists, provides high-level consultation, develops innovation and delivers engaging, immersive experiences. Founded by licensing giant Mark Roesler and tech futurist Travis Cloyd. The combined expertise of both Mr. Roesler, Esq and Professor Mr. Cloyd, as well as the backing of our strategic partner in entertainment, sports, music, education, marketing, media and more have allowed the WXR team to build into an industry leader in a relatively short time. 

Find out more at www.worldwidexr.com & www.cmgworldwide.com

About Authentik Studios:

Authentik Studios is a gathering of the minds from the blockchain, entertainment, and manufacturing industries, who have come together to bring top-tier exclusive content and NFT technology to audiences around the world. Through their diverse team of world-class creatives and animators, Authentik wishes to give voice to those who have been historically misrepresented and provide the framework to help illuminate their stories.

Authentik’s flagship product, SILO, brings NFTs to life by allowing mainstream audiences to show off their NFT collections from the comfort of their homes. SILO is a digital frame that features state-of-the-art technology in order to revolutionize the presentation of NFTs, bridge the gap between traditional and digital art, and to provide consumers with a tangible sense of ownership. Authentik Studios has made it their mission to provide solutions for both artists and consumers to allow them to seamlessly interact with the NFT market and harness the technological advantages that NFTs provide. 

                    

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