ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — A race team owner was arrested in Rowan County for allegedly violating sex offender employment rules, investigators said.
Joel Richard Courage was convicted in February 2008 for 11 sex crimes with a minor in California, according to the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry. He is the owner of E33 Motorsports, which is a grassroots racing organization that finds and develops young drivers climbing the NASCAR ladder. The Mooresville-based team has fielded late model entries for numerous drivers, including some who are still minors. The team's website claims it has helped develop drivers for Rick Ware Racing, Spire Motorsports, SS Greenlight Racing, Peck Motorsports and Reaume Brothers Racing.
Courage was recently charged with several sex offender registry charges, including failing to register as a sex offender, by the Guilford County Sheriff's Office. During the investigation, deputies learned about Courage's racing operation and discovered he was supervising multiple minors on the team. Rowan County deputies filed warrants against Courage and charged him with sex offender employment violation. The law states it is unlawful for anyone who is a registered sex offender to work at any place where minors are present and the offender's responsibilities would include "instruction, supervision or care of minors." Violation of the law is a felony.
A LinkedIn page for Courage shows he was also the senior manager of Rick Ware Racing, which owns teams in the NASCAR Cup Series, from June 2020 to October 2022.
Courage was arrested on Aug. 24 and he posted a $25,000 bond. He is indefinitely suspended by NASCAR.
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