April 9th 2024.
As the first Black woman pit crew member in NASCAR, Brehanna Daniels is filled with pride as she sees the organization making strides towards greater diversity. While she acknowledges that the sport is still primarily made up of white men, she is impressed with the steps that have been taken towards inclusion for people of different genders and races. In an interview with People, the 30-year-old expressed her admiration for NASCAR's progress, saying, "I love to see the growth, and I'm really proud of NASCAR. They have come a long way, and they are still making progress since I first joined."
Daniels, who was recruited through NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program at her alma mater, Norfolk University, has been a part of the organization since 2016. In 2017, she made history as the first Black woman over-the-wall tire changer in NASCAR's history, and by the end of that year, she became one half of the first female duo in a NASCAR pit crew. Looking back on her journey, Daniels admits that she had little knowledge of NASCAR before joining the sport. "I didn't even watch it," she revealed. "It was so bad that I didn't even know a pit crew existed."
Despite her initial lack of familiarity with NASCAR, Daniels was drawn to the opportunity to make history in the sport. She shared, "Before I got into the sport, I was a little nervous because, obviously, anyone who hears about NASCAR or heard about it back then, all you think of is Caucasian males...Then I was thinking, why would I want to join a sport where there's nobody out there that looks like me?" However, her concerns were eased when she learned that she would be breaking barriers in her role. "Once I found out that I was going to be the first Black woman, I thought, wait, at this point, it's much bigger than me," she recalled.
One of Daniels' driving motivations in joining NASCAR was to serve as an example for young Black girls and other women who aspire to work in the professional world of car racing. She even released an e-book titled How to Become a NASCAR Pit Crew Member, as part of her efforts to promote representation and encourage others to pursue the sport. Daniels hopes that her achievements will inspire others to follow their dreams and break barriers in their own fields.
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