Brehanna Daniels Is Changing the Game in NASCAR
Boardroom spoke with Brehanna Daniels, the first Black woman tire changer in NASCAR, about how she got into the sport and the challenges she’s overcome.
Daniels had never watched a race before college. “I would just stop and be like, dang, people enjoy driving in circles for a living,” she laughed.
While playing basketball at Norfolk State, someone suggested she try out for a NASCAR pit crew through the Drive for Diversity program. She had no clue what a pit stop looked like. “I have no idea what they just did, but it was quick,” she said after watching a video.
At the tryout, she was the only woman. “Somebody told me during that trial, ‘you know, they say women don’t make it like that,’ and I was like, ‘What are you telling me that for?’ I don’t care what they said.”
That mindset pushed her forward. In 2017, she made history as the first Black woman to go over the wall at a national race. Later that year, she worked at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in Daytona, making her the first Black woman on a NASCAR Cup Series pit crew.
Daniels also launched a clothing line to reflect her journey. “I just dropped a black and blue jersey with ‘Trailblazer’ on the front and a 757 on both sleeves, representing my hometown in Virginia. On the back, it says ‘She Did That.’”
She uses her platform to speak up for diversity and inspire others. “I feel like other women are like, ‘We need to let everybody know that it’s not just the guys doing it.’ If nobody else showcases you, you gotta showcase yourself.”
Looking ahead, Daniels wants to keep opening doors. “I want to continue to push the envelope and show that anyone, regardless of gender or background, can thrive in this space.”
