by Stacy Jackson
April 9, 2024
Daniels says the diversity among the NASCAR pit members is clear and being the first Black woman was an opportunity much bigger than herself.
Brehanna Daniels, NASCAR’s first Black woman pit crew member, is brimming with pride over the organization’s efforts to foster greater diversity.
Although Daniels acknowledges that NASCAR is comprised of predominantly white men, she is impressed with the progress the sport has made in terms of gender and racial inclusion. “I love to see the growth, and I’m really super, super proud of NASCAR,” the 30-year-old told People. “They’ve definitely come a long way. Still coming a long way from when I first joined.”
According to the NASCAR hire, there’s an obvious shift in diversity within the pit crew.
Daniels’ journey with NASCAR commenced in 2016 when the organization’s Drive for Diversity program recruited at her alma mater, Norfolk University. BLACK ENTERPRISE covered her historic accomplishment when she became the first Black woman over-the-wall tire changer in NASCAR’s annals in 2017 and achieved another milestone by the end of that year, becoming part of the inaugural female duo in a NASCAR pit crew.
Reflecting on her initial lack of NASCAR knowledge with People, the former basketball point guard shared, “I did not even watch it. It was so bad that I didn’t even know a pit crew existed.” Daniels admitted her concern. “Before I got into the sport, I was a little nervous because, obviously, anybody that hears NASCAR or heard NASCAR 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 skepticism to join an organization she knew nothing about eased after learning she would be making history in the role. “Once I found out that I was going to be the first Black woman, I’m like, wait. At this point, it’s much bigger than me,” she said.
Daniels was driven by a desire to “be that example” for little Black girls and other women who aspire to join the professional world of car racing. She released her e-book, How to Become a NASCAR Pit Crew Member, as part of her efforts to boost representation and encourage others to pursue the sport.
