Brehanna Daniels Is Proud of NASCAR’s Growth
Brehanna Daniels is NASCAR’s first Black female tire changer, and she is proud of the brand’s dedication to diversity and inclusion.
“I love to see the growth, and I’m really super, super proud of NASCAR. They’ve definitely come a long way. Still coming a long way from when I first joined,” Daniels expressed in an interview with PEOPLE.
The athlete became involved with NASCAR during her senior year at Norfolk University in 2016. She joined their Drive for Diversity program after being encouraged by Tiffani-Dawn Sykes, an NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) eligibility specialist, to try it out. At the time, Daniels knew little about NASCAR. However, she took advantage of the opportunity.
“You know, God can send you as the messenger sometimes. Maybe God was like, you need to tell this young lady that these NASCAR people are going to be at the school. I think it was one of those things,” the athlete reflected on Sykes’ advice.
A true trailblazer @Mindless_BMD, Brehanna Daniels first African American Female member of a #NASCAR Pit Crew. Wishing this awesome lady all the best as she breaks down and jumps over walls in a male dominated industry. Honored to meet you Bre! @NASCARDiversity pic.twitter.com/HjCslQtf9b
— Greg Coleman (@gregcoleman8) February 18, 2019
During tryouts, Daniels was the only girl, and she found working as a pit crew member reminded her of an NBA or NFL combine. She was also being trained for professional basketball, and those skills aided her performance at NASCAR. However, despite her qualifications, Daniels was still determining if NASCAR was the right choice for her.
“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,” she talked about her dilemma. “Then I was thinking, why would I want to join a sport where there’s nobody out there that looks like me?”
Daniels later discovered that she would be the first Black woman on a NASCAR pit crew and decided that the opportunity was not just for her but for other Black girls who wanted to join the sport. She explained, “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. Let me be that example. Let me go out there. Show the guys how it’s done.”
Since joining NASCAR, Daniels has been recognized as a crew member of the year at the 2020 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Award Ceremony and has released an e-book titled “How To Become A NASCAR Pit Crew Member.”
The 30-year-old has also dedicated herself to empowering others by being a role model. She expressed, “I feel like it takes somebody like me to be in the position for other people too that look like me. Other women just in general, to be like, ‘Hey, there’s a woman out there doing it. I can do that as well. All it takes is that one example.’”
You can learn more about NASCAR’s mission for diversity here.
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