Meet the 3 Women Making History in NASCAR's Daytona 500 Race (2025)

While the Daytona 500 Race is a historic event within the world of NASCAR, these three women are making history on their own terms.

Brehanna Daniels, Breanna O'Leary and Dalanda Ouendeno are all graduates of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, an initiative by the organization to create diverse and inclusive pit crew teams. With the help of this program, Daniels, 27, became the first Black woman to be a NASCAR tire changer.

Both O'Leary, 27, and Daniels became the first female pit crew members to go over the wall for the same team in a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2018, and in February that same year, the two became the first female NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduates to pit in the Daytona 500. This Sunday, Ouendeno will join them as the first foreign-born graduate of the program to pit the Daytona 500.

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"Making history, it means a lot, and I feel like God couldn't have picked anybody else better to do the job," Daniels tells PEOPLE. "It takes a strong person to be in the position that I'm in to make change. And definitely all the other women that looked like me."

Daniels, similar to both O'Leary and Ouendeno, was a collegiate athlete, serving as a point guard on Norfolk State University Women's Basketball team. She was flagged down by a staff member at her school's athletic department to try out for the Drive for Diversity program.

"She was like, 'Hey you know, the NASCAR pit crew has come to the school to host a trial on Wednesday'," says Daniels. "I looked at her like, 'Girl, I don't even watch NASCAR.'"

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Ouendeno, 23, was also far removed from the American racing world — she was born in France and didn't speak English until arriving in the U.S. She was a defender on the University of Miami's soccer team and then played for a top division French soccer team, Paris St. German, from 2009 to 2015. She later became a graduate of the 2019-20 NASCAR Drive for Diversity program and pitted her first NASCAR national series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2020.

Meet the 3 Women Making History in NASCAR's Daytona 500 Race (2)

O'Leary, a previous softball player at Alcorn State University, also never imagined herself as a pit crew member for NASCAR, but she has been a tire changer for the organization for five years now. She says the best part of the experience has been making a difference for young women and girls.

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"When I came into this, it was just me pursuing this opportunity," O'Leary tells PEOPLE. "I didn't even know that I could be making such an impact until people would bring it to light, and they would come up to me and be like, 'I can tell my granddaughter, you can do this too.'"

Meet the 3 Women Making History in NASCAR's Daytona 500 Race (3)

NASCAR has made attempts to create a more inclusive community by creating the program and banning the Confederate flag from any of their events. Meanwhile, O'Leary and Daniels — who are friends, former roommates and some of the only female pit crew members in the organization — say they're brushing off any hate that comes their way.

"I really don't listen to what the naysayers have to say," says Daniels. "It just gives me [the] motivation to do more of what I'm already doing. Everybody's not happy that I'm in the position that I'm in ... but I'm optimistic about things. I don't really change for anyone."

With the anticipation of the 2021 Daytona 500 this Sunday, the three are focused after preparing all season for each racing event that comes their way. Daniels and Ouendeno will pit for the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing team, while O'Leary will pit for Chip Ganassi Racing.

O'Leary hopes that racing will continue to make strides to become a sport that's welcoming to all.

"I think that just bringing diversity to the sport, that's how everybody gets better," says O'Leary. "That's how things are able to grow, because somebody might come from somewhere and teach me something I didn't know. So I think it should be welcome to everybody and everybody who wants to do it should work hard and can do it."

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Meet the 3 Women Making History in NASCAR's Daytona 500 Race (2025)

FAQs

Meet the 3 Women Making History in NASCAR's Daytona 500 Race? ›

Brehanna Daniels, Breanna O'Leary and Dalanda Ouendeno are all graduates of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, an initiative by the organization to create diverse and inclusive pit crew teams. With the help of this program, Daniels, 27, became the first Black woman to be a NASCAR tire changer.

Has a woman ever raced in the Daytona 500? ›

Janet Guthrie is the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. Originally an aerospace engineer, Guthrie began racing in 1963 but came into the NASCAR world in 1976.

Who are the women in the NASCAR Hall of Fame? ›

Guthrie becomes just the third woman to be inducted into NASCAR's Hall of Fame, joining Anne B. France, the wife of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., as a Landmark Award winner.

Who was the first woman to qualify for the Daytona 500? ›

Janet Guthrie (born March 7, 1938) is an American former racing driver. She is the first female to qualify and race in either the Indianapolis 500, or the Daytona 500, both of which she competed in during 1977. She had first attempted to enter the Indianapolis 500 in 1976 but failed to qualify.

How many girls have raced in NASCAR? ›

At least 134 women have qualified for and started a race in one of NASCAR's touring series, including 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series. As of April 2021, Shawna Robinson, Hailie Deegan, Manami Kobayashi, and Gracie Trotter remain the only women to have won a race in one of NASCAR's touring series.

Who is the most famous female driver in NASCAR? ›

DANICA PATRICK (1982-)

One of the racers inspired by the mark Robinson left on the sport, Danica Patrick, may be the most well-known female NASCAR driver in history. Since her debut season in 2005, Patrick has won many titles, including: 7 Top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Who is the most beautiful female car racer? ›

Lindsay Marie Brewer is an American professional Formula Car racing driver. She competes full-time in the 2023 USF Pro 2000 Championship for Exclusive Autosport.

Which NASCAR driver is married to an African American woman? ›

The NASCAR driver has been married to his wife for just over a year. Find out more you need to know about Bubba Wallace's spouse, Amanda Carter.

Who is the oldest NASCAR driver still living? ›

Well, in the 2022 Cup Series season, the oldest full-time driver is Harvick at 46 years old. However, he's by no means the oldest active NASCAR racer. For that accolade, we must turn to 70-year-old racer Norm Benning.

Is Natalie Decker racing in 2024? ›

Natalie Decker driving for DGM Racing at Charlotte; sponsorship from Bikini Zone. Natalie Decker will attempt to qualify for her second Xfinity Series race of the 2024 season at Charlotte Motor Speedway, driving the No. 92 Chevrolet for DGM Racing.

Who is the new girl in NASCAR? ›

Hailie Deegan competed in her rookie season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2021, driving the No. 1 David Gilliland Racing Ford where she spent two seasons. Currently, she drives the No. 15 Ford for AM Racing.

Who was the youngest driver to win the Daytona 500? ›

On February 20, 2011 Trevor Bayne won the 2011 Daytona 500. Bayne is the youngest driver to win the Daytona 500.

Who is the oldest driver to ever start the Daytona 500? ›

He formerly competed part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 66 Ford Fusion for MBM Motorsports, and part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 13 car for MBM Motorsports. At age 66, Thompson is the oldest driver to compete in the Daytona 500.

Who was the first famous female race car driver? ›

1938 - Janet Guthrie, a pioneering driver, was the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. Guthrie led the way for generations of female racers to follow. Born in Iowa City, Iowa in 1938, Guthrie's family moved to Florida when she was a toddler.

Has a woman ever finished the Indy 500? ›

In 2010, four women (Patrick, Fisher, Ana Beatriz, and Simona de Silvestro) started the race, while a fifth (Milka Duno) failed to qualify. Patrick finished 6th, and de Silvestro received the Rookie of the Year award. Four women also started in 2011, and three of them finished the race.

Who was the first lady of NASCAR? ›

Louise Smith (July 31, 1916, in Barnesville, Georgia – April 15, 2006) was tied for the second woman to race in NASCAR at the top level. She was known as "the first lady of racing." She went as a spectator to her first NASCAR race at the Daytona Beach Road Course in 1949.

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