NASCAR’s first African-American female tire changer’s inspirational message

Last NASCAR season, Brehanna Daniels made history when she became the first African-American woman to pit a car in one of the sport’s national series races.

Daniels – who went from a college basketball player at Norfolk State to a tire changer – is back this season and working on the No. 55 Toyota team in the second-tier XFINITY Series. Her most recent race was Saturday’s Rinnai 250.

Had a nice time in Atlanta today. I changed tires on the 55 car again for the xfinity race. #Race3??? pic.twitter.com/pYkR3CorR6

— Brehanna Daniels (@Mindless_BMD) February 25, 2018

Tuesday, Daniels was on ESPN’s Outside The Lines, and she explained how she’s hoping to change the sport and what message she would share with anyone who might be hesitant about pursuing a career in NASCAR.

Brehanna Daniels is making @NASCAR history. pic.twitter.com/hihi10TlrH

— Outside The Lines (@OTLonESPN) February 27, 2018

Sharing a popular mentality in the sports world, Daniels said:

“I would just tell everyone out there to just follow your heart. I know, you know, just thinking about – me coming into NASCAR, I had my thoughts, you know, like of what people might think of me or I might not be accepted. But you just have to overcome those thoughts and those feelings and just do what’s in your heart and just trust the process.”

Like several others in NASCAR, Daniels worked with the sport’s Drive for Diversity program, which encourages women and minorities to get involved.

Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. – the first full-time African-American driver in the Cup Series in almost five decades – Mexico native Daniel Suárez and Japanese-American driver Kyle Larson are among the …

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