Dystany Spurlock just made NASCAR history; Black women are finally getting their moment on the track
ROCKINGHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - APRIL 04: Dystany Spurlock, driver of the #66 Foxxtecca Chevrolet, prepares for the Rockingham ARCA Menards East 125 at Rockingham Speedway on April 04, 2026 in Rockingham, North Carolina. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) Photo by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images The Virginia racer became the first Black woman to compete in NASCAR’s national series this week, adding another historic chapter to the growing legacy of Black women breaking barriers in motorsports. When Dystany Spurlock climbed behind the wheel at Watkins Glen this week, she wasn’t just racing for herself.
She was driving straight into history. The 34-year-old Richmond, Virginia native officially became the first Black woman to compete in one of NASCAR’s top three national series after making her NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut on May 8 at Watkins Glen International. For longtime racing fans, especially Black women who have spent decades watching motorsports from the sidelines with little representation, the moment landed bigger than a single race weekend.
Spurlock’s path to NASCAR wasn’t traditional, EURweb reported . Before stock cars, she built her name on two wheels. The professional motorcycle drag racer started racing at 17 and quickly earned respect for her speed and technical precision.
She later competed in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle competition, a space where Black women have historically been almost nonexistent. In 2024, she set a Real Street Bike world record with a blistering 7. 32 elapsed time at 178 mph, while also becoming the first woman to win the DME Racing Real Street class in the XDA Series.
Now, she’s taking that same fearlessness into stock car racing. According to reporting from the Black sports outlet “Andscape,” Spurlock’s historic NASCAR debut came after an already groundbreaking 2026 season that included becoming the first Black woman to compete in both the ARCA Menards Series East and a national ARCA Menards Series race. And she didn’t just show up.
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