Although NASCAR has long seen few women on the grid, every so often, a female racer climbs the ranks to make her mark. The trail was blazed by Sara Christian, who lined up for NASCAR’s inaugural race on June 19, 1949, at Charlotte Speedway, and since then the torch has been carried by names like Danica Patrick, Hailie Deegan, and, in the present day, Katherine Legge, Toni Breidinger, and Natalie Decker, who continue to go wheel-to-wheel with their male counterparts.
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Besides that, father-son pairings such as Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have often shared the track, but a mother-daughter duo was unheard of in NASCAR, given the scarcity of female drivers. But that changed when Sarah Burgess and her daughter Bridget made history by competing together in the ARCA Menards Series West.
In October 2022, the duo squared off in the Star Nursery 150 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring, marking the first time a mother and daughter raced in the same NASCAR or ARCA touring series event. Sarah crossed the line in 17th, while Bridget finished ahead in 12th.
Bridget contested full-time in the ARCA Menards Series West for two seasons, finishing ninth in 2021 and seventh in 2022 for BMI Racing, while Sarah’s NASCAR résumé consisted of just a single start. Bridget’s career-best finishes came in 2020 at Las Vegas and in 2022 at Portland, placing seventh on both occasions.
Their journey began in 2008, when Sarah and her husband, Adam, relocated from Australia to the Los Angeles area with six-year-old Bridget after the Australian government banned drivers under 25 from operating cars with turbos or V8 engines.
Once in the U.S., Sarah raced drift and off-road cars, and she and Bridget even went head-to-head in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series after Bridget’s debut at 15. Eventually, the family decided to pool their resources into Bridget’s stock car career.
Honorable Mention: Sarah Burgess was the first mother to race with her daughter, Bridget Burgess, in @ARCA_Racing competition during the ARCA West race at the @lvmotorspeedway Bullring in 2022. pic.twitter.com/ocHrWSVJju
— Justin Schuoler (@JSchuoler) August 14, 2025
Bridget, now 23, began competing in ARCA in 2019, running two races for other car owners. Through the 2022 season, Sarah was not only listed as her car owner for every event but has also served as Bridget’s crew chief and, at times, her entire pit crew, while Adam typically handled spotting duties.
Sarah admitted in 2022 that the family couldn’t afford to pay Bridget a driver’s salary, as every dollar went toward keeping her in the driver’s seat. Adam did the same, with Sarah’s earnings covering their living expenses.
After the 2022 season, however, Bridget stepped away from NASCAR and has not returned to competition since.
