The history of NASCAR has been sprinkled with several iconic female drivers such as Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick. Gender balance is only growing more fair with time as opportunities and facilities become more available to everyone. In 2024, five female drivers from the lower rungs of racing are making use of this historic transition to reach the Cup Series someday. Here’s a brief look at them.
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5. Mandy Chick – This 22-year-old from De Soto, Kansas, drives part-time in the ARCA Menards Series for Team Chick Motorsports, an outfit owned by her family. Her first top-five finish came in 2023 at Daytona and that fifth-place finish remains her best so far. She is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Engineering Management.
Quite the schedule to have alongside a racing career. “My goal has always been to make it to the NASCAR Cup series, and that has never changed,” she told kickinthetires.net last year.
4. Logan Misuraca – At 25 years of age, Misuraca is a Pro Late Model Champion (2020) and a part-time driver in the ARCA Menards Series. She has a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Central Florida. Currently residing in Nashville, she has her dreams tied to being a Cup Series driver someday. Her best finish of seventh place came in the ARCA Series East at the New Smyrna Speedway last year.
3. Amber Balcaen – She is the only Canadian woman to win a race in NASCAR. Her achievement came back in 2016 when she drove in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. She currently races full-time for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Menards Series. Balcaen is a woman with no plan other than to race as long as her body and mind will allow her to.
She says about her love for the sport, “I just wanted to race cars. It’s what brings me so much happiness, and disappointment. Nothing fills me emotionally as racing does. I’m addicted to it.” She’d be quite the personality to have in the premier tier.
2. Natalie Decker – Decker participates part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for DGM Racing. Her husband, Derek Lemke, is a driver in the Craftsman Truck Series. Her result in the sport thus far is a fifth-place finish that came in Daytona back in 2020 when she drove trucks for Niece Motorsports. She announced last month that she is expecting her first baby.
She is one of the most popular racing figures on social media and is known for promoting the products of her sponsor, Bikini Zone.
1. Toni Breidinger – Breidinger is the first Arab-American woman to drive in NASCAR. She has won 19 races in USAC en route to her transition from midgets to stock cars. She competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series for Venturini Motorsports and part-time in the Craftsman Truck Series for Tricon Garage.
With 25 top 10 finishes in NASCAR, she holds the record for the most by a female driver. Briedinger is also hugely popular on social media and is a Victoria’s Secret model.
