Print
Email
The Huffington Post's Jordan Schultz has profiled the woman who just might become the first African-American female NASCAR driver. Tia Norfleet, the 24-year-old daughter of a professional racer (Bobby Norfleet), has her sights set on breaking barriers in the predominantly white, male sort.
Female drivers are rare on the NASCAR circuit, and black women are unheard of.
Norfleet has made it her goal to change that. While she hasn't yet qualified for the longer-distance tacks such as Dayton and Talladega, she has been successful at drag racing and on the shorter tracks circuit known as the NASCAR late models, where she recorded two top-15 finishes.
"Around the age of 14 is when I really, really knew that this was what I wanted to do for a living; this was my passion," she told Schultz.
"My finest memory of my racing experience would be when I was about 5. I had a little Corvette car, and my dad put two car batteries in it. I literally drove that car until the wheels fell off. Ever since then, I've just been so enthused about racing, [or] any kind of motor sport."
Tia's father, Bobby, was a fairly prominent driver throughout the '90s and is credited with helping the sport gain popularity in the black community. She seems to be picking up where he left off.
Because of the demographics of NASCAR drivers and fans, references to the sport have long been used as shorthand for "white, male, working-class Americans." Something tells us that stereotype just might turn around soon, and if it does, Norfleet could be the one behind the wheel.
Read more at the Huffington Post [12].
In other news: Herman Cain Officially Enters Presidential Race. [13]
Like The Root [14]on Facebook [14]. Follow us on Twitter [15].
Comments