Dystany Spurlock made history as the first Black woman to race in NASCAR. She grew up in Richmond, Virginia and lived just two miles from Richmond International Raceway.
Ever since she was 6 years old, she always loved watching NASCAR on TV. Her grandfather, Robert Spurlock, first introduced her to it and he would open up the windows and doors so she could hear it.
Destiny's parents, Lloyd and Robin Smith, inspired her to ride motorcycles at an early age. When Spurlock turned 16, her mother bought her a Suzuki GSX-R 750 as her first motorcycle.
In March 2026, Spurlock competed in the ARCA Menards Series East and finished 7th in her very first race at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Then on April 18, 2026, in the final laps of the Tide 150 at Kansas Speedway, she was hit from behind but made an incredible save and finished 10th.
Fellow driver Bobby Earnhardt, who is the grandson of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, walked up to Spurlock after the race at Kansas Speedway and told her, "Girl, I saw that scene, you definitely made a believer out of me," according to USA Today Sports.
In an exclusive interview with Stay Inspired, Spurlock said, "These are the things that I dreamed about as a little girl. So to really be there in that space felt amazing."
But before all of this, Spurlock worked as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines and drove 18-wheelers for 9 years. She made a bold leap when she quit her trucking job and moved from Virginia to North Carolina to pursue her dream full-time.
Chris Harris, who co-founded the Detroit-based media company Foxxtecca with Kellie Crawford, has been developing Spurlock’s career since 2021. They produced a docuseries called "Driven by Dystany: The Road to NASCAR." It documents her journey and the team she built along the way who truly believes in her.
Spurlock trains with veteran NASCAR performance coach Phillip G. Horton, known as Coach Phil, of ATC Racing Development.
Coach Phil put Harris in touch with former NASCAR driver and MBM Motorsports owner Carl Long, who gave Spurlock a life-changing opportunity. And today, she drives the Nos. 66 and 69 Foxxtecca entries for MBM Motorsports and Garage 66.
When asked what advice she would give to others who feel like they don't have what it takes to succeed, Spurlock told Stay Inspired, "Believe in yourself. Because if you don't believe in yourself, you're not going to be able to achieve the goals that you want. You have to block out all the naysayers. I call them dream killers… Dig deep in yourself and know what you’re capable of doing."
The same kid who dreamed of one day becoming a NASCAR driver is now inspiring boys and girls everywhere to chase their dreams.
