The racing bug bit Dystany Spurlock at the age of 12, when her godfather showed her a drag racing event. There was a spark, leading her to a drag strip. And, eventually, to the NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle division. And while stock cars had always been on her radar, the path there took years. Multiple opportunities fell through before 2026 finally opened the door for her. But it quickly provided a reality check, too.
Since the Truck Series’ inaugural season in 1995, no Black woman had ever competed in it. Spurlock was supposed to change that at Watkins Glen on May 8. Instead, the weekend handed her two blows in a few hours. But she refuses to let either one define her.
Spurlock told Frontstretch, “It’s totally fine; this is a part of racing. I’m really excited to get out there and get ready for the next race. Overall, I think today was a great day, learned a lot, everyone is going to continue to improve.”
via X (@MBMMotorsports)
The 34-year-old Richmond native came to the 2.45-mile upstate New York road course to attempt a doubleheader: the ARCA Menards Series General Tire 100, followed by a qualifying attempt for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Bully Hill Vineyards 176. What she didn’t have, though, were any prior laps at Watkins Glen and no opportunity to practice on a dry track before the competition began. The task was hence always demanding.
The ARCA race came first and started well. Starting 20th, Spurlock worked her way through, reaching even 14th as she settled into the circuit. Then, around lap 18, contact from another competitor ended everything. The impact damaged an inner axle seal, allowing gear oil to contaminate the hub assembly, while also damaging the rear-right brake line. The team was forced to retire the car, and Spurlock finished 29th.
But the truck qualifying blow was much harsher. Despite showing steady improvement and qualifying faster than several other competitors, NASCAR’s owner points provisionals determined the final starting spots that left the No. 66 team on the outside looking in.
Unlike Formula 1, which has a 107% rule requiring drivers to qualify within 7% of the fastest lap or be excluded, NASCAR has no minimum speed floor. Owner points accumulated over time can guarantee a grid spot regardless of qualifying pace. So, even though Spurlock ran a quicker lap than Natalie Decker (who got the spot), she still didn’t make the race. Her truck was a brand-new team with zero owner points to lean on.
“I’ll just continue to learn,” she said about the qualifying. “It sucks that we couldn’t get into the Truck race due to points; they base it upon points. At times they’re obviously getting better every lap, but it’s okay.”
And on the ARCA retirement, she was equally measured: “ARCA, we had a mechanical failure for our right rear hub seal, so that sucks. Again, out of my control, but it’s totally fine; this is a part of racing.”
Her composure, though, is not surprising. She’s a track-tested athlete who, at Kansas Speedway in her national ARCA debut just weeks earlier, was bumped in the closing laps, sending her car sideways. Spurlock quickly recovered, drew widespread praise for her control, and earned the Reese’s Sweet Move of the Race on her way to a 10th-place finish. Before that came a 7th at Hickory in her ARCA East debut and a 12th at Rockingham.
Her sponsor’s co-founder, Kellie Crawford of Foxxtecca, put the Watkins Glen weekend in the same frame: “Today was a day of highs and lows, but no losses. There are things that are completely out of your control — that’s racing. We are extremely proud of Dystany. She has improved every lap and every race, and she will continue to do so. This is a marathon, not a sprint. She’s in it for the long haul, and so are we. Onward and upward.”
Dystany Spurlock’s story is being documented
Dystany Spurlock’s next stop is the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway on June 5. It’s a 2-mile high-banked superspeedway and will be an entirely different challenge from the road course she just navigated. After that, there are plans for Pocono, though nothing is confirmed yet, with her schedule remaining tied to sponsorship. Still, more Truck Series attempts are planned for later in the year.
And none of this is ‘just’ happening. Spurlock’s 2026 season is being documented in Driven by Dystany: The Road to NASCAR, a Foxxtecca-produced docuseries.
Foxxtecca co-founder Chris Harris said: “From the first time we connected with Dystany six years ago, we knew she was something special. What she is doing extends far beyond motorsports; she is opening doors that will never close again.”
So, even though she couldn’t make history at Watkins Glen, she is sure to inspire women to enter a sport that has a frustrating lack of women drivers.
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