Brehanna Daniels breaks barriers and promotes diversity in NASCAR

ROWAN COUNTY, NC (WBTV) – From Rowan-Cabarrus Community College: Brehanna Daniels is no stranger to flashy, super-fast vehicles, but she’s usually on the ground with a wrench in hand to make sure they keep up to date. The NASCAR tire mechanic took herself a day in the driver’s seat at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College for an expert instruction on how to drive the new Can-Am three-wheeled motorcycle she will be using as the brand’s ambassador.

As the first black tire mechanic in NASCAR history, Daniels was an integral part of the national media, appearing on Good Morning America, The Today Show and in People magazine, and as the subject of a flattering section on “Ellen,” where the talk show host expressed an interest in meeting her.

When she accepted an invitation from the vehicle manufacturer Can-Am, Daniels went to the experts at Rowan-Cabarrus to teach her how to drive her vehicle correctly. The college has partnered with Can-Am On-Road to run driver training courses for its 3-wheeled vehicles. Students receive significant discounts on courses sponsored by the North Carolina Motorcycle Safety Foundation, enjoy training on new Can-Am On-Road vehicles, and can forego the DMV road test after completing the course.

“We were very pleased to welcome Brehanna Daniels to our campus for her apprenticeship. Our partnership with Can-Am On-Road has many benefits for students who want specialized training to become safe drivers and, as with any vehicle, there is no substitute for learning the right techniques from the start, ”said Dr . Carol S. Spalding, President of Rowan-Cabarrus. N-ROAD VEHICLE WILL BE PROVIDED FOR THE DURATION OF THE COURSE AT In the parking lot of the Rowan-Cabarrus South Campus, Daniels pulled on her helmet and gloves and hopped aboard a shiny, gold 2020 Can-Am Spyder F3 Limited. “I look forward to driving this bad boy everywhere, using it in everyday life and inviting more people to become part of the Can-Am on-road community and raise awareness of their beautiful vehicles,” she said.

Although Daniels currently lives in Charlotte and works as a tire fitter on the NASCAR Cup series for Rick Ware Racing and the Xfinity series for Mike Harmon Racing, she was and had a college grad five years ago trying to figure out her future no knowledge of NASCAR.

“I played basketball for Norfolk State University in Virginia and was in the middle of training to prepare for trial sessions to play professionally,” she recalls. “I didn’t know anything about NASCAR. I ran into this on TV for maybe 10 seconds while looking for a soccer or basketball game and I thought, “People really like going in circles for a living?” “

Both her futures and attitudes toward sport changed when the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program hosted a scouting event on the Norfolk State campus and Daniels was encouraged to attend.

“I was the only woman who tried it and I did a really good job and got invited back to the National Combine. I was one of 10 people selected to train as a professional pit crew member, ”she said. “It still feels so arbitrary to go from not knowing about NASCAR to being part of it.”

When she put down the basketball and picked up the impact wrench that was to become her “bread and butter”, Daniels realized how well her athletic training had prepared her for the transition.

“I am sitting behind an exercise bike and think: ‘How should I learn that?’ There are five wheel nuts and it’s my job to put them on and off in a second. During the workout, my hands were so sore that I had to put them in a sink full of ice every night, ”she said. “But it was worth it and being point guard was great preparation. You need to be patient, balanced, and use a fast hand speed. All of this came in handy because I always have to do this job right. I can’t let a tire roll down the pit lane. “

Daniels broke barriers in the historically white, male-dominated NASCAR community, including becoming the first Black woman to pit crew for the Daytona 500 in 2019 in a more inclusive environment.

“It’s definitely worth breaking through barriers. I love knowing that little girls and boys who look like me want to be part of the sport now, ”she said. “Parents send me videos and say, ‘My daughter wants to be like you.’ I didn’t want to be part of NASCAR, but now it’s my role. “

Daniels makes a name for himself through determination and hard work. “Of course I felt the weight of it. But people saw me on the track and said, ‘Yeah, she’s doing it for real!’ She said. “I am a black woman who does her job. Nothing was given to me. I deserve everything I have. I’ll just keep working as hard as possible and try to be an inspiration. “

For more information on Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, visit www.rccc.edu or call 704-216-RCCC (7222).

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