Some history will be made this weekend when NASCAR arrives in Dover, Delaware.
And not just because NASCAR is bringing its All-Star Race for the Cup Series to the Monster Mile for the first time.
Three women will compete in the Truck Series competition — the ECOSAVE 200 — on Friday. Dystany Spurlock, Natalie Decker and Toni Breidinger will all race in the event, which begins at 5 p.m. ET on FS1. And it’s noteworthy for a few reasons.
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Spurlock will become the first Black woman to race in one of NASCAR’s top three touring series when she takes the track at Dover. She brushed with that historic achievement last weekend, but failed to qualify for the truck race at Watkins Glen, despite being faster than Decker and Stephen Mallozzi, who made the field because of owner points.
“We didn’t achieve the result we were hoping for, but that’s part of racing,” Spurlock said after Watkins Glen. “The journey continues, and I’ll keep learning, growing, and putting in the work, both on and off the track, that’s required to compete at the highest level and succeed in this sport.”
Spurlock and Breidinger are both guaranteed spots to start the race this weekend because there are only 36 trucks entering the race, which is the maximum grid size. While six women entered various races at Daytona earlier this year, the ECOSAVE 200 will mark the first time since 2020 that at least three women have competed in the same race in one of NASCAR’s top three touring series.
Just one woman, Katherine Legge, has raced in the Cup Series since Danica Patrick retired in 2018. Legge will become the first woman to attempt The Double — racing in the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day — later this month.
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Known for its 24-degree banking, all-concrete surface and tight, high-speed racing, Dover can often be a real challenge for drivers. The truck race at the Monster Mile will also feature Cup Series stars like Kyle Busch, Carson Hocevar, Christopher Bell and Ross Chastain.
Here’s what you should know about the three women in the race:
Dystany Spurlock
The 34-year-old from Richmond, Virginia, began her career in motorsports by drag racing motorcycles. In 2024, she made history as the first woman to win the DME Racing Real Street class in the XDA Motorcycle Drag Racing Series with a run at 178 miles per hour. A year later, she debuted in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle. Spurlock — who previously had a job driving 18-wheelers to support her aspirations in motorsports — got her chance to prove herself in stock car racing this year. She’s driven in four competitions in the ARCA Menards Series, notching two top 10 finishes at Kansas and Hickory.
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She’ll drive the No. 69 Ford for MBM Motorsports and Garage 66 on Friday with a sponsorship from Foxxtecca.
Toni Breidinger
The first Arab-American woman to compete in NASCAR, the 26-year-old Breidinger was the lone woman racing in one of NASCAR’s top three national series last year as she drove in the Truck Series, but her rookie season was a bumpy one as her best finish was 18th at Rockingham. This season, Breidinger has switched teams, moving on from Tricon Garage to join Rackley WAR. Before jumping to NASCAR, she notched five top-five finishes in ARCA. Earlier this season, she finished 18th in the truck race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Breidinger will pilot the Coach-sponsored No. 27 Chevrolet for Rackley WAR.
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Natalie Decker
Decker, 28, returned to NASCAR last season after more than a year off. During that time, she gave birth to her son, Levi. The Wisconsin native has driven in three races this season — twice in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and once in trucks — but has failed to finish better than 33rd. Decker does have a history of success in the Truck Series though. In 2020, she placed fifth at Daytona, recording the best finish ever by a woman in a truck race.
With a sponsorship from Nico’s Bagels & Brunch, Decker will race in the No. 22 Ford for Team Reaume.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dystany Spurlock, Natalie Decker, Toni Breidinger race NASCAR Trucks in Dover
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