Virginia Beach native Brehanna Daniels continues trailblazing ways in NASCAR
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (BVM) — Virginia Beach native Brehanna Daniels always knew she was destined for stardom. When she was younger, Brehanna and her mother would talk about how the little girl would become known around the world and how she would see her name up in lights.
“Growing up, literally every day in my student planner I would write I’m a celebrity every single day,” Daniels said. “My mom always told me, ‘Brehanna you’re going to be somebody very, very special in the world someday.’”
Growing up, Daniels loved a sport, but it’s not the one she is currently known for. Daniels was in love with basketball and would play throughout her four years at Salem High School. During her final two seasons with the SunDevils, Daniels would earn team MVP honors each season.
“Definitely a lot of memories come from that school,” Daniels said.
Following her career at Salem, Daniels was faced with a decision — to run track or play basketball. Though she loved both sports immensely, Daniels would choose basketball.
“I actually had to pick one sport and even though I loved track, I realized I loved basketball more,” Daniels said. “It broke my track coach’s heart.”
After losing her mother to breast cancer during her freshman year, Daniels was limited in where she could go to college due to her early high school grades. That’s how she found herself in Nebraska attending McCook Community College because she wanted to make the jump to Division I soon after.
“I was like I’m not going to settle for less. I’m going to take the JUCO route. Take a leap of faith,” Daniels said.
At McCook, she averaged 4.4 points and 1.2 rebounds, however Daniels would only attend the college as a freshman, transferring to Louisburg College in North Carolina for her next season following a falling out with the coaching staff at McCook. The move was a good one for Daniels as she would become one of the clear leaders for the Lady Canes, averaging 10.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists and helping Louisburg win its conference championship, the Region 10 title and advance to the NJCAA Division II national tournament.
“Once regionals started, I started putting the team on my back,” Daniels said. “That national tournament alone drew a lot of attention to me.”
Daniels would then make the jump to the Division I ranks back in her home state when she joined the Norfolk State Spartans as a junior. Though happy to be at home, Daniels was still surprised how long of a path it took for her to get there.
“I was like that’s crazy how you all didn’t start recruiting me until I was far from home. I’m from the 757,” Daniels said. “There’s so much talent in 757, I was like, ‘Guys I’m from there, it took me going to Nebraska for you all to notice me?’”
Though she showed out well in the limited action she would get, it was a slog for the young guard.
“I really had a tough time at Norfolk State,” Daniels said. “The coaches I had at the time played favorites so even though everybody knew I was one of the best players, they still had me riding the bench.”
However, Daniels’ extra work in the gym, where she would spend hours putting up shots until getting kicked out by janitors, would be beneficial. One of the men’s team coaches, Coach Vickers, would notice the effort she gave. When the school made a move to change coaches, the new head coach would be Vickers, the one who encouraged Daniels.
“Once Coach Vickers became the head coach, I became his go-to player and he started me,” Daniels said. “He actually believed in me and even just having someone believe in you can make you play to the best of your abilities.”
Over her final two years in college basketball, Daniels would play in 47 games starting eight while averaging 3.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists.
It was during her time at Norfolk State that Daniels would discover her new passion. Daniels was told by a member of the Norfolk State athletics department that NASCAR was coming to campus for pit crew tryouts and the staffer recommended she try out. For Daniels, NASCAR was not a sport that appealed to her as she didn’t grow up watching the sport and didn’t go out of her way to find it on her own.
“The only time I came across NASCAR was when I was looking for a basketball game or football game to watch,” Daniels said. “I’m changing the channels and I see the cars going around and I’m like people really like driving in circles for a living? I don’t see why people like this. Next.”
However, the ever-competitive athlete decided to give the pits a try. With that decision, Daniels would be put on a path that would change her life and NASCAR forever. As the only girl at the NSU tryout, Daniels was under pressure, but she didn’t notice any.
“I was like, ‘Cool, no big deal,’” Daniels said. “I’ve been on teams growing up where I was the only girl and the rest are guys so no big deal.”
Daniels would be one of the best in the entire nation during the tryout circuit, being one of just 24 to be invited to Charlotte to try out for a spot on a professional team. However, Daniels would face adversity again in the eyes of many who thought the females there, six in total, would be surefire cuts. Daniels was undeterred.
“[During tryouts] one of the guys went up to me and told me they said the girls don’t make it,” Daniels said. “I was looking at him like why would you even tell me about that? You know I don’t care about that. I’m going to perform the way I perform and I’m going to work hard.”
Daniels performance would be enough as she would become one of just 10 chosen from around the country to join the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Crew Member Development Program in 2016. The moment was an emotional one for Daniels.
“I just started crying because it’s just so rewarding knowing that your hard work pays off,” Daniels said. “I know how to work hard, that’s all I know what to do. So that was definitely good news.”
After months of training, Daniels would pit her first race and, in doing so, make NASCAR history becoming the first Black woman to work on the pit crew for a NASCAR race in 2017.
“I’ve always overcome obstacles growing up throughout my entire life,” Daniels said. “I don’t think God could’ve put another person in this position to handle that. It means a lot. I think I represent my own well. Especially all those little Black boys and Black girls that look up to me and give them some inspiration to chase their dreams. … I’m just glad to be paving the way for others.”
The first two women ever in the WORLD to pit the Daytona 500 race! 🙏🏾🏁 pic.twitter.com/BFP8ArzEA9
— Brehanna Daniels (@Mindless_BMD) January 15, 2021
In February 2019, she would again make history becoming the first female African-American to woman to serve in the pit for the Daytona 500 and she and fellow crew member Breanna O’Leary would also become the first women crew to pit a car in the Daytona 500 working on Cody Ware’s Chevrolet.
“It’s a rewarding experience just having people be able to see us and they’re wanting to join the sport now. Girl power!” Daniels said. “I feel like women don’t get enough credit and women should be getting praised as much as guys are. We can definitely do as much as men can do. Definitely.”
With all of her historic accomplishments, it is no surprise that Daniels has become an inspiration to many young NASCAR fans. With her empowering and inspiring story, Daniels wants to continue to keep adding to the diversity of NASCAR.
“I would like to see more Black people in NASCAR,” Daniels said. “More Black people in the garage. More Black people being crew chiefs. Drivers. … NASCAR has been making great strides so I’m very, very proud of the sport.”
In October, Daniels would earn validation of her skills and her achievements when she received the crew member award as part of the 13th annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards.
“I feel like everything that I’ve been going through in life has prepared me for where I am now,” Daniels said. “It took those tough times to get me where I am today so I wouldn’t honestly want it any other way. Everything that is meant to be happens the way it does.”
While it may not be how she anticipated getting to the big stage, Daniels is continuing to change the world, by changing tires. With plenty of room for increased diversity in NASCAR, Daniels’ story serves as one that will continue to inspire as the years go on.
HUGE thank you to everyone who helped made this possible. The drivers seem to get all the shine, but they don’t get it done alone. They have their pit crew. I’ve been trying to change that ever since I joined the sport. It means so much to receive the NASCAR crew member award🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/eumxhVXuz8
— Brehanna Daniels (@Mindless_BMD) October 9, 2020
