A barrier-breaking racecar driver, Dystany Spurlock will have a paint scheme this week that points to a unique partnership and leans into women’s sports.
In Friday’s race in the ARCA Menards Series at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Spurlock — the first Black woman to drive in NASCAR or the lower-level ARCA Series — will drive the No. 66 Toyota from MBM Motorsports and Garage 66 with the logo of the “She Pivots” podcast splashed on the hood.
The “She Pivots” media brand was founded by Emily Tisch Sussman, who is part of the New York Giants ownership group and is a co-owner of the NWSL’s Gotham FC. This will be Tisch Sussman’s first venture in motorsports.
“I’m so excited to put this partnership on track and demonstrate what’s truly possible when women show up for each other,” Spurlock said in a statement. “She Pivots is all about empowerment and creating opportunities for women. Now it’s our turn to carry that message in Indianapolis.”
A 34-year-old from Richmond, Virginia, Spurlock 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 — just the second Black woman to compete in that class.
Spurlock — a former high school football player who previously had a job driving 18-wheelers to support her aspirations in motorsports — got her chance to prove herself in stockcar racing this year. She’s finished inside the top 15 of six ARCA races she’s competed in this season with a best-finish of seventh-place at Hickory Motor Speedway. Spurlock then became the first Black woman to drive in a NASCAR race when she finished 36th at the Craftsman Truck Series race at Dover.
Tisch Sussman will be at the track on Friday to see her brand on the car and to support Spurlock. The two were introduced to each other by film producer Crystal McCrary, who is producing a long-form docuseries about Spurlock’s journey in ARCA and NASCAR through a partnership with Foxxtecca — the experimental media company that has supported Spurlock in motorsports this season.
Friday’s 150-lap race in the ARCA Series, the LIUNA 150, will air live at 5 p.m. ET on FS1. Brent Crews, who drives in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for Joe Gibbs Racing, won last season’s ARCA race at IRP.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Co-owner of New York Giants, Gotham FC sponsors racecar for Dystany Spurlock
