Born in 1986, Shauntia Latrice “Tia” Norfleet’s interest in racing is said to have been sparked at age 7 when her father, NASCAR driver Bobby Norfleet, doubled the battery power on her Hot Wheels Barbie car, increasing its speed.
Tia Norfleet went on to compete in kart racing events, drag racing, and Bandolero car racing competitions, then moved up to late model stock cars in 2004.
Tia Norfleet is the first and only African-American woman to hold a NASCAR license.
She is also the first black woman licensed by ARCA, the Automobile Racing Club of America.
Women of all colors are the minority in motorsports. Tia says, “What I stand for is something way bigger than me.”
