First Licensed African American Female NASCAR Driver

DAYTONA BEACH, FL, January 24, 2013 (Press-News.org) In 67 years of NASCAR, the first African America Female licensed by NASCAR will be running at Daytona during Speed Week.

Tia Norfleet is the first African American Female driver to be licensed by NASCAR. A native of Suffolk, Virginia, but now lives in Augusta, Georgia where racing is not merely a hobby; it's a way of life. As a second generation licensed NASCAR driver, Tia Norfleet is understand what it is to break barriers and she well knows the low odds and risks involved with being a professional racecar driver. None of this matters though.

Tia loves what she does and she'll stop at nothing to make it. Racing is her life. Growing up the daughter of a professional racecar driver (Bobby Norfleet), Tia was introduced to the sport of auto racing at a very young age.

Female drivers are rare enough in NASCAR, but an African-American as well? It's never been done. Tia Norfleet is the first and only African American female to be licensed by NASCAR.

Becoming a champion NASCAR driver is a goal she's been aiming toward for quite some time. She has been successful at drag racing and on the shorter tracks circuit known as the late models, where she gained two top-15 finishes. "Around the age of 14 is when I really, really knew that this was what I wanted to do for a living; this was my passion," she stated in an interview with the Huffington Post.

Tia is committed to an array of programs, including, but not limited to, the National African American Drug policy Coalition and the Motorsports Institute, Inc., All in all, the two will make anywhere from 80 to 100 community appearances annually. "Most drivers think it's 80 percent on-track and 20 percent off-track," Tia says. "But we have adopted a theory of 20 percent on-track and 80 percent of what you do off-track."

Tia Norfleet Some events would include the 2006 celebrity race in Atlanta, GA, a race brought to the community by Team Norfleet in an event to expose minority ethnic groups who would otherwise not have the opportunity to become acclimated with the motorsports world while educating the youth about careers in racing and motorsports in general. Others would be the 2007 BET's Jocks and Gems Charity Event aimed at raising funds, awareness and schools supplies for children affected by the disaster of Hurricane Katrina.

In 2009, Tia Participated in a charity event with Step Up In Georgia, Inc. which was mentoring program to help at risk youth to deal with the pressures of life. At the event Tia spoke to the children and performed a song.

This past June, 2011, Tia delivered the graduation commencement address to the Unidad of Miami Beach & the New Generation Leadership and Workforce Institute's (NGLWI) graduating class. Tia is also involved with children and looks to help out in way that she can. This year, Tia plans to take her Driven to Read program to the next level, which teaches kids the importance of reading and its kinship to racing. It will be centered on her new comic book series that is being developed by the renowned Reginald Byers.

"We will make time for any program that's positive," Tia says. Tia's goal is to teach young people -- especially females -- that it can be done, and "it" is not solely limited to racing either. Her motto, "Get right or get left."

While Tia has learned to live in the moment, she realizes the implications of her career and will stop at nothing to earn her NASCAR stripes. Even though she's the only black female licensed in the sport, she welcomes more minorities to get involved and become drivers, pit crew member and even engineers.

Contact Information:

Stephen A. Lind,COO
Bobby Norfleet Racing, Inc.
1440 State Hwy 248 Ste. Q169
Branson, Missouri 65616
1-800-225-5842
slind@norfleetracingteam.com

Melissa Lebron-Isaiah Colter Jr.
Coutra/Emerge
590 Madison Ave New York Ny 10022
212-541-4153
m.lebron@coutramusic.com
i.colter@coutramusic.com