As the ARCA Menards Series East travelled to Newton, North Carolina, for its inaugural event at the iconic Hickory Motor Speedway, there was one driver, Dystany Spurlock, who made some history of her own.
Piloting the No. 66 Foxxtecca Chevrolet SS for MBM Motorsports, Spurlock became the first Black woman to compete in the ARCA Menards Series, making her debut in the season-opening event at the one-third-mile racetrack.
Her path to reach the ARCA Menards Series is one of the most unconventional in recent memory, building her reputation by competing in motorcycle drag racing. Spurlock became the first woman to win the Real Street Class in the XDA Motorcycle Drag Racing Series, and in the process, set a world record.
In 2025, Spurlock became just the second Black woman to compete in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle category, and is finalizing plans to race in the division once again this year.
Now, Spurlock is changing course and looking to achieve a dream that she’s had since she was a little girl: competing in the NASCAR Cup Series. To achieve that goal, she has partnered with Carl Long, a long-time team owner in NASCAR’s National Series.
And, after her debut in the ARCA Menards Series East, she’s off to a great start, finishing seventh and on the lead lap, in the Cook Out 200 at Hickory Motor Speedway.
“I had a lot of fun, my ultimate goal was to finish the race, and then I said, okay, after that, the goal would be to finish top-10,” Spurlock told Frontstretch post-race. “Well, I finished seventh, so I think that is great for my first start in the ARCA Menards Series, so I’m excited, I’m learning still, but I’m having fun, most importantly.”
There was even a point in the second-half of the event, just after the halfway break, where Spurlock was battling for position with Isaac Kitzmiller, the defending champion of the ARCA Menards Series East.
The biggest part of her success on debut, though, was simply avoiding the on-track carnage that the close-quarters of Hickory Motor Speedway had to offer, even if there were some close-calls in the process.
“I had a great time out there,” Spurlock told Jaclyn Drake post-race. “First and foremost, thank you, God, thank you to my ancestors, thanks to my family, my friends, and most of all my sponsors, Foxxtecca, and Carl [Long] at MBM. When I said they gave me a rocket tonight, they gave me a rocket tonight. Of course, I’m still learning, but I said the car feels good, so we’re going for it.”
Spurlock is set to continue her development with a second ARCA Menards Series East start in the No. 66 Foxxtecca Chevrolet SS this coming weekend at Rockingham Speedway, and should things go well, a debut race in the ARCA Menards Series (national division) at Kansas Speedway.
