Dystany Spurlock has been called many things — a trailblazer, a pioneer, a groundbreaking driver. And every single one of those labels fits perfectly.

The 34-year-old motorsports star etched her name into the history books in 2026 by becoming the first Black woman to compete in any of NASCAR's three national touring series and the various ARCA Menards Series. Across her 12 races this year, she racked up several top-15 finishes, proving she has what it takes to compete at the highest level.

Spurlock opened up about how her barrier-breaking journey was rooted in pure passion, and what she wants to say to women and people of color who are dreaming of making it in NASCAR and motorsports.

"So it happened before I even found out that motorsports was a thing in my family," she recalled in an interview with the Express US. "Outside of my grandfather introducing me to NASCAR by watching it on TV and us growing up living so close to it, I'm a country girl. So I would be out in the country on the lawnmower with my grandfather - he would put me on his lap and cut the grass when I was little.

"And then as I got older, I'm like, 'Oh, I'm going to do that.' And on top of that, he also was the mechanic for everybody. So anytime somebody needs their brakes changed, the oil changed, something looked at on their car, I'm literally like Velcro, right there with him, like, 'OK, can I help you change the brakes?'"

"So it started for me early on - I really didn't think or know that I could really make a career out of being a motorsports racer until I got older and I started looking at it."

After discovering that a motorsports career was actually achievable, Spurlock went all-in, making a name for herself in the racing world. She's raced in Formula 4, the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Series, motorcycle drag racing, and other motorsports categories.

And while the 34-year-old chases her dream of becoming a full-time NASCAR driver, she recognizes it's not a realistic path for everyone, particularly considering the financial barriers to entry in motorsports. That's why she's committed to spotlighting the range of opportunities available to people from all walks of life, not just those traditionally represented in NASCAR or similar series.

"I know the journey to get to this place is going to be hard, but I just went after my dreams before a young boy, a young girl, looking at me. I hope they know that they can do it too," she continued. "You know, you don't have to just be a racer.

"You can be on the pit crew, you can be an engineer on the team, you can be a crew chief. There's so many different options that are available for us. It's just about allowing us to have access to be able to do the things in these spaces."

Within NASCAR and ARCA specifically, Spurlock carved out her own path, becoming the first Black woman to compete in the Craftsman Truck Series and the various ARCA Menards Series. Being a trailblazer in any field is a remarkable achievement, but Spurlock's barrier-breaking accomplishments in NASCAR for women and people of color are particularly significant given how few have managed to break into the sport.

Currently, five Black men are competing across NASCAR's various series, including 23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace and Rajah Caruth of Spire Motorsports. In the three primary NASCAR national touring series, only two women are currently behind the wheel, while in ARCA, fewer than 10 women compete across the various series.

To date, Spurlock remains the only Black woman to have raced in both NASCAR and ARCA. Despite her groundbreaking status, the 34-year-old said she felt no pressure because, as she put it, "that was never the goal," and making history was simply a byproduct of doing something she was passionate about.

"And my goal, like I've continued to say and will always say, is to pave the way for other little boys and little girls that look like me, no matter their age, because we don't have access to these spaces," she declared. "You have to be born into it, or you just have to have boatloads of money. And that wasn't the case for me.

"So that's why I feel like there's no pressure for me, because my vision of what it is that I do looks a little different from what I think people think that it is. I'm literally just doing something that I love and not allowing what the people have to say, especially the negative people online. It's absolutely disgusting."

Despite facing negativity throughout her motorsports career, not just in NASCAR, Spurlock said she "expected it" and chose to rise above the hate, directing her energy toward the "ones that truly support me and the ones that want to follow my journey."

Spurlock also opened up about another major hurdle in her pursuit of a NASCAR career — the limited pathways available for women and people of color to break into the sport. She hopes to establish a program that encourages people from diverse backgrounds to explore NASCAR and motorsports, acknowledging that while strides have been made, there is still "a long way to go."

On a more uplifting note, Spurlock revealed that numerous fans, with little to no knowledge of NASCAR or motorsports, have sought her out and declared themselves supporters purely because of her trailblazing status. There have even been heartwarming moments where young children have called her a "superhero" simply for pursuing her passion, which has ultimately driven her success.

"To see that it's so many people just by seeing me that know nothing about NASCAR or any type of racing at all, to see them see me and they're like, 'OK, I'm gonna go,' that's huge, because that's showing that I'm able to bring in so many more people to a space that they knew nothing about," she reflected. "I'm happy to be a superhero in this space. We're bringing in new fans; I just think it's a win-win overall."

While Spurlock's journey has been a triumph, with her groundbreaking 2026 season leading to a 17-race schedule in 2027, her experience isn't typical, particularly for women and people of color. Drawing on her own struggles to break into the sport, Spurlock encourages anyone feeling discouraged about entering motorsports to look to her journey as proof that it can be done.

"It took me 17 years to get here, but I never gave up," the star echoed. "Understand that, yes, it's not going to be an easy road - it doesn't even matter if you want to get into NASCAR, just life in general - you're going to have ups and downs. So look at that as being the same thing and know that you can overcome those obstacles.

"You can open up doors, and you can take up space in these spaces that you're in. And I just try to let people know, you don't have to just be a racer. Like I said earlier, there's so many different opportunities to be able to be in the NASCAR space.

"Engineers, pit men, photographers, even fitness trainers, because I work out six days a week. There's so many opportunities in this space. And I just want to continue to encourage you that you are deserving of everything that you want to be and you can do it to the best of your ability."