Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images(DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.) — This year’s Daytona 500 featured two history-making women working behind the scenes.
Brehanna Daniels and Breanna O’Leary became the first women to change tires as part of a pit crew at the legendary race.
Daniels also became the first African-American woman to change tires in a pit crew in a NASCAR national series.
Daniels and O’Leary are both graduates of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Development Program, according to NASCAR.com.
They changed tires for the No. 52 Rick Ware Racing team at Sunday’s race, which was won by Denny Hamlin.
It’s RACE DAY!! Super excited to be pitting my very first #Daytona500 race today @DISupdates! Catch me on the 52 car for @RickWareRacing changing the fronts @ 2:30pm ET on @FS1!🤟🏾🏁 #MakingHistory
— Brehanna Daniels (@Mindless_BMD) February 17, 2019
The two women are both former college athletes who were recruited to the diversity program in 2016. In addition to making history together, Daniels and O’Leary are also roommates.
The pair share an apartment in Concord, N.C., according to NASCAR.
O’Leary told ESPNW that being roommates has led to their success.
“It’s an unspoken support,” O’Leary said. “We’ve been through it together; we want the best for each other.”
Daniels called her history-making moment with O’Leary a “dream come true.”
“All the women out there, we can really do anything we put our minds to no matter what anybody else has to say,” she told ESPNW. “As long as you believe in yourself, you can do anything.”
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