HAMPTON, Va. — Tiffany Richardson-Harrell is making history as the first black female race car driver at Langley Speedway in Hampton.
“I was on my brother-in-law’s pit crew for a year, so that was about three years ago. I was just watching him and I was, like, I can do this," Richardson-Harrell said.
Her car may not look like much, but with it she’s blazing a trail.
Watch: Tiffany Richardson-Harrell racing at Langley Speedway
“I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing in life," said Richardson-Harrell.
She also put together an all-black female pit crew.
“My first season, I felt really, really out of place because I didn’t see a whole lot of people that looked like me down at the track," Richardson-Harrell said.
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Being a trailblazer requires work both on and off the track. She spends a lot of time working out to stay in shape for her races.
“It’s a lot more important than I thought," Richardson-Harrell said as she prepared to workout.
At the Hampton Roads Black Chamber’s 2025 annual Black Diamond Weekend event, she was recognized for her work.
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“Any time that I see anybody come up to me, especially black kids, and they’re, like, ‘You’re so cool!’ I’m, like, ‘You could be cool, too, because you can do this.’ It makes me feel like I’m actually doing something," said Richardson-Harrell.
Aside from inspiring the next generation of racers, when News 3 interviewed her she was focused on winning a race. She also had her sight set on eventually racing in a different division so she can continue to develop her skills behind the wheel.
