How many women racers are competing in NASCAR across all series in 2024?

Since its inception in 1948, NASCAR has been a male-dominated sport. Motorsports as a whole has seen fewer number of female drivers in comparison to their male counterparts.

However, despite being less in numbers, women in the sport have seen multiple women in its rich history hit the race tracks and compete at the highest levels. At the time of writing, NASCAR, across its three national series and its feeder series, ARCA Menards, boasts a roster of six women drivers who compete in the sport on either a full-time or part-time basis.

Competing in the highest division among her female peers is Xfinity Series driver Hailie Deegan. A 22-year-old driver who came through the ranks of Toyota's development program, Deegan currently finds herself piloting the No. 15 Ford Mustang for AM Racing in the Xfinity Series.

Deegan previously competed in three full seasons in the Truck Series, where she registered a career-best sixth-place finish on two separate incidents. She has won multiple races in the ARCA Menards Series West.

Next on the list is full-time ARCA Menards Series driver and Victoria's Secret model, Toni Breidinger. The 24-year-old Arab-American driver is in her third full-time ARCA season. Driving for Venturini Motorsports, Breidinger also made significant strides when she made her NASCAR Truck Series debut at Daytona International Speedway earlier in the 2024 season.

While yet to win a race, Breidinger's last season generated promise as the California native secured four top-5 finishes.

From one ARCA Menards driver to the other, Amber Balcaen was notably the first Canadian driver to ever compete in a NASCAR-sanctioned series. Delivering impressive performances with Rette Jones Racing in 2022, Balcaen competes in the ARCA Menards Series alongside Toni Breidinger, piloting the No. 22 Toyota for Venturini Motorsports.

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Which other female drivers compete in NASCAR on a part-time basis?

Driver and team-owner Jennifer Jo Cobb is another female driver in the business. Having fielded her own team Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing in the Truck Series since 2010, the veteran driver has also competed in the Xfinity Series. Jo Cobb entered the qualifying round for the season-opening Truck race in Daytona, but failed to make it to the main race.

Meanwhile, at the age of 26, Natalie Decker holds the record for the best finish by a female driver in the Truck Series. Her fifth-place finish during the Truck race at Daytona International Speedway in 2020 remains a historic moment in the sport. Decker last competed in the Xfinity Series race at Daytona earlier this season, where she finished 18th.

Reflecting on NASCAR's rich history, several iconic female drivers have paved the way for the current generation. Janet Guthrie, the first woman to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, shattered barriers and opened doors for future generations.

Danica Patrick, celebrated as the most successful female driver in the sport's history, made significant strides in the sport, including a historic pole position at the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 in 2013. On the other hand, Louise Smith and Sara Christian, among NASCAR's earliest female competitors, blazed trails and challenged norms, leaving an indelible mark on the sport's legacy.