HAMPTON, Va. — Tiffany Richardson-Harrell is no stranger to the world of motorsports. Her background paved the way to the accomplishment she's training for, becoming Langley Speedway's first black female racecar driver.
"Racing is in my family," she said. The disabled Navy veteran connected the dots between her love of racing and her upbringing in recent conversations with her mother.
"I've been around cars. I've been around mechanics. I've been around racers my entire life," Richardson-Harrell explained.
Her attraction to racing continued into adulthood when she met her now-husband, Frank Harrell.
A former racer himself, Frank would take Richardson-Harrell on dates to Langley Speedway in Hampton. His brother, Danny Harrell, races at the track. After expressing her passion for the sport, Danny invited Richardson-Harrell to join his pit crew in 2022.
"[Danny]'s very warm, very knowledgeable," Richardson-Harrell said. "And any question that I had, he answered it."
But it wasn't long before she, too, felt the need for speed.
"I was so frustrated that I could not race," Richarson-Harrell recalled. "I would tell myself after every race, 'I'm going to race. I don't know when, but,' I said, 'I'm going to race.'"
That was the spring of 2023.
After the racing season, Richardson-Harrell shared her ambitions her Frank. He helped her find a car and proper gear. They secured sponsors. He helped her practice driving a stick shift.
"[Frank] has been the one to make this happen," Richardson-Harrell said. "There is nothing that's impossible that I could mention to him."
Now, Richardson-Harrell's first race is set for April 6 at Langley Speedway in Hampton.
With that, she will become the first black female driver at the racetrack.
When asked how she feels ahead of her big debut, Richardson-Harrell jokingly replied, "First thing that comes to mind? Don't crash!"
Then, turning serious, she reflected on the gravity of the upcoming moment.
"The driving fast part is easy," Richardson-Harrell said. "I think the part that I'm worried about is I'm now going to be a sort of role model, not just for young girls, but for young, black girls."
As she inches toward the starting line for her first race, Richardson-Harrell says win or lose, it will still be a victory.
"There is always a way for you to do what you want to do," Richardson-Harrell said. "I mean, I own three businesses, I'm a graduate student... and I have two kids. And I'm still a racecar driver."
Tickets to Richardson-Harrell's debut race on April 6 are available for purchase through Langley Speedway's website.
If you would like to sponsor or make a donation to Richardson-Harrell, more information is available through her website.