Meet Melissa Harville-Lebron: The First Black Woman to Own a NASCAR Team

Melissa Harville Lebron never dreamed that she could make history for her ambitious dreams as the first African American to own only a NASCAR-licensed race team.

Harville-Lebron, a 47-year-old mom started her career as a Sony Music intern in the entertainment industry. In 2005, while employed at the New York City Correction Department, she founded her own music label. Nearly a decade later, her asthma attack forced her to retire early and prompted her to risk starting a diversified entertainment company.

A Race to History

Harville-Lebron claims that her introduction into motor racing started unwittingly when she took her sons into a NASCAR race with a view to discourage their interest. The incident further sparked the desires of her children and eventually led her to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to build a team for herself.

“I’ve been invited to a NASCAR event and took my boys with me to think it’s going to deter them from racing,” she added. Yet “it didn’t work that way.” In their first practice, they rode 149 mph and 150 mph and enjoyed it every minute as they watched in amazement.

Nevertheless, seeing her sons ‘ love and enthusiasm for cycling, Harville-Lebron wanted to help her hold her spirit. Nevertheless, she noticed an infamous lack of diversity as she studied the past of the sport. The light conductors, let alone a person, were little or none. It prompted her to fill the gap all the more.

Under the auspices of the W.M, she designed E2 Northeast Motorsport. Stock Companies, Inc. With 4 black-and-latent vehicles— two in the World Camping trucks and two in the All America Whelen Cup, NASCAR’s E2 Northeast Motorsports program has become the first ethnic team to compete in NASCAR. The brothers and sons of Harville’s-Lebron, Eric and Enrico are two pilots.

Harville-Lebron had another win in comparison to tradition on the 16th of Février, as their squad had their first official competition at the Nascar Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS). Scott Stenzel started the chase with a three-year break at the NCWTS, the Northeast E2 Motorsports Chevrolet. He came on Daytona International Speedway in the 15th position.

Harville-Lebron named it an “honor” in a statement issued earlier this month to join Stenzel and the Copp Motorsports NCWTS unit. “This team truly exemplifies the richness that a millennial international fan base would undoubtedly draw. Stenzel is now part of the race team, it is a privilege.

Harville-Lebron hopes to see more sporting owners, in particular, NASCAR teams, in addition to offering colorful people opportunities. “To push our children for generational wealth is important for our culture. The lead by example is essential. Our children all too often see bad pictures of our society and for our culture’s successful people, I think it is very important, “she added.

Jennifer Satterfield-Siegel is the first woman of color to co-own a NASCAR team, according to a NASCAR representative, while Harville Lebron is the first black woman to have a NASCAR team.