Tia Norfleet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tia Norfleet |
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Norfleet in 2017
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| Born | Shauntia Latrice Norfleet May 1, 1986 Suffolk, Virginia, U.S. |
Shauntia Latrice Norfleet, known as Tia Norfleet, was born on May 1, 1986. She is an American race car driver who made history. Tia is the first and only African American woman to hold a NASCAR driver's license. Her father, Bobby Norfleet, was also a NASCAR driver. She has completed one lap in a late model race car.
Tia Norfleet's Early Life and Racing Start
Tia Norfleet was born in Suffolk, Virginia. Her passion for racing began when she was just seven years old. Her father, Bobby Norfleet, who was a NASCAR driver himself, helped her start. He even made her Hot Wheels Barbie car go faster by adding more battery power!
Tia says her racing career officially began at age 14. She started by competing in kart racing events. After that, she tried drag racing at local and regional races.
Moving Up in Racing
In the year 2000, Tia Norfleet switched to a different type of racing. She started competing in entry-level spec racing with Bandolero cars. These are small, fast cars designed for young drivers.
By the 2004 racing season, she moved on to late model stock car racing on shorter tracks. This was a big step for her. She became the first African-American female driver to get a NASCAR Late Model Series racing license.
Tia attended many local late model events near her home in Augusta, Georgia. She began her Late Model career in 2004. She had plans to compete in NASCAR national touring series races starting in the summer of 2012. She also worked on a way to get money from fans to help pay for her racing. However, she did not get to race in a major series that year.
Helping Others Through Driving
Tia Norfleet uses her racing skills to help young people. She supports the Safe Teen Georgia Driving Academy program. Through this program, she teaches safe driving at Atlanta Motor Speedway. She is also an ambassador for Safe America Driving, another group that promotes safe driving.
