Melissa Fifield (born August 7, 1992) is an American racing driver and spokesperson. She primarily races in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, driving the No. 01 Chevrolet for her family-owned team.
| Melissa Fifield | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | Melissa Fifield August 7, 1992 Wakefield, New Hampshire |
| NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career | |
| Debut season | 2014 |
| Current team | Pine Knoll Racing |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Car number | 01 |
| Engine | Chevrolet |
| Crew chief | Jake Marosz |
| Starts | 155 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Best finish | 11th in 2023 |
| Finished last season | 11th (2023) |
| Awards | |
| 2014-2016 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver (3 times) | |
| Last updated on: August 27, 2024. | |
Racing career
editFifield grew up watching races with her family at a young age. She received her first go-kart at 11-years old, and competed in nearby racetracks. She won the Londonderry Track Championship in her rookie season, and eventually drove in the World Karting Association, where she ranked 4th in the national standings. She drove in the Allison Legacy Series at 14 years old, racing in the North and South series. She had her first and only Legacy Series win at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl in 2011.[1]
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
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2014–present
editFifield moved up to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour full-time in 2014, racing for her family-owned team.[2] She recorded her best finish of 19th at Thompson Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. She finished 21st in the final point standings and won the Most Popular Driver Award that season.
Throughout her career in the Whelen Modified Tour, she would always start each race, with most of them being ended early from mechanical issues. She had her career-best finish of 15th at Wall Stadium in 2019. She followed with a 16th-place finish at Jennerstown Speedway in 2021. She is expected to return to another full-time season in 2022.
Criticism
editFrom 2014 to 2016, Fifield won the Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver award,[3][4][5] and would often get criticized on social media, due to her driving performance and being several seconds behind the pace.[6] Fifield said, "I've never had anybody make a comment at a pit party or off the track or anything there. Everybody kind of just has the courage to say what they want on the computer, but they'll never say it to your face. People don't have the courage to say something."[7]
Personal life
editFifield is currently a spokesperson for the New Hampshire Office of Highway Safety. Because of her efforts, she received a commendation from New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu in 2017. Sununu stated that she is "one of the best race car drivers in the world, and one of the top few female race car drivers in the world lives right here in New Hampshire and she doesn't get nearly the recognition she deserves."[8]
Fifield was featured on the cover of New Hampshire Women Magazine in September 2018, which talks about her NASCAR career.[9]
She also worked with the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (CHaD), where she would interview high school students about making good decisions in life, and their future goals.[10]
Fifield currently runs and operates Pine Knoll Auto Sales, a car dealership in her hometown of Wakefield, New Hampshire, which is also the location of her race shop.[11]
On February 14, 2022, Anheuser-Busch brands announced the formation of a new program, called the Busch Light Accelerate Her Program, a program that allows female drivers who are 21 years old or older, to get more funding, track time, media exposure, and training for NASCAR. Fifield is one of the recipients for the program.[12]
Motorsports career results
editNASCAR
edit(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Whelen Modified Tour
edit| NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Car owner | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | NWMTC | Pts | Ref | |||||||||||||
| 2014 | Kenneth Fifield | 01 | Chevy | TMP 19 |
STA 20 |
STA 22 |
WFD 27 |
RIV 30 |
NHA 29 |
MND 23 |
STA 22 |
TMP 24 |
BRI | NHA 19 |
STA 20 |
TMP 22 |
21st | 251 | [13] | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | TMP 29 |
STA 29 |
WFD 32 |
STA 30 |
TMP 28 |
RIV DNQ |
NHA 23 |
MND 27 |
STA 22 |
TMP 29 |
BRI DNQ |
RIV 27 |
NHA 31 |
STA 27 |
TMP 25 |
25th | 239 | [14] | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | TMP 27 |
STA 27 |
WFD 28 |
STA 22 |
TMP 19 |
RIV 27 |
NHA 31 |
MND 22 |
STA 22 |
TMP 23 |
BRI 18 |
RIV 29 |
OSW | SEE 26 |
NHA 25 |
STA 20 |
TMP 19 |
23rd | 341 | [15] | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | MYR 27 |
TMP 23 |
STA 24 |
LGY 21 |
TMP 19 |
RIV 24 |
NHA 22 |
STA 28 |
TMP 25 |
BRI 21 |
SEE 27 |
OSW 21 |
RIV 23 |
NHA 20 |
STA 22 |
TMP 30 |
15th | 337 | [16] | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | MYR 25 |
TMP 30 |
STA 20 |
SEE 22 |
TMP 28 |
LGY 22 |
RIV 30 |
NHA 30 |
STA 28 |
TMP 26 |
BRI 21 |
OSW 20 |
RIV 20 |
NHA 25 |
STA 24 |
TMP 31 |
22nd | 302 | [17] | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | MYR 27 |
SBO 24 |
TMP 26 |
STA 33 |
WAL 15 |
SEE 27 |
TMP 29 |
RIV DNQ |
NHA 26 |
STA 31 |
TMP 30 |
OSW 26 |
RIV 29 |
NHA 31 |
STA 31 |
TMP 29 |
23rd | 261 | [18] | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | JEN 27 |
WMM 31 |
WMM 27 |
JEN 25 |
MND 28 |
TMP 25 |
NHA 30 |
STA 27 |
TMP 20 |
22nd | 156 | [19] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | MAR 27 |
STA 26 |
RIV 26 |
JEN 16 |
OSW 24 |
RIV 25 |
NHA 28 |
NRP 20 |
STA 22 |
BEE 19 |
OSW 18 |
RCH 22 |
RIV 26 |
STA 26 |
16th | 291 | [20] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | NSM 30 |
RCH 27 |
RIV 30 |
LEE 19 |
JEN 21 |
MND 25 |
RIV 26 |
WAL 27 |
NHA 23 |
CLM 20 |
TMP 18 |
LGY 18 |
OSW 25 |
RIV 22 |
TMP 24 |
MAR 28 |
15th | 321 | [21] | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | NSM 33 |
RCH 20 |
MON 26 |
RIV 21 |
LEE 20 |
SEE 17 |
RIV 22 |
WAL 16 |
NHA 28 |
LMP 16 |
THO 15 |
LGY 15 |
OSW 18 |
MON 18 |
RIV 12 |
NWS 28 |
THO 22 |
MAR 35 |
11th | 410 | [22] | ||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | NSM 25 |
RCH 20 |
THO 16 |
MON 20 |
RIV 29 |
SEE 23 |
NHA 29 |
MON 19 |
LMP 15 |
THO 27 |
OSW 20 |
RIV 19 |
MON | THO | NWS 18 |
MAR | 15th | 292 | [23] | ||||||||||||||||||
Whelen Southern Modified Tour
edit| NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour results | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Car owner | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | NSWMTC | Pts | Ref | ||||||
| 2015 | Kenneth Fifield | 01 | Chevy | CRW | CRW | SBO | LGY | CRW | BGS | BRI DNQ |
LGY | SBO | CLT | N/A | - | [24] | ||||||
References
edit- ^ Fifield, Melissa. "Melissa's Story". Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Courchesne, Shawn (December 11, 2013). "Melissa Fifield Heading to Whelen Modified Tour Full-Time for 2014 Season". Race Day CT. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield Named Whelen Mod Tour Most Popular Driver; Andy Seuss Wins Honor On Southern Tour". Race Day CT. November 19, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield Named Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver For Second Consecutive Year". November 24, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Courchesne, Shawn (November 23, 2016). "Three-Peat: Melissa Fifield Wins Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver Award For 2016". Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Courchesne, Shawn (November 23, 2016). "Don't Hate The Player: Melissa Fifield Deserves Credit Not Criticism For NASCAR Award". Race Day CT. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Courchesne, Shawn (November 13, 2019). "Unmuffled Highlights From Melissa Fifield, Burt Myers and Andrew Molleur". Race Day CT. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Green, Rick (July 19, 2017). "Several Honored as Governor & Executive Council Hold Meeting at Funspot". FunspotNH.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "New Hampshire Women Magazine". ISSUU. September 17, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Tiongson, Rob (August 17, 2017). "In the Driver's Seat with Melissa Fifield". The Podium Finish. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ "Hometown NASCAR hero opens new auto dealership". Salmon Press. August 14, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
- ^ Long, Dustin (February 14, 2022). "Busch Light makes $10 million commitment to female drivers in NASCAR". NBC Sports.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield – 2014 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield – 2015 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield – 2016 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield – 2017 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield – 2018 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield – 2019 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield – 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield – 2021 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield – 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield – 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield – 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ "Melissa Fifield – 2015 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
External links
edit- Melissa Fifield driver statistics at Racing-Reference