Folks, not just NASCAR but the entire motorsport industry is a male-dominated sport. While the previous generations had nearly no female drivers apart from a handful of names like Patty Moise, Katherine Legge, Danica Patrick, and Janet Guthrie, this new dawn of NASCAR looks promising. More women drivers are enrolling in excellence programs and driver training camps. Future winners have already started leaving an impression on the grassroots level of NASCAR. Hailie Deegan became the first female to win a NASCAR K&N (now ARCA) race and never looked back! Now, she pilots the No. 15 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for AM Racing in the Xfinity series. And another rookie driver is giving her everything to make the most out of the ARCA series!
Isabella Robusto is a part of Toyota Racing Development’s driver development program. She made her ARCA debut in 2024 at Phoenix Raceway, finishing sixth. To put it into context, she could have won her debut race just like Shane van Gisbergen. And that too without any prior experience in racing! And after winning her General Tire Pole Award in the latter half of 2024, she is all suited up for the 2025 full-time role in her No. 55 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports. Recently, she shared an interesting tale associated with her qualifying in 2024.
The breathless breakthrough in the debut race
When Isabella Robusto sat down across from Dale Earnhardt Jr. on a recent episode of Dale Jr Download, they discussed how she felt while trying to qualify for her ARCA pole in 2024 at the Kansas Speedway. Robusto explained how she felt nervous during the practice. “Going to Kansas, I had no idea what it was gonna feel like on the first lap and practice. I held my breath the entire time, going through the corners. I was like ‘I don’t know if this is gonna stick, they said it’s gonna stick, but I don’t know if it’s gonna stick’. And I was not great at practice, I was, I think, like 15 or 16, that was not very good, and so I came in,” she said. The journey from the 16th position to the 6th must have taken a lot of courage. But do you know where she got it from? It was her team.
“We only have like 15 minutes before practice and qualifying, and I remember them just saying, ‘Just hold it wide open like don’t lift, just hold it wide open’ and I was like ‘OK, all right, here we go!’ And so we go out, and all I can hear in my head is like all the people just saying ‘Hold it wide open, don’t lift, don’t lift’, so I did it,” she said. Lap after lap, she kept her foot in it, white-knuckling through the turns with nothing but pure instinct. But the Toyota driver admitted the associated problem she brushed past following the advice.
Isabella didn’t lift, she didn’t breathe … and ended up winning the dang pole! @DaleJr | @IsabellaRobusto pic.twitter.com/ntazk9YzZE
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) May 21, 2025
Isabella Robusto said to Dale Jr., “I almost hit the fence off of turn 4. Going to Kansas, I had no idea what it was gonna feel like on the first lap and practice. I held my breath the entire time, going through the corners. I was like, ‘I don’t know if this was gonna stick’–they said it’s gonna stick. But I don’t know if it’s gonna stick.” And, boom! This helped her qualify and hold off her competitors. When she came out of the race, the entire team was impressed with her as well as their advice.
She said, “Then they came on. They’re like, ‘Well, you got the pole so I guess you held it wide open’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t think I took a breath the entire like two laps either’.” And that’s an awesome feeling. However, there was something she should not have found out, or maybe it’s great that she did.
“And afterwards, we were in the meeting before the race. And I was just asking the other drivers, I was like, ‘Do you guys hold it wide open?’ They’re like ‘No’, I’m like ‘got it’,” Isabella Robusto said. Now, if this added to her confidence or decreased, it is still up for speculation. But with the expression she had on the podcast, it feels very likely that it has added new fire to her demeanor. But she has shared it with the right person. Dale Jr. is known for his wild demeanour. And, this line about not lifting the foot of the gas sounds very resonating!
Remember Andy Jankowiak’s radio from the 2024 ARCA Menards? He was in the 4th place and spoke out a set of words which will remain ingrained in every motorsports enthusiast forever! “I’m just gonna keep my foot on the floor and I’m not lifting until I see God or the checkered flag.” And the line was so great that a tweaked version was used for an NFL team commercial, voiced by Dale Jr.
In the commercial for the Washington Commanders, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was heard saying, “Keep your foot on the gas as we are not done yet!” But let’s face this, keeping your foot on the gas might not always work out. It can lead to other problems, which are much bigger than finishing late, a DNF. However, Junior is looking up at Isabella Robusto. It is a new beginning for women drivers in NASCAR, and he wants to welcome it with open arms.
Dale Jr. stands for more female drivers in NASCAR
“I just don’t know that we’ve really taken the moment to get to know some of the female drivers that are coming up through the ranks,” Junior reflected. Alongside drivers like Laney and Jade, Isabella was part of a group he described as incredibly talented. He said, “They have incredible talent; if they get the right breaks, get paired with the right people, and get the right tutoring, they’ll have successful careers.”
But it was definitely Isabella who stood out to him as being a step ahead. He noted, saying, “She’s kind of ahead of both of those—Laney and Jade—in terms of the progress of the ladder. She is now full-time in the ARCA series.” With her momentum building, Dale Junior hinted at what could be next: a shot at the NASCAR Truck Series if the opportunities fall into place. And no worries, she has company there with Toni Breidinger already running her laps in the No. 5 for Tricon Garage. But how fast do you think she would get a shot at a bigger series?
Let’s hope NASCAR has more women drivers competing. What a great time to feel alive as a NASCAR fan! Better broadcast partners, new and promising drivers. Is NASCAR going to ascend to its former motorsport glory? Let us know in the comments below.
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