Melissa Fifield

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
NationalityAmerican
BornMelissa Fifield
(1992-08-07) August 7, 1992
Wakefield, New Hampshire
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career
Debut season2014
Current teamPine Knoll Racing
Years active2014–present
Car number01
EngineChevrolet
Crew chiefKenneth Fifield
Starts111
Championships0
Wins0
Poles0
Best finish15th in 2017
Finished last season16th (2021)
Awards
2014-2016 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver (3 times)
Last updated on: January 19, 2022.

Racing career

Fifield 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
Fifield at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2015

2014–present

Fifield 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

From 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

Fifield 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 and her family currently run and operate 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

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Whelen Modified Tour
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 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]

Whelen Southern Modified Tour
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 - [22]

References
  1. Fifield, Melissa. "Melissa's Story". Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  2. Courchesne, Shawn (December 11, 2013). "Melissa Fifield Heading to Whelen Modified Tour Full-Time for 2014 Season". Race Day CT. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  3. "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.
  4. "Melissa Fifield Named Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver For Second Consecutive Year". November 24, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  5. Courchesne, Shawn (November 23, 2016). "Three-Peat: Melissa Fifield Wins Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver Award For 2016". Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  6. 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.
  7. Courchesne, Shawn (November 13, 2019). "Unmuffled Highlights From Melissa Fifield, Burt Myers and Andrew Molleur". Race Day CT. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  8. Green, Rick (July 19, 2017). "Several Honored as Governor & Executive Council Hold Meeting at Funspot". FunspotNH.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  9. "New Hampshire Women Magazine". ISSUU. September 17, 2018. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  10. Tiongson, Rob (August 17, 2017). "In the Driver's Seat with Melissa Fifield". The Podium Finish. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  11. "Hometown NASCAR hero opens new auto dealership". Salmon Press. August 14, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  12. Long, Dustin (February 14, 2022). "Busch Light makes $10 million commitment to female drivers in NASCAR". NBC Sports.
  13. "Melissa Fifield – 2014 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  14. "Melissa Fifield – 2015 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  15. "Melissa Fifield – 2016 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  16. "Melissa Fifield – 2017 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  17. "Melissa Fifield – 2018 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  18. "Melissa Fifield – 2019 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  19. "Melissa Fifield – 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  20. "Melissa Fifield – 2021 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  21. "Melissa Fifield – 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  22. "Melissa Fifield – 2015 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
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