Melissa Fifield Explained

Melissa Fifield
Nationality:American
Birth Name:Melissa Fifield
Birth Date:7 August 1992
Birth Place:Wakefield, New Hampshire
Awards:2014-2016 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver (3 times)
Current Series:NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Years Active:2014–present
First Year:2014
Current Team:Pine Knoll Racing
Car Number:01
Engine:Chevrolet
Crew Chief:Kenneth Fifield
Starts:145
Championships:0
Wins:0
Poles:0
Best Finish:15th
Year:2017
Last Finish:16th (2021)
Updated:January 19, 2022

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.

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

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 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

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
YearCar ownerNo.Make123456789101112131415161718PtsRef
2014Kenneth Fifield01ChevyTMP
STA
STA
WFD
RIV
NHA
MND
STA
TMP
BRINHA
STA
TMP
21st251[13]
2015TMP
STA
WFD
STA
TMP
RIV
NHA
MND
STA
TMP
BRI
RIV
NHA
STA
TMP
25th239[14]
2016TMP
STA
WFD
STA
TMP
RIV
NHA
MND
STA
TMP
BRI
RIV
OSWSEE
NHA
STA
TMP
23rd341[15]
2017MYR
TMP
STA
LGY
TMP
RIV
NHA
STA
TMP
BRI
SEE
OSW
RIV
NHA
STA
TMP
15th337[16]
2018MYR
TMP
STA
SEE
TMP
LGY
RIV
NHA
STA
TMP
BRI
OSW
RIV
NHA
STA
TMP
22nd302[17]
2019MYR
SBO
TMP
STA
WAL
SEE
TMP
RIV
NHA
STA
TMP
OSW
RIV
NHA
STA
TMP
23rd261[18]
2020JEN
WMM
WMM
JEN
MND
TMP
NHA
STA
TMP
22nd156[19]
2021MAR
STA
RIV
JEN
OSW
RIV
NHA
NRP
STA
BEE
OSW
RCH
RIV
STA
16th291[20]
2022NSM
RCH
RIV
LEE
JEN
MND
RIV
WAL
NHA
CLM
TMP
LGY
OSW
RIV
TMP
MAR
15th321[21]
2023NSM
RCH
MON
RIV
LEE
SEE
RIV
WAL
NHA
LMP
THO
LGY
OSW
MON
RIV
NWS
THO
MAR
11th410[22]
2024NSM
RCH
THO
MON
RIV
SEE
NHA
MON
LMP
THO
OSWRIVMONNWSTHOMAR-*-*[23]

Whelen Southern Modified Tour

References

  1. Web site: Fifield. Melissa. Melissa's Story. January 19, 2022.
  2. Web site: Courchesne. Shawn. December 11, 2013. Melissa Fifield Heading to Whelen Modified Tour Full-Time for 2014 Season. January 19, 2022. Race Day CT.
  3. Web site: November 19, 2014. Melissa Fifield Named Whelen Mod Tour Most Popular Driver; Andy Seuss Wins Honor On Southern Tour. January 19, 2022. Race Day CT.
  4. Web site: November 24, 2015. Melissa Fifield Named Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver For Second Consecutive Year. January 19, 2022.
  5. Web site: Courchesne. Shawn. November 23, 2016. Three-Peat: Melissa Fifield Wins Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver Award For 2016. January 19, 2022.
  6. Web site: Courchesne. Shawn. November 23, 2016. Don’t Hate The Player: Melissa Fifield Deserves Credit Not Criticism For NASCAR Award. January 19, 2022. Race Day CT.
  7. Web site: Courchesne . Shawn . November 13, 2019 . Unmuffled Highlights From Melissa Fifield, Burt Myers and Andrew Molleur . January 19, 2022 . Race Day CT.
  8. Web site: Green. Rick. July 19, 2017. Several Honored as Governor & Executive Council Hold Meeting at Funspot. January 19, 2022. FunspotNH.com.
  9. Web site: September 17, 2018. New Hampshire Women Magazine. January 19, 2022. ISSUU.
  10. Web site: Tiongson . Rob . August 17, 2017 . In the Driver's Seat with Melissa Fifield . January 19, 2022 . The Podium Finish.
  11. Web site: August 14, 2019. Hometown NASCAR hero opens new auto dealership. January 19, 2022. Salmon Press.
  12. Web site: Busch Light makes $10 million commitment to female drivers in NASCAR. Long. Dustin. NBC Sports. February 14, 2022.
  13. Web site: Melissa Fifield – 2014 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 5, 2022.
  14. Web site: Melissa Fifield – 2015 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 5, 2022.
  15. Web site: Melissa Fifield – 2016 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 5, 2022.
  16. Web site: Melissa Fifield – 2017 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 5, 2022.
  17. Web site: Melissa Fifield – 2018 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 5, 2022.
  18. Web site: Melissa Fifield – 2019 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 5, 2022.
  19. Web site: Melissa Fifield – 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 5, 2022.
  20. Web site: Melissa Fifield – 2021 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 5, 2022.
  21. Web site: Melissa Fifield – 2022 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 5, 2022.
  22. Web site: Melissa Fifield – 2023 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 25, 2024.
  23. Web site: Melissa Fifield – 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. July 5, 2024.
  24. Web site: Melissa Fifield – 2015 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 5, 2022.