Melissa Fifield is the New Hampshire driver who’s spent over a decade proving she belongs in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour—not because she’s winning races, but because she refuses to quit a sport that’s tried every which way to run her off the track.

EARLY YEARS

Born August 7, 1992, in Wakefield, New Hampshire, Fifield grew up trackside with her father, Kenneth Fifield, attending NASCAR events at Loudon Speedway starting when she was five or six years old. The racing bug bit early and hard. At eleven, she got her first go-kart, and by twelve, she was already competing in Jr. Champ Karts at Londonderry Raceway. What started as a kid tagging along to races with dad turned into a full-blown obsession—the kind that doesn’t let go even when the odds are stacked impossibly high.

Her passion wasn’t born from a need to prove anything to anyone. It came from something simpler: empathy. Watching short track races with her family, she connected with the sport in a way that felt personal and real. That emotional pull would end up mattering more than she could have imagined, because it would carry her through years of criticism, skepticism, and flat-out hostility that most people would’ve walked away from.

OTHER INTERESTS

Racing full-time doesn’t pay the bills for most Modified drivers, and Fifield is no exception. She runs Pine Knoll Auto Sales in Sanbornville, New Hampshire—a used car dealership she built from the ground up with help from the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center. She worked with business advisor Stewart to create a business plan, secure a loan, develop sell sheets, and figure out realistic projections. Running a business while racing full-time makes her one of those “everyday heroes” who somehow manages to do both without losing her mind—or at least not publicly.

Beyond selling cars and driving them way too fast, Fifield serves as a spokesperson for the New Hampshire Office of Highway Safety. She’s become an advocate for safe driving, using her racing platform to talk to young people about avoiding distractions and impairment. In 2018, she teamed up with New Hampshire Motor Speedway officials to reward winners of a youth reading program, proving she’s as invested in her community as she is in lap times. Governor Chris Sununu even gave her a commendation for her traffic safety work, which is a pretty big deal for someone who spends most weekends going 100+ mph.

EARLY SUCCESS

Fifield made the jump to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour full-time in 2014, driving the family-owned No. 01 Modified with her dad wrenching on the car. “Early success” in the traditional sense? Not exactly. But staying power? Absolutely. She kept showing up, race after race, year after year, in a series that chews up and spits out drivers who don’t have massive budgets or factory backing.

Her best finish came in 2023 when she cracked a 12th-place result at the final Riverhead race of the season—her closest brush with a top-10. In 2024, she started strong with four solid finishes, showing incremental progress in a sport where “incremental” often gets dismissed as “not good enough.” The reality is that Fifield is running mid-pack on a budget that would make most touring series drivers laugh—or cry.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2014: Began full-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour career in family-owned No. 01 Modified[1].
• 2016: Won NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver Award despite facing criticism for the honor[2].
• 2022: Selected as part of Busch Light’s “Accelerate Her” program—a three-year, $10 million initiative providing funding, track time, and media exposure to women in NASCAR[3].
• 2023: Earned 12th-place finish at Riverhead, her closest approach to a top-10 result[4].
• Multiple Years: Received commendation from New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu for traffic safety advocacy work[5].

INSPIRATIONS

Her biggest supporter has always been her father, Kenneth. “My dad supports me on whatever I want to do and he works to help me achieve what I am looking for,” she’s said. That father-daughter dynamic isn’t just heartwarming—it’s the backbone of her entire operation. Without him turning wrenches and believing in her when almost no one else did, there’s no way she’d still be racing.

The inspiration to keep going comes from something deeper than just family support, though. It’s about representation. Every lap she completes sends a message: girls can race too. In a sport dominated by men—especially in the rough-and-tumble Modified world—just being present matters. That might sound like a participation trophy mentality to some, but when you’re the target of relentless online hate and you keep coming back anyway, that’s not participation. That’s defiance.

REPUTATION

Let’s not sugarcoat it: Fifield’s reputation is complicated. On one hand, she’s beloved by fans who admire her persistence and see her as a trailblazer. She won the Most Popular Driver award, which speaks to a fanbase that genuinely roots for her. On the other hand, she’s been the target of vicious online criticism that reeks of sexism. Comments like “She needs to give up,” “NASCAR should throw her out of the series,” “She’s the worst driver ever,” and “Why does she keep coming back?” flood social media whenever her name is mentioned.

The scorn isn’t just about her on-track performance—though yes, she’s often qualified near the back and finished there too. It’s about the fact that she’s a woman who won’t go away. Male drivers with similar stats don’t face the same vitriol. When a 2019 analysis noted that Melissa “qualified slowest of drivers taking time at each event I sampled with 2 exceptions where she qualified 2nd slowest,” it was framed as evidence she shouldn’t be there. But plenty of underfunded, back-of-the-pack male drivers compete without facing demands they quit the sport entirely.

In October 2024, Fifield announced on Facebook that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, explaining absences and changes to her schedule. The announcement shifted some of the conversation—but the fact that it took a cancer diagnosis for some people to ease up on the hate says everything about what she’s been dealing with.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Fifield plans to keep racing the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and hopes the series adds more southern races to the schedule, which currently kicks off in the spring. Her long-term vision? “I plan on racing until I am 60 or 70 and just keep going. I would realistically like to race another 10 to 20 years—so continue racing going forward.” That’s not a woman who’s thinking about quitting. That’s someone who’s in it for life, critics and cancer be damned.

With her health challenges, the immediate future is uncertain, but her stated intention is clear: she’s not done. Not even close.

REFERENCES

[1] Digging Deep With Denise: Visiting Melissa Fifield – RaceDayCT.com
[2] Don’t Hate The Player: Melissa Fifield Deserves Credit Not Criticism For NASCAR Award – RaceDayCT.com
[3] Whelen Mod Tour Driver Melissa Fifield Part Of New Busch Light Accelerate Her Support Initiative – RaceDayCT.com
[4] Melissa Fifield – NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Wiki
[5] Funspot…The Spot for Fun! – Governor’s Council Recognition
Melissa Fifield – Wikipedia
Racing Into a New Business Venture – NH Small Business Development Center
In the Driver’s Seat with Melissa Fifield – The Podium Finish
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Driver Melissa Fifield Announces Breast Cancer Diagnosis – RaceDayCT.com
Don’t Hate The Player: Scorn Aimed At Fifield Reeks Of Sexism With Whelen Modified Tour – RaceDayCT.com
Pre-prom activities emphasize making good choices – Laconia Daily Sun
Whelen Mod Tour Driver Melissa Fifield And NHMS Officials Reward Youth Reading Program Winners – RaceDayCT.com