Father and son racing together is not a new concept in NASCAR. On the other hand, Friday night’s ARCA Menards Series West race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring will provide the opposite as Sarah and Bridget Burgess will become the first mother/daughter duo to compete in a NASCAR touring series event.
Bridget races full-time in the series in the #88 Chevrolet for family-run BMI Racing, and is currently seventh in points with four top tens. Sarah will be making her series début in the #97. The feat was originally set to take place in March at Irwindale, with Sarah in the #04 as a replacement driver for Eric Nascimento, but she withdrew shortly before the race.
While they will be making stock car history, the Burgesses are no strangers to racing against each other. Prior to entering stock cars, the Australians were short course off-road racers who primarily ran the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. In 2018, after mainly spending time in the lower tiers, Bridget joined her mother in the Pro Lite category; Sarah finished tenth in points ahead of Bridget’s twelfth. The following year saw them place in the same points positions.
Bridget moved to stock cars in 2020. Sarah has overseen her development and also worked as a crew chief.
“A lot of work has gone into this moment, and it’s surreal to know that Bridget and I will both be behind the wheel on the same track in a matter of weeks,” Sarah stated in September.
The two add to an increasing roster of female drivers in stock car racing. In August, Bridget was one of six women competing in the ARCA Menards Series race at the Milwaukee Mile, a series record.
