Meet The NASCAR Wives Supporting Their Husbands On The Speedway
In a society that focuses on the private lives of football and basketball players, NASCAR drivers often go unnoticed or underrated. But off the tracks, the lives of NASCAR drivers are filled with big wins, cash, big houses, and beautiful women. Wives and girlfriends of NASCAR drivers have it just as good as the partners of other professional athletes.
Read on to see what these women do when they're not watching their man on the speedway.
Sherry Pollex and Martin Truex
Sherry Pollex was a fighter and a survivor with a cause. She dated NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr. from 2005 to 2023, according to The Fayetteville Observer.
Sherry was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer in 2014. Unfortunately, she lost her battle with cancer in September of 2023. Before her passing, she created SherryStrong.org to educated women about early detection and treatment plans for ovarian cancer.
Katelyn Sweet and Kyle Larson
It would seem that Katelyn Sweet was fated to have Kyle Larson as her potential mate. Katelyn Sweet has a family connection to NASCAR racing. She is the younger sister of NASCAR driver Brad Sweet. She is also the girlfriend of NASCAR racer Kyle Larson.
Kyle Larson started racing in NASCAR in 2014 and he also became engaged to the love of his life Katelyn Sweet in 2014 as well. Katelyn gave birth to Owen Miyata Larson on December 22, 2014. The couple were married in 2018 (NBC Sports).
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Brittany Baca and Joey Logano
A little bit of fandom can go a long way. Some people who aspire to be athletes or musicians start off as fans, or fanatics. They become entrenched in their favorite sport and then eventually become a part of that sport in some shape or fashion. Some people even get married to their favorite sports personality.
In the case of Brittany Baca, she was a NASCAR fan since she was a child. She eventually ended up dating NASCAR driver Joey Logano. They met at a skating rink and it began there. Brittany travels with Joey as well when he goes on the road for racing competitions. According to Fox Sports, the married in 2014 and have three children.
Whitney Kay and Brian Scott
Whitney Kay was fortunate enough to have her engagement video go viral for all to see on YouTube. Brian Scott recited his vows to her and it made a lot of people tear up. These were tears of joy of course, and Whitney and Brian went on to become a happily married couple from then on.
Whitney and Brian got married in 2014 at the Shore Lodge and Whitetail Club Resort in McCall, Idaho, according to NASCAR. Luckily, Brian’s father was the owner of this club. Whitney had a previous child from another relationship, and in 2015, Whitney and Brian had a child together named Joseph.
Chandra Janway and Jimmie Johnson
Chandra Janway was introduced to her future husband Jimmie Johnson through fellow NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon in 2002. Before meeting her future husband, she worked as a model.
One year after dating, Chandra and Jimmie were engaged. Jimmie popped the question while they were on a snowboarding trip. He planned the proposal and even brought along a photographer to capture the moment. According to Bleacher Report, Jimmie and Chandra were married in 2004 on St. Bart’s Island and they had a daughter named Genevieve in 2010, and another daughter named Lynda in 2013.
Ashley Van Metre and Kurt Busch
According to Motorsport.com, Ashley Van Metre is a professional polo player who was introduced to her future husband Kurt Busch by her sister.
Ashley Van Metre dated Kurt Busch beginning sometime in 2015 and got engaged later that year. After a very long engagement of almost two years, Ashley and Kurt tied the knot on January 7, 2017. Ashley later filed for divorce in May of 2022.
Kristen Yeley and JJ Yeley
Kristen Yeley is the better half of JJ Yeley. Kristen Yeley comes from a line of NASCAR drivers, as her father and mother were both NASCAR drivers as well. She eats, sleeps, and breathes NASCAR racing. She loves sharing her life on and off the track on her Twitter account.
It is apparent that their children will more than likely follow in her and her husband’s footsteps and become NASCAR drivers as well. She has competed alongside her husband in the “Better Half Dash” racing event. She has taken the wheel in these races along with her husband JJ riding shotgun (NBC Sports).
Trisha Grablander and Casey Mears
Trisha "Trish" Grablander dated NASCAR stock driver Casey Mears for several years before they decided to get married. They would go on to marry in January of 2010. Casey and Trisha got married in the beautiful city of Cabo San Lucas.
According to Trish's website, in their spare time, she and Casey like to go hiking and spend time in Arizona. They are also known to go to Cabo San Lucas for vacations. Both enjoy the outdoors and stay active.
Amy Reimann and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
There are great drivers, and then, there are legends. When you hear the name NASCAR, you more than likely think of the name Earnhardt. Amy Reimann dated the NASCAR legend for many years before they finally got married.
Amy and Dale are known for being the power couple when it comes to NASCAR wives and girlfriends. According to Fox Sports, they became engaged on June 17, 2015 and tied the knot on New Year’s Eve 2016. They had their wedding at the Childress Vineyards in Lexington, North Carolina.
Samantha and Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch is the younger brother of NASCAR driver Kurt Busch. Kyle Busch, affectionately known as “shrub” by his older brother Kurt, is married to Samantha Busch.
Samantha is a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in Psychology. She married Kyle on December 31, 2010. Their wedding was broadcasted on the Style Network and was called Fast and Fabulous: A NASCAR Wedding. Kyle and Samantha have started the “Kyle and Samantha Busch Bundle of Joy Fund” to obtain financial help for other people who are seeking fertility treatments. According to NASCAR, the couple welcomed a daughter in 2022.
Jordan Fish and Denny Hamlin
Jordan Fish is a former dancer for the Charlotte Bobcats. Jordan met her future husband Denny Hamlin courtside at one of the Bobcat games.
According to NASCAR, the two announced their engagement on New Years Day 2024. The couple did a joint post on Instagram during their vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. They have two daughters.
Emily Maynard Johnson
Emily Maynard Johnson was the fiancee of former NASCAR driver, Ricky Hendrick. When she was only 18, Hendrick passed away in a plane crash and also at that same time, Maynard found out she was pregnant. She birthed the child and gave her the nickname of "Ricki" after her lost father. Since then, Maynard has been on shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.
As far as her life goes now, she has found love and has had five more kids! "I met him at church before I did The Bachelorette, he really wanted nothing to do with me," Maynard said on Good Morning America Tuesday. “I told my girlfriend I met this guy and he could like not be less attracted to me, he was in the friend zone.”
Ashley Judd and Dario Franchitti
Ashley Judd and Dario Franchitti split up in 2013, but that didn't stop the bond the two have with each other. Judd spoke about how the two operate and broke it down in simple terms.
"He'll always be my loved one," the Divergent actress told US Weekly. "Even before our wedding, we agreed not to tell people about our relationship, but to show them instead. What we're showing them now is we're human, we're family, and this is what family looks like." Dario has two daughters with his current wife Eleanor Robb.
Niki Taylor and Burney Lamar
Niki Taylor is a well-known name in the world of modeling. Niki began modeling in the late '80s and has been going strong ever since.
Niki was named one of the prettiest people in People magazine in 1991. She was also the first person under 18 years of age to be featured in Cover Girl. She met NASCAR driver Burney Lamar in January 2006 at an autographing session and they married in December of 2006. They have four children.
Whitney Ward and Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon has followed the way of many sports stars. He is married to Whitney Ward, who once was a cheerleader for the NFL Tennessee Titans.
She was also a model for Rockstar Energy drink. Whitney is a graduate of UT-Chattanooga, where she had a full academic and athletic scholarship. According to Autoweek, they became engaged in August of 2016 while on vacation in the Bahamas and married on December 9, 2017. Their son was born in June 2020.
Ashton Clapp and Trevor Bayne
Ashton Clapp is as supportive as they come when it comes to wives. The two were wed on June 4, 2013, and just three days later Trevor had finished third in a big race. Six weeks later, something very unpredicted and unfortunate happened to Trevor. According to USA Today, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
“She’s been completely supportive and awesome,” Bayne said of his wife. “She’s been by my side all the way through this. That is what is so great about being married to somebody who is the same as you are in their faith and through everything. Man, she’s been unbelievable."
Katie Martin and Matt Kenseth
According to Matt Kenseth's official website, he and his wife Katie Martin grew up very close to one another. "I had a little crush on him, but he wouldn’t give me the time of day," said Katie. "I’m glad he didn’t try to pick me up because I was just 13."
"Of the two of us, I’m usually the one that gets more fired up," she said. "I wasn’t really around when Matt and his dad raced at the short tracks, but from the stories I’ve heard, Matt has always been the one who was calming and saying, ‘It’s okay. It’s alright.’"
Nicole Lunders and Greg Biffle
Nicole Lunders was born in Colorado, but grew up in Washington which was an hour and a half from Greg Biffle's hometown. The two met in 1998 and proceeded to date for an extensive eight years before he decided to propose to her.
“I just wrapped [the ring] up as a Christmas present—in a Victoria's Secret box,” Biffle said in an article right after their wedding. “So she unwrapped it all not really paying attention, and when she got it all apart, it hit her what it was." The couple divorced in 2016. He married Cristina Grossu in 2022 (Sbnation.com).
Johnny Sauter and Cortney Owen
These two love birds have been together for some time now and their love for one another doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. And often times, when something out of the ordinary happens between to mates, it is often a good sign. On their wedding day, a huge amount of snow poured down and turned it into a winter wonderland.
“We hadn’t had that much snow in Wisconsin in December in years,” said Cortney to the Chicago Tribune. “It turned out to be such a beautiful day for a wedding!” It sounds like they had a great time and to top it off, they spent a week at a resort for their honeymoon.
Krissie Boyle and Ryan Newman
The animal-loving Krissie Boyle met Ryan Newman on a blind date in 2001.The two would go on to marry in 2004, but announced that they separated in 2020 (Yahoo Sports). She loves animals so much that she assisted in establishing the Rescue Ranch and the Ryan Newman Foundation, which both have done an immense amount of work towards helping animals.
Ryan shed some light on how he proposed to his wife. "We had this small fight, not a big fight; she didn't punch me or nothing," Newman said. "She was sitting on a dog pillow petting one of the dogs and I just reached around her and asked her.
Crystal and Sam Hornish
Crystal and Sam Hornish have been together since 2004 and have three children (alot.com).
While Crystal has shared some struggles of being the wife of a NASCAR driver, she and Sam have been able to manage the family dynamic. Their niece, Hope, was a NASCAR Drive for Diversity member in 2016.
Kim and Jeff Burton
Kim and Jeff Burton were high school sweethearts after meeting in 1981. They have been married since 1991 and have two children. Kim was nice gave advice on how to lead a successful marriage.
“My best advice for happiness would be to compromise, but you really have to have a genuine love for the other person starting out," said Kim to Bleacher Report. "I think sometimes people don't realize what genuine love is when they first get together. We have a genuine love for each other and a genuine want for the other person to be happy."
Jamie McMurray and Christy Futrell
Jamie McMurray and Christy Futrell met in 2006. According to The Fast and The Fabulous, when they got married in 2009, Jamie said it felt like he was marrying his best friend.
"Yeah, I got on my knee," Jamie said. "Christy and I have been together for so long, that it’s weird when you’re talking to your friend. You picture that as a child doing it, and you don’t know what the person looks like. We’re sitting there, and I’m like, ‘Gosh, this is my best friend.’ I kind of felt corny. … I’m certainly not Romeo by any means."
Marisa Miller and Jim Miller
The relationship is over between Jim Miller and his ex-wife Marisa Miller, but their relationship is worth mentioning. This is due to the fact that between the year 2000 and 2002, Marisa Miller was considered to be the hottest NASCAR wife (AskMen.com). (The couple divorced in 2002 and she is now married to an owner of a music production company.)
She was a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and was also one of the Victoria's Secret Angels. In addition to being a model, Marisa served as a guest judge for America’s Next Top Model in 2009.
Jeff Gordon And Brooke Sealey
According to Forbes, before he was with his wife Ingrid Vandebosch Gordon, Jeff Gordon was married to Brooke Sealey. Gordon that he proposed one year after meeting her, but the marriage ended in 2003 after nine years.
“I was so nervous I went to the bathroom five times,” he said. “I was trying to get the ring just right. It was in my pocket.” Even if it might have seemed like the best thing, their divorce ended up being one of the most expensive in sports history.
Tony Stewart and Tara Roquemore
Before Tony Stewart married Leah Pruett in 2021, he briefly dated Tara Roquemore in 2006.
Leah Pruett is a semi-retired drag racer who is 17 years Tony's junior. Pruett started racing in 2013 with Dote Racing and her last race was for her husband's racing company. According to the National Hod Rod Association, she is stepping away from racing in 2024, so she and Tony can start a family.
Aric and Janice Almirola
Aric and Janice Almirola got engaged in November of 2009 and were married a year later. Aric Almirola is known as the Cuban Missile because of his Cuban heritage.
Not much is known about their relationship, but we do know they have two children, a boy and a girl (NASCAR).
Connie Freydell-Montoya And Juan Pablo Montoya
Colombian racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya has competed in open-wheel car, sports car, and stock car racing events.
Connie Freydell-Montoya met Juan Pablo Montoya when she asked Juan for his autograph. According to IMSA, the pair ended up falling in love and got married in 2002. They have three children together.
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