Racing to Her Dreams: Nashville's newest daughter has NASCAR Cup Series in her sights

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Authenticity. Genuine. That is what to many sets the sport of NASCAR and racing in general apart from others. With nicknames like "The Intimidator," "The Iceman," "Rowdy," "Jaws," and "The King," drivers are at the center of NASCAR, their talents merging with the brightest mechanical minds to create branded car color schemes as iconic as the drivers themselves.

Nashville's newest daughter could be the next center of the racing universe, a talented and passionate ARCA Menards Series driver who is everything you might expect yet refreshingly more. It wasn't just the success of Dale Sr., Dale Jr., Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, or Richard Petty's careers, it was who they were outside of the car which created lasting bonds with fans. If you spend just a few minutes with Logan Misuraca, you quickly realize she is a natural ambassador for NASCAR and the sport in general, her passion for driving matched only by her passion for people.

Logan recently moved to the Nashville area, a stone's throw away from the Nashville Superspeedway (go figure). Now a Tennessean for just over six months, Logan says "I love it here, I love how spacious it is, the people. I want to stay living here as long as possible." Logan was at the speedway over the weekend as part of the NASCAR Racing Experience, zipping celebrities, influencers, and media personalities around the track to provide a taste of the exhilarating intensity she gets to feel weekly.

This is what she does when she's not driving the Clean Harbors ARCA Series car. For Logan, any day behind the wheel is a good one. It is literally, in her blood. Born and raised in Lake Mary, Florida, Logan was just 4-years-old when she started racing at local tracks. Her father was a 360 sprint car driver and his father before that. "I would go to the track with my dad every week and it was all I was surrounded with," Logan says. At the age of 18, she moved into racing Legend cars, winning Rookie of the Year which led to her first sponsorships.

Fast forward a few years, and Logan is now sponsored by Clean Harbors, her next race in Tennessee slated for September 19 at Bristol Motor Speedway for the ARCA 200. Despite her success and continued ascension, Logan knows there are still many hurdles to climb, both as a female and as someone waiting for an opportunity to race in the Cup Series. "It's connections you make or you are born into," Logan says of finding the right sponsors who make it possible for many drivers to get into a team car. "My goal is to be racing full time and racing on Sundays in the Cup Series," Logan says. "Winning at Daytona is on the bucket list." So it is Logan many times pounding the pavement, working together with potential sponsors, NASCAR, race venues, and the like. Logan doesn't shudder at the task. It is a blue collar journey for a blue collar woman.

When she's not racing, not in the gym for strength, heat and G-force training, or not zipping people like us around the track, or content creating, she is working on her 1 in a Million foundation which brings awareness to mental health. She founded the organization right after her first NASCAR start. For just a $1 donation, Logan has those who donate upload a photo which then is used as one of a million pixels on her racecar. She's unguarded as she explains the origins of why such a foundation is important to her and adds "nobody talks about it because in NASCAR you're supposed to be tough."

That's what you don't expect from a professional driver, the unguarded nature and willingness to get to know the people she sees on race day and on the NASCAR Experience tracks. You don't expect her willingness to be her authentic self and not a polished image. You don't expect her to spend hours with a young woman she just met, inspiring her to follow her dreams. You don't expect her to bring lunch to her friends on her day off. You don't expect a driver of her abilities or stature to be so genuine. Yet, at the same time, it is what you expect of a sport which produces some of the most genuine athletes you can meet. Sundays could only get better with Logan Misuraca.