Next month, Quebec native Maryeve Dufault will attempt to qualify for the NASCAR Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200. The race will be Saturday, August 20th at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve road course in Montreal. This will be Dufault's first race in the Nationwide series.
Dufault, 29, presently drives for Tony Marks Racing in the ARCA series, having competed in ten of the eleven races held thus far in 2011. Her best finish is tenth in the Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 150 this past June at Chicagoland Speedway.
Dufault has previously raced in a stock car at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, competing there last year in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series when she finished twenty-sixth after starting twenty-eighth.
Although something of a late comer to stock car racing, Dufault's interest in motorsports has occupied much of her life, starting with her father and brother being heavily involved in motorcycle racing. She herself has competed in various motorcycle, karting and open wheel series including Pro Mazda Star Series and Formula BMW USA. Outside of racing, Dufault has on occasion done various entertainment media items such as stunt car driving, entering and winning the Miss Hawaiian Tropic beauty contest and being one of "Barker's girls" on The Price is Right.
In an interview earlier this month with Bill Zahren, who writes the popular motorsports blog pressdog.com, Dufault discusses her outlook on using her looks as a means to get attention. "You look at Carl Edwards and Tony Kanaan and you see him (Kanaan) in ESPN Magazine. Well, OK, they have been around a long time and have a lot more experience than a developmental driver, but hey, I can do cool stuff too. It’s all good. It comes down to marketing. You gotta get both, marking and talent. Racing is about passion, perseverance and determination."
Given how she's not using her appearance to fast-track her way through the racing world, instead working her way up the stock car ranks, it will be interesting to see how Dufault's career develops. Making the race in Montreal, and acquitting herself as best she can with a one-time team effort, will go a long way toward demonstrating Dufault is both serious about racing and has the necessary skill to advance her career.
Comments