Female NASCAR driver Isabella Robusto creates history at Talladega

Isabella Robusto just created history at the iconic Talladega Superspeedway on April 26, 2025. She secured a third-place finish, the best finish by a female driver at Talladega. The result came in the ARCA Menards series.

Isabella Robusto began racing in go-karts at age five and advanced to Bandelero and Legend Cars before she hit her teenage years. She made history in 2018 as the first female driver to win a Legend Car national qualifier at Texas Motor Speedway. Her early dominance was at the Young Lions Division in South Carolina, and she transitioned to Late Model Stock Cars by 2020.

In 2023, a concussion delayed her ARCA debut when she joined Venturini Motorsports. In 2024, she raced part-time in the ARCA’s national, East, and West series. 2024 was the year she made history with Taylor Reimer by finishing in the top five, making them the only time two female drivers had achieved that in an ARCA race. Isabella Robusto secured her second top-five finish of the 2025 season.

Lawless Alan secured the victory in the General Tire 200 drafting battles, and a mid-race caution was caused by Brendan Queen and Spencer Gallagher’s spin. Cleetus McFarland had an impressive result with a top-ten finish despite having engine problems midway through the race. Lawless Alan claimed his first ARCA victory by edging out Thad Moffitt by 0.069 seconds in a dramatic finish. Andy Jankowiak and Jason Kitzmiller rounded out the top five. The next race in the ARCA Series is set to be held at Kansas Speedway on May 9.

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“I feel confident going into the season and will set some big goals for myself”- Isabella Robusto

Robusto expressed confidence ahead of her full-time debut, stating she aims to “compete for the title and challenge for the win each time out” while targeting the milestone of becoming the first female ARCA champion. She credited Venturini Motorsports - a powerhouse with 107 ARCA wins- and Toyota’s simulator training for accelerating her development.

“I feel confident going into the season and will set some big goals for myself; I’m here to learn but also compete for the title and challenge for the win each time out. Knowing I have a chance to become the first female to win at this level is also exciting and on my mind. There’s a lot of history with VMS and the ARCA Series and I’m proud to be a part of it," Robusto said, as quoted by ARCA Menards' official website.

The move positions Robusto as a central figure in ARCA’s 2025 title race, following Venturini teammates Kris Wright and Toni Breidinger’s strong 2024 performances.