Black Racer Nicole Lyons Talks “White Male” Competition

MN: Tell us about your reality show coming out with 495 Productions.

NL: It’s about my husband and I—me searching/traveling through this motor sport, stepping up to NHRA in different ways. You’re gonna see how hard it is for us to get to where we want to be—problems that happen because we dedicate so much money & time to racings. Friends have weddings—we miss a whole lot of things that a normal person would get to go and have fun and attend.

MN: Are you going to have kids?

NL: I do plan on having kids. My parents didn’t have me until a later age—I don’t want to, until I’m ready. I’m not into the nanny situation; I wanna be there for my kids—see their rehearsals, recitals…I may adopt a kid too; I definitely believe in adoption.

MN: Is race car driving dangerous?

NL: Of course!  Yes, the reason we have the [professional] license, the reason it’s a hard licensing process, the reason why we’re called professionals [is partly because] you know and your family knows that this may be the last time they see you. People don’t realize how fast it is we’re going…Ferraris are not [nearly as] fast. [Race car drivers are] pushing these cars to the brink.

MN: How does your husband feel about your car racing?

NL: He played pro football. (His name is Damion Lyons and he hurt himself in a non-football-related incident—dirt bike riding). He broke his wrists in several different places and can no longer play, so he also played a very dangerous sport where guys are injured all the time, some dying on the field, exhaustion or whatever. We have the pure love for it, passion for it. [People] are more at risk [getting from the] office to home—than I am on the track.

MN: What does it mean to be a “Madame Noire?”

NL: I think it means to be strong, confident, set yourself apart from the others, don’t be afraid to take a stance—encompasses grace and beauty with how you take that stance. It’s an overall feel as well: being beautiful, while doing what you want to do.