Mexican NASCAR driver Regina Sirvent named Barbie Role Model

Mexican NASCAR driver Regina Sirvent has been named a 2026 Barbie Role Model and honored with a one-of-a-kind doll that celebrates her career in motorsports. As the first Mexican woman to compete in the NASCAR Clash, she is breaking barriers in a male-dominated sport and inspiring girls around the world to follow their dreams.

As of last year, women made up just 4% of drivers in the top professional racing categories. In 2022, there were no female drivers competing in NASCAR’s highest level, the Cup Series. The last woman to race in the Daytona 500, the premier event that kicks off the season, was trailblazer Danica Patrick in 2018, according to Good Morning America.

For every young Latina girl who has ever looked at a racetrack and questioned whether she belongs in a male-dominated field, there is now a powerful answer: yes, you do. Thanks to Sirvent’s barrier-breaking journey, that message is now captured in a doll that not only represents Latinas but also speed, strength and the power of possibility. 

She revealed the milestone to fans on her birthday, making the official announcement across her social media platforms on Saturday, February 25. 

“It is an incredible honor that @barbie has chosen me to be a Barbie Role Model, which is a tribute to real stories that can inspire other girls. What moves me most is that they’re not telling a perfect story, they’re telling a real one. A story of falls and victories, sacrifices, frustrations, exciting moments, and hard work… of pushing forward even when it felt easier to give up,” Sirvent said. “I never imagined having a Barbie inspired by me, much less imagining that when a girl sees it, she might feel that there is space for her on the track too, that she can try, that she belongs. And if this story encourages even one girl to take that first step, then every part of the journey will have been worth it.”

Being honored as a Barbie Role model hasn’t been her only achievement, In 2023 Sirvent won the fan vote to compete in the 2024 NASCAR Mexico Series race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Even though only residents of Mexico were eligible to vote, they decided she would be the perfect candidate. Sirvent has also competed in the NASCAR Mexico Truck Series, where she became the first woman to win a race, and the first Latino driver to win a NASCAR international race.

As part of the Barbie Dream Gap Project, the brand shares the stories of remarkable women to show girls that they can be anything they choose to be. For Sirvent, that dream became a reality, following in the footsteps of her grandfather, José, a former rally driver who won the Campeonato Mexicano de Rally in 1974.

Sirvent also shared with her followers in that same message on socials that dreams do come true while sending a message to all the girls dreaming big. “I want to tell you: believe in yourselves. Don’t be afraid to find your own path and work for it. It doesn’t matter if it’s different. It doesn’t matter if it seems difficult. Dare to try, because you can be anything you want to be.”