Teel moved into the NASCAR Limited Sportsman Division in 1977 where she raced strongly, and in the following year became the first woman to win the series championship.
[1] Outside of racing, Teel drove a school bus on weekdays in the York County area of Virginia as an additional source of income.
[1] Afterward, the promoter of Langley Speedway Joe Carver and her husband entered her at the track which was later described as a "publicity type thing” for a local auto car parts store.
[1][3] In the race, Teel spun entering Langley Speedway's front stretch with four laps remaining, and the event was temporarily stopped to allow officials to clear the track.
[1] She secured two victories along with several top-ten finishes in the 1978 season and clinched the series championship, which made her the first woman to win a NASCAR track title.
[2] She was the first woman to secure a victory at Langley Speedway that same year, which made her the first female to win a NASCAR-sanctioned auto racing event.
[6] Teel spun early in the race and ran in second position with two laps remaining when fellow driver Billy Smith crashed out.
She qualified for the season's fourth round, the Dogwood 500 at Martinsville Speedway, making her the first woman to start a Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series race.
Teel retired from active competition in 1986 after rejecting a sponsorship package worth $1 million to spend more time with her family following a discussion with her husband about her future.