Features

Relaxed pace for Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Katie Sullivan

March 22, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Beside the big sea of semi-rigs and stacker trailers, a smaller grassroots-style gooseneck trailer sits at the end of the PRO pit row. The pit configuration is more fitting of the relaxed pace for Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Katie Sullivan and her father-daughter team based out of Corning, California. Sullivan, who at age 18 was the youngest female to ever qualify for and NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle event, has been a steady face in the class ever since, working hard to make her Pro Stock Motorcycle dream a reality.

She began in the Junior Dragster ranks at the age of nine, quickly falling in love with the sport and earning herself one track championship, one runner-up, and numerous event wins in the junior ranks. Around age 12, she fell in love watching motorcycles racing, and knew she belonged on a drag bike. That dream turned into a reality shortly after her 16th birthday. Her first year on a drag bike, she appeared in 5 finals and qualified number 1 at numerous events. But at the age of 17, she suffered a devastating knee injury while playing high school basketball, that sidelined her racing.

Determined to come back to her motorcycle, she spent hours in physical therapy with the goal to climb back on the bike and resume her racing career. Once she was able to overcome the injury, she quickly set her sights on becoming the youngest female to ever qualify in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle. At 18, just days after her high school graduation, Katie was able to accomplish her goal of qualifying for an NHRA national event. She became just the seventh female to do so in the class, and even earned her first round win against her childhood idol, Karen Stoffer in her first professional start.

In 2009, Katie and Charlie purchased their own Pro Stock Motorcycle, embarking on their own program which has allowed Katie the flexibility to finish her college education and handling her full-time responsibilities for her two own businesses: Kalifornia Katie’s Trailer Sales and Tough Girl Designs. Though she would love to be out on the tour full-time, the fun and family-focused relaxed pace for Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Katie Sullivan has been very rewarding for her personally. The duo spend their time together traveling on the road to races, and working on the bike during the evening hours when home. Though it may be a lot of hard work for the small team, and can be especially tiring when returning to a full-time job at home, Katie says her heart is in NHRA PSM racing, as evident by her persistent smile. At the track, she enjoys interacting with the fans in a more relaxed and friendly setting, and takes time to help inspire kids by allowing them to be up close to her PSM bike, even sitting them on the seat for photos.

2016 Gatornationals

Katie and her dad Charlie made the over 40 hour and 2,900 mile haul from their northern California home base to Gainesville, Florida for the 47th annual Amalie Motor Oils NHRA Gatornationals, the Pro Stock Motorcycle (PSM) class season opening event. Last season, they attended 5 events total – Charlotte, Denver, Sonoma, Las Vegas and Pomona – finishing 23rd out of 39 drivers in the class at the end of the year. They made a few changes over the off-season on her Suzuki PSM and were ready to get started in Katie’s eighth professional PSM season of racing in Gainesville.

But the family encountered some unexpected issues in qualifying. In the opening round, Katie made it about 400 feet out before having to abort, coasting to an 11.695 at 68.94 mph. Round two saw her launch stray towards the wall, resulting in another aborted run of 12.132 at 63.73 mph. In round three, she made her best pass of the weekend, running a 7.136 at 187.26 mph, moving her from the bottom of the ladder to the No. 23 position. Between rounds, the team had made some changes to the carburetors looking to improve, but something went wrong in the linkages after the burnout, and while trying to stage the bike for her final attempt to get into the field, the idle refused to come down. NHRA shut the bike down for safety, and Katie would not qualify for the Gatornationals this year, ending up in the No. 25 spot.

Undiscouraged, she plans to try again at the 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte later in April. They will regroup and come up with a game plan to pick back up and improve their efforts. Always mindful of their limited resources, they arranged to house the bike with a fellow competitor on the east coast to avoid another pair of cross-country hauls. Though she has yet to earn her first event victory, she’s having fun and to her, that’s just as rewarding.

Best of luck to “Kalifornia” Katie Sullivan!

Ireland Karting Driver, Alyx Coby

March 10, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

At an age where most of her schoolmates are preoccupied with music, fashion and the average tweenager rites of passage, 11 year-old Alyx Coby is making her presence known in the Ireland Karting scene.

Hailing from Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland, Alyx grew up around the karting world. Her father, Gary, raced them when he was much younger, and her uncle Aaron still competes. For her, it was inevitable that she would end up behind the wheel herself, and she took that opportunity by testing shortly after her eighth birthday. Her father and uncle coached her on mastering one skill at a time, gaining seat time in testing when the opportunities were available.

“My dad and my uncle took me out for some test days after my eighth birthday and it’s just been a case of getting out for as much testing as possible and working on one particular thing at a time to get it right before moving on to the next thing.”

In 2013, she entered her first official race. She would capture a few top 5 finishes that year, winning two novice finals in her rookie season. Her second season, she continued to improve, winning her first qualifying heat and appearing on the podium several times. But her third season in Karting would be a breakout year for Alyx Coby. She won three finals and set six fastest lap records, finishing the season in 5^th place for the championship.

“I had a great start to the year and at the third round of the championship I finished in second place in the two qualifying heats and went on to win both finals on the day. That’s when I knew that I had what it took to be successful in karting. I always enjoyed racing, but this was when I really fell in love with it.”

At the end of the year in 2015, Alyx Coby made the jump up to the IAME X30 Junior class, becoming the youngest driver and the first girl to race the class in Ireland. The class features 125cc engines that produce 28 horsepower and can reach speeds up to 70 miles per hour. Alyx will be competing in the IAME X30 Junior class for the Motorsport Ireland Karting Championship this season in a new, more powerful FA-Alonso Kart.

“Being the first girl to win a national final at cadet level in Ireland was pretty special and unique. Nobody else will ever be able to say that. There are not that many girls racing karts in Ireland so a lot of the time when I do something I’m the first to do it. Last year I became the first girl to race the IAME X30 in Ireland.”

With the new class and kart comes new challenges. Alyx works hard away from the track to meet the physical demands of the sport – aiming at increasing her strength and upper body control.

“My new kart for the 2016 season is bigger and more powerful than the one I used in the Cadet class for the last three years and the tyres have a lot more grip so it requires more effort to get the kart through the corners. After my first few long runs in the kart my arms were really sore so I have had to spend the winter doing extra training to build up the strength in my arms. I recently started doing Karate and train four nights a week for two hours and also on Saturdays. It is really helping me and it is a lot of fun too.”

At the track, Alyx’s only focus is driving and improving her skills on the track. Her father handles the business side of the team: loading/unloading the truck, getting them to the races, setting up awnings, setting up kart for competition. But Alyx is beginning to learn from him on the basic mechanics of the kart and how to set it up, adding that for now, she’ll leave it to the experts. She focuses on fine tuning her driving skills, adding more race events whenever possible to increase her experience.

“Testing only gets you so far, you still need racing experience to improve. Having somebody else to use as a target or reference on track is so much more valuable that just doing lap after lap in testing on my own so I try to get out as often as I can in local club meetings in between the Championship races and over the winter.”

The demands and discipline needed to be successful in karting help Alyx at school to focus and concentrate and have helped develop her self-esteem.

“It has made me tougher and more determined and winning my first few races gave me more confidence in myself, that I could do anything if I put my mind to it. Being around older drivers has also helped me to be more mature than a lot of girls my age.”

Between the demands of her race schedules, school and karate, Alyx doesn’t have the typical life of an 11 year-old. At first, her classmates didn’t understand her passion for racing, and what she was involved with. But that all changed after her first win received some local news coverage.

“When they first heard I was racing karts they thought it was just like bumping cars or the little rental karts they have at some tracks. It was only after I won my first race and appeared in the local newspaper that they realised what it was I did. Now they all think it is pretty cool and some of them keep up to date with what I’m doing by checking the news on my website or following my Facebook and Instagram accounts!”

But even with her success, Alyx Coby has faced some obstacles in her path. Two years ago, the young racer was involved in a big crash at the beginning of the season that led to her kart rolling over several times and ejecting her from the seat. She was ok, and wasn’t badly injured physically, but the emotional side shook her up considerably. Through time, experience and motivation from her father and uncle, she works to overcome the lingering obstacles that the crash created.

“I have a fear of crashing,” said Alyx. “… It took me a while to get used to being in the middle of a big group of karts. I’ll get over that with a bit more experience though.”

For now, Alyx is excited to take the next step in her racing career. Her racing role model is her father, who she looks up to in the sport. His support and guidance have meant everything to the young driver, who is eager to follow in his footsteps and make him proud.

“My dad is my racing hero. People at the track are always telling me they remember him racing when he was younger and tell me stories about when they raced against him so I really want to be as good as he was. I think my biggest fear is coming in after a bad race and having to face my dad and explain to him what went wrong!”

With a bright future in front of her, Alyx Coby is determined to carve out a career in motorsports. She is putting in the work to improve as a driver, with ultimate hopes of a future in Formula 1 racing.

“When I’m older I would love to race cars and maybe go all the way to F1 but for now I’m focusing on karting and the main goal is to win the Motorsport Ireland Karting Championship at least once.”

One thing is certain, we have just seen the start of a bright career for Alyx Coby.

Best of luck this season!

Video from Alyx Coby Racing

Alyx Coby – On board video. March 5th 2016Some more on board footage from the 360 camera.

Posted by Alyx Coby Racing on Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Behind the scenes: Aerospace Components

March 7, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Kim Kussy, the inspiring President/CMO and Finalist for Professional of the Year, recently gave Horsepower & Heels a behind-the-scenes tour of the Aerospace Components facility. Check out how Kim, husband and co-owner Al Kussy, and their team of amazing employees at Aerospace deliver 100% Made in the USA, top-notch, high quality products and solutions to the drag racing industry.

Located in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg, Florida, the Aerospace Components facility is minutes away from the exquisite beaches of the Gulf coast. Now a state-of -the-art 35,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility, the company that Kim and Al began nearly 30 years ago has evolved from its original roots of government contracting work, where they machined parts that were utilized in defense and aerospace projects such as the international space station. In those early years, Kim and Al worked their full-time day jobs before spending their evenings building the Aerospace business.

Aerospace Components Tour

Take the tour with us by scrolling through the photo gallery below:

Aerospace Components

2625 75 Street North
St Petersburg, FL 33710
Phone: (727) 347-9915
Online: http://www.aerospacecomponents.com

Girl Trouble – Courtney Mageau

February 17, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Edmonton, Alberta native Courtney Mageau grew up immersed in Drag Racing. The youngest in a family of four girls, her father and grandfather had raced alcohol altereds and funny cars while she was growing up. The elder girls often would accompany dad to the track, while Courtney and her other sister stayed home with their mom. At bigger events, when the entire family would attend the race, Courtney remembers sitting in the stands to cheer on her dad.

…Although I didn’t know much about cars and engines, I loved sitting in the stands when my dad went up to race.”

Each of her older sisters were given shots in the junior dragster ranks, but none really took to the sport. That was until, at age 12, Courtney raised her hand… “Hey, do I get a turn?” and a new legacy was born.

I don’t know if I’ll ever truly understand my motivation to start racing in the first place. I think part of it was wanting to do something that was unique, that none of my friends did. Another part of it was getting to spend quality time with my dad. The other piece of it was having grown up a pretty shy, un-athletic, kind of scared kid, I was just grasping at straws trying to find something to be passionate about! Whatever the reason, I started racing when I was 13 and haven’t looked back.”

Starting with the junior dragster she raced at 13 years-old, Courtney Mageau felt she had a bit of a late start to the sport.

People are often surprised to hear I started racing so young, but drag racers know that is almost a late start for kids, with many starting to run the class at 7 or 8 years old.”

Still, she traveled with her father and grandfather to different tracks, racing in different conditions and facing new competitors she wasn’t familiar with. Though she was gaining experience, she didn’t have many breakthrough moments in the class, finishing 2^nd only once during her three-year stint in the Junior Dragster ranks.

I had a lot of fun, but I wouldn’t exactly say my car was competitive.”

Moving Up – Crewing and Brackets

When she turned 16, Courtney sold her Junior Dragster and focused her energy on becoming a crewmember on her father’s team for the next two years. In 2009, she would climb back behind the wheel to earn her competition license in an ET Bracket Dragster, running twice that season.

But her big breakthrough moment came during the 2010 season, when Courtney would take home the championship at the IHRA Rocky Mountain Nationals in the Top ET category. 19-year-old Mageau fought through a full, tough field to land herself the victory in the class.

It felt like I had to win more rounds in that event than I had won in my cumulative years of racing in the junior program! The whole weekend, I kept waiting for the spell to break, but it didn’t. To experience my first career win at such a high profile event is indescribable. After going home that weekend, I approached racing with higher confidence and higher stakes! There have been many more rounds and events won since then, but nothing compares to that first-time feeling.”

She spent 6 years in the class, while working on and receiving her Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Alberta in 2013. In addition to her driving duties, Courtney handles sponsor relations, and social media marketing for the team, also working in the shop 2-3 times per week as crew, doing maintenance on the car, while balancing workload at an engineering firm in Human Resources/Recruiting.

My Bachelor’s degree in commerce has helped quite a bit to build my confidence speaking to people. If someone had told me 5 years ago that I would be primarily responsible for talking to sponsors, I would have freaked out. As it is, the transition has come pretty naturally.

I don’t think it matters what you take in school- but I’m a firm believer that those who stay in school and who go that step further to pursue post-secondary show a certain level of determination and commitment to get things done that will help them to be successful in motorsports.”

Girl-Trouble Funny Car

Now, 25-year-old Courtney Mageau will be following in the legacy of her father for a run at the Pro-Nostaglia Funny Car division, the Blown Alcohol Funny Car class that he competed in when she was a child, running 6.90- 7.50 seconds in the quarter mile.

After acquiring a 1955 Thunderbird Funny Car in October 2014, they spent the off-season preparing the car for competition. A used car that had sat untouched for nearly a decade, the team had their work cut out for them, making repairs and improving the engine combination.

Last year, Courtney earned her competition license in the class, and plans a full season of competition in 2016 “Girl Trouble” T-Bird.

I’m very excited because this is the class my dad was racing in when I first got into Junior Dragster driving, and many of the people he raced against are still driving in the class (as are some of their sons). I’m the first female to license in this class in Alberta. I get the privilege to pave the way for other female drivers in Western Canada, along with Sherri Bodnarchuk who hails from Saskatchewan, Canada. I plan to stick to this class for a couple of years and see where things take me from there!”

Courtney leans on the nearly 50 years of racing experience behind her family name, crediting her father as her main coach since day one, adding “His advice is gold. I trust him and know that together we have what it takes to win.”

Their biggest road block, like many racers, is in finding resources and finances to be competitive. Growing up in a big family, the team came from humble beginnings, and work hard to make their efforts and resources last in such an expensive sport.

Every car I have raced has been purchased used and repaired by our family and skilled crew. Some racers have the luxury of pushing their cars to the limits- and if something breaks, they replace it. We don’t have that option, and are always fighting to put together the best racecars we can with limited resources. Our sponsors help keep things affordable, but we have to be creative and slowly build things as we move to the next level. That’s been the biggest challenge.”

With the Drag Racing community being one of the most supportive of women, she has always felt very welcomed by her racing counterparts.

If people are critical, they are careful not to say it to my face! If anyone scoffs when they see me (or any other girls) driving up in the other lane, I would be pleased. Only half of the sport of drag racing takes place on the track- the other half takes place in your head. The amount of focus it takes to react and to make decisions when you’re running at 170 mph+… I like to think that if someone’s not taking me seriously just because I’m a female, then they aren’t entirely bringing their A-game, and they’re probably going to make mistakes for it. The best way to dispel any nay-sayers is to kick their butts.”

But outside the sport, many people are shocked to learn that Courtney is a drag racer.

The overall mix of being young, female, and working in an office environment doesn’t fit the “Race Car Driver” stereotype. No one ever believes that I drive these cars until I show them pictures or videos or the oil under my fingernails! I am fortunate that when people get over the initial surprise, they are supportive and excited. “

Things get pretty chaotic at the track between driving the racecar and handling all of the crew responsibilities of doing the maintenance between runs, but Courtney is very dedicated to remaining available to the fans. She knows how important their support is to the sport and the tracks, especially loves talking to the kids, and the young ladies in particular, about what she does at the racetrack. She takes photos with them in the car, answering questions and hoping to inspire them to achieve their dreams. Having been on her own career-journey, she offers this advice:

Don’t be afraid to ask for (or offer) help. If you’re looking to get your start on a team, spend some time wandering around the pits getting to know the teams and seeing if any are willing to train new crew. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. If your school offers a trades or automotives option, take it! Even if you don’t become involved in racing, the skills you learn in these classes will benefit you for your whole life. Don’t feel afraid to break the stereotype of “male hobbies” or “female hobbies.” And don’t be afraid to be well-rounded or to try new things. When I was in highschool, I was on my school’s cheerleading team. If you want to see someone raise their eyebrows, tell them you’re a cheerleading dragracer. But who’s to say you can’t be both?”

We couldn’t agree more. We can’t wait to see Courtney Mageau and her Girl Trouble Funny Car in 2016 and beyond. We wish you all the best!

Morgan Bartley – Blade Gone Sweet

February 12, 2016 // by Mackenzie LaRue

The sport of truck and tractor pulling is just about as “grass-roots” as motorsports gets. Its easy to imagine men taking their horses (and later tractors) out into their back field, and competing to see who had the strongest team. I can only imagine what the woman’s role was in the early years of this sport, probably preparing lunch for the men to have after a full morning of competition. Fast forward to 2016 and the role of women in truck and tractor pulling has dramatically changed. It is quickly growing into a more popular form of motorsports, and with that there has been a dramatic increase in female drivers. Women like Rodalyn Knox, the driver of the Sassy Massey, were the trailblazers in the sport, leading the way for the dozens of female drivers today. In fact, it is becoming so popular that last year at the National Tractor Pulling Championship in Bowling Green, Ohio, in the super modified two wheel drive class of 53 competitors, 11 were female drivers.

Morgan Bartley | Blade Gone Sweet Truck Pull

One of those drivers is seventeen year old Morgan Bartley from Saluda, South Carolina. Morgan is the driver of a super modified two wheel drive truck that she calls Blade Gone Sweet. Her truck features a 1923 Ford T-Bucket body and a 526 Keith Black Hemi. She competes at a Grand National level with the National Truck and Tractor Pullers Association throughout her summers. 2015-2016 may have been her rookie year driving, but she is no rookie to the sport of truck pulling. Morgan’s family have deep roots in the sport of truck and tractor pulling, with her dad being a 25 year veteran of the sport. It was only natural for Morgan to follow in the footsteps of her father and brother and become a driver when her time came.

My dad has been pulling 25 years, and I’ve been involved with the sport my entire life. Ever since I knew what pulling was I knew that I wanted to be in the drivers seat one day too!”

Morgan’s rookie year began with the development of a new truck for her to drive. Naturally, when a new combination is being tested out many gremlins show their nasty head. This resulted in Morgan having a more challenging rookie year than most, not only fighting her nerves that result as a new driver, but also being faced with mechanical failure. Despite the many challenges she has faced, Morgan has come out on top, proving to the community that she belongs in the drivers seat. Recently, Morgan has shown the sport of truck and tractor pulling that she has what it takes to be a champion. At the end of January at the C Bar C NTPA Winter Nationals, Morgan experienced the excitement of a second place finish when she piloted her truck to a pull off against one of the best drivers in truck and tractor pulling.

The sport of truck and tractor pulling has given Morgan many unique opportunities and experiences. Her team consists of two trucks, with her dad driving one and Morgan driving the other. This gives Morgan the unique opportunity to compete directly against her father. He is not only her crew chief, but he is also her competition. She has also experienced many summers spent in their hauler, travelling all across the United States. Truck and tractor pulling has given Morgan and her family the opportunity to meet many different people, and develop close relationships with them.

Getting to travel all over the U.S. competing with my family, and even more exciting getting to compete against my dad. Getting to travel and meet people who become like family is special also!”

Morgan has experienced a great amount of support throughout her rookie year as a female driver. However that does not mean she has not experienced her share of challenges during her short driving career. Being born and raised in the sport of truck and tractor pulling gave many people very high expectations for Morgan’s driving career. That can be incredibly intimidating and was something Morgan had to face.

Living up to my friends and families high expectations they had set for me. All of the “first time driving jitters” and the nervousness of having so much power sitting in front of me in an eight second ride.”

Despite her first year being challenging, Morgan is confident in her abilities and cannot wait to continue her career as a driver. She has a firm belief in setting goals and she is driven to complete those she has set for herself. Her rookie year has shown a great deal of resilience, which is inspiring to many female drivers.

Don’t give up. Set your mind to your goals you have made and go out and get them!”

With her rookie year coming to a close, Morgan is looking forward to the future of her driving career. She plans on coming out strong next year in the race for a Grand National points championship with her truck Blade Gone Sweet.

I plan to be a top contender for my upcoming 2016 season and stand a chance at winning a Grand National title.”

Morgan’s natural affinity for driving and her passion for the sport has already taken her so far! We wish her all the best and cannot wait to see what the 2016 season has in store for Morgan Bartley!

Good luck Morgan and congratulations on all of your achievements this year!

Rachel Kullman: Shifting gears in SCCA Racing

February 9, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Most high school graduates are just venturing out to explore the possibilities of what the future can hold for them, but eighteen year-old Rachel Kullman has just shifted gears to a high-speed life on the fast- track of SCCA racing.

Rachel Kullman – the early years

Growing up, Rachel Kullman was no stranger to a track surface. Her father, Paul Kullman, owner of No Mo’ Money Race Engineering, began a career in sports car racing over 15 years ago. Rachel, her mom and sister would all accompany him to his racing events, cheering him on from the sidelines. When Rachel turned 11, her father treated her to a trip to DeSoto Speedway, a go-karting track in Bradenton, FL – an hour south of their Seminole, Florida home. Rachel was immediately hooked, and the family brought home her first kart that very same day.

Rachel was an active young lady, participating in soccer, karate, and dance throughout her elementary and middle school years. She balanced 7 years of karate, 4 years of soccer, 3 years of karting, and a year of dance with a busy academic workload. In high school, Rachel was dual-enrolled in both her regular curriculum and college coursework, getting a jump start on her college education. She now is enrolled at St. Petersburg Community College and plans to transfer to the University of Florida to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a veterinarian. She also works at Vernon Photography during her time away from classes.

But despite her busy schedule, one thing has never left Rachel – a deep love for racing that fuels her passion to follow in her father’s footsteps. She competed in karts from 2009-2011, and says of the experience; “From there on, I was hooked on this addicting sport and have loved it ever since.”

Moving up: Rachel Kullman in SCCA

While racing in karts sparked her love for the sport, it was the time she spent in the team’s No Mo Money Racing shop that she began to learn more about the world of SCCA racing. Spending time at her father’s side, she was gaining valuable experience and knowledge about what it takes to compete in sports car racing. This hands-on experience would help her when it was time to get behind the wheel herself.

When we are at the track, my job is to grab whatever tool,equipment, etc. that he may need and run any errands that he may need to do like get fuel or go to the store to get more water or parts for the car. If we are doing an enduro race my duty is to be the fire bottle girl on pit stops. I also hand him any tools he needs on pit lane and help out with anything that I can. When we are not at the track, I try to come whenever I can to the shop and help him work on the cars.”

At 16 years-old, when many are just getting their driver’s license to drive for the first time, Rachel was attending her first SCCA driver schools: at Daytona International Speedway and Sebring International Speedway. These schools assign a teacher through SCCA to monitor students’ driving line and observe safety of new drivers. They test knowledge and reaction to flags (yellow, red, mechanical or “meatball”, black) and judge students’ understanding and response. Graduates of the school earn certificates, giving them the green light to compete in regional races. Once students complete two regional race weekends successfully, they are granted an official SCCA license. Rachel attended the schools in May and June 2014. She learned to improve her lines and cornering,and entered her first SCCA Majors race at Homestead Miami Speedway in January 2015 in her very own 1990 Mazda Miata prepped for the track. She moved on that month to the second race at Sebring, and the third event in February at NOLA Speedway in New Orleans.

In May 2015, she returned to the Daytona driver’s school to test a new transmission in her STU prepped Miata. All of the experience she had been gaining and her testing earned her a second place finish in a 90-minute enduro race at Daytona International Speedway that month, her first-ever enduro attempt. She would move on to compete at the 2015 SCCA Runoffs at Daytona International Speedway in September 2015, finishing 14^th overall. Rachel would finish out the 2015 season with a third place finish in the SCCA regional race, second place in the SCCA Regional Championship October race, and landing in the No. 3 position overall for the championship points trophy in the SCCA Regional Series.

Shifting gears – Rachel Kullman overcomes

In just her short year and a half in sports car racing, Rachel Kullman has exceeded all expectations, growing as a promising young driver in the STU ranks. She has been surprised at the attention and support she has received from her peers.

Being a girl doing a “guy sport”, people are actually very interested in what I do. I race with SCCA, and the people there are just absolutely amazing. They are always cheering for me and helping us with anything we may need, were just one big giant family.”

One memorable experience for Rachel came while at the Daytona school testing her new transmission.

I had only been racing for a year at this point and at the very end of the school there is a “mini race”. Being that this was a school there was a small number of experienced drivers like myself there. I believe there was four of us, and at the start of the race, us four pulled the rest of the pack by at least three seconds or so. There was one faster car, then there was me and this other Miata. Since we both have the same car the battle between us was pretty great. I was leading for most of it then I messed up in a corner and he passed me, but on the very last lap in the first horseshoe at Daytona International Speedway, I late braked him and passed him on the inside in front of all the instructors, workers and fans. When I came off the track I had a parade of people coming up to my car and clapping for me and telling me how awesome of a move that was. I had instructors come up to me that had seen me just a year before at my first driver school and tell me how impressed they were with how much my driving had improved. It definitely is a day I will never forget.”

Even with great support and encouragement, the learning curve of racing isn’t without its difficulties. Rachel said an early mistake on track hurt her confidence and created a roadblock she works hard to overcome.

One of the biggest roadblocks that I have had to overcome and still am over coming is to trust my car will do what it is supposed to do. When I first began racing, I was learning how to take the corners and when to enter and exit them. Due to entering the corner wrong I spun out on exit and someone who didn’t see me hit me. Ever since then I’ve had doubts in the car, thinking that it won’t stick even though it will.”

Rachel works to overcome this fear by studying her corners using iRacing, an online simulator software, where she is able to familiarize herself with the tracks and practice before she straps into the car to go out and race them. She also leans on her best friend, another more experienced racer, who helps her to analyze the corners, correcting them when they are wrong and offering solid advice that Rachel relates well to. With his assistance, Rachel has seen much improvement on the track, a fantastic boost to her confidence.

Miata’s are known for how they handle in corners, they don’t have very much speed but they handle corners so well that I have passed BMW’s and Mustangs going through corners. I am slowly but surely over coming this fear, and one day soon I will drive the car to its full potential and have 100% faith that it will hold out.”

With such a strong support system behind her, Rachel hasn’t ever felt any different being one of the few women racing. In fact, the only time her gender has ever been addressed was from one astonished man at the SCCA races.

While I was away helping the crew pack somethings into the trailer, a guy who knew me thru SCCA walked up to some of our crew mates and asked them, “does she really drive that good or is it just her car”. Our crew members replied that it really is my driving and not the car, and just walked away from the situation. When I found out about it, at first I took it as an insult because I knew he was just saying that because I’m a girl, but then I re-thought about what the guy said and realized that it actually was a compliment! Him asking that question, basically stated that he thought I was a good driver, and that’s all that matters to me.”

Rachel Kullman’s Plans for the Future

Rachel and her team are currently preparing a new racecar for the 2016 season, a 1999 Mazda Miata that will allow Kullman to be more competitive in the STU class. While she continues her studies and works towards her goal of becoming a veterinarian, she remains very dedicated to her racing program. Rachel plans to race in the Southeastern conference of the SCCA Majors this season, with aim at the SCCA Runoffs at Indianapolis Speedway. She is confident her team has what it takes, but needs sponsor support to make it happen. When not racing herself, she often works the corners at races, staying involved with the sport by waving the flags and making calls on the radio, something she takes great joy in doing.

To other young ladies entering the sport, she offers this advice:

Somethings that I have learned are to never give up on yourself. I personally had a hard time at first learning stick shift, but I practiced every day and now it’s like second nature to me. There is going to be lots of bumps in the road when it comes to racing and achieving your dreams, but don’t ever give up and don’t let anyone tell you that you won’t be able to do it.”

One thing is certain: she’s just taken off in what promises to be an exciting journey in sports car racing. We can’t wait to see where Rachel Kullman will take her SCCA career to next.

Best of luck this season, Rachel Kullman!

Enjoyed this article? You can keep up with Rachel’s career and hundreds of other women in racing by subscribing to receive free Horsepower & Heels news updates.

Trucking along with Mackenzie La Rue

February 1, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Mackenzie La Rue | Child’s Play

Truck pulling has been in Mackenzie La Rue’s DNA since birth. The 22 year-old grew up traveling with her father in the family’s hauler, attending truck and tractor pulls in their native Canada and all across the United States. As a 30-year truck pulling veteran, Mackenzie’s dad was a competitive player in the sport, and Mackenzie took note from an early age, getting involved in the family passion from the time she was able to operate the tow-back vehicle. She served as crew chief for her father, aiding him in pursuit of his 2005 National Tractor Pullers Association points championship title. That experience is what she credits to inspiring her to get behind the wheel herself of her very own truck pulling machine.

In 2005 my dad was the points champion of the National Tractor Pullers Association, which involved us campaigning his truck called Poison Ivy all across the United States. It was then that I decided that I wanted to drive one day. When I turned 16, my dad built my first truck, which I named Child’s Play, out of the spare parts he had lying around the shop.”

The Uxbridge, Ontario native expanded her duties as crew chief, getting comfortable with the trucks initially through her work at the shop – starting them up and moving them around the pits. But tractor pulling doesn’t exactly offer a training course for driving these powerful machines, so getting behind the wheel of her own truck was a leap of faith, jumping in with both feet.

Before my first time driving I practiced backing up in the truck a few times and other than that I could not practice. I learned by listening to my dad and following his instructions. But I also learned by making a lot of mistakes!”

Child’s Play – Making it look easy

Tractor Pulling is known as “the world’s heaviest motorsport,” with the goal of determining the strongest machine and the best driver. Different to every other motorsport in the world, it is not about the speed, but distance pulled. The distance from start to finish is measured in thousandths of an inch and the tractor that pulls the sled the furthest distance is declared the winner.

Mackenzie competes in the Super Modified Two-wheel drive category of the Ontario Truck and Tractor Pullers Association in her ‘Child’s Play’ Chevrolet S-10 equipped with a 526 inch blown hemi power plant. These machines are modified into high torque, high horsepower monsters that are intimidating to average person. For Mackenzie, having to overcome the fear and nerves was the most difficult obstacle to overcome personally when getting behind the wheel of the 2,500 horsepower machine.

My biggest road block that I have had to overcome is the fear that comes with driving something so powerful. My entire first year driving I would get myself so worked up I would cry as soon as I finished pulling. Had it not been for my dad encouraging me to continue, I believe that I would have quit driving that year. It’s hard to develop confidence in something that happens so quickly you often cannot remember what you did!”

Driving these machines takes quick thinking and fast reactions, and Mackenzie focuses on keeping the truck straight with the front wheels in the air. Using hand brakes, she is able to correct and keep the truck from drifting out of bounds by applying pressure to the brake in the opposite direction of the pull’s drift. This takes finesse and quick judgement, because utilizing the brakes sacrifices distance, but waiting too long to correct can result in out-of-bounds disqualification. All of this takes place in seconds.

When I first started driving I actually could not tell you a single thing I did in the truck, it went by too quickly. With more experience and less nerves I’m now a lot more aware of my actions. Usually you try to wait as long as you can before hitting a brake, but sometimes it won’t respond if you wait too long. Before I pull I’m constantly running through my head what I should do. Depending on the track I usually know how I should be opening the throttle before I hook to the sled, so I often practice the speed that I should be moving my hand. I always try to remind myself what brake to hit before I pull also, if there is a more muddy side to the track I’ll know that I will likely get pulled that way. Since you have to hit the opposite side brake to correct it, I usually remind myself before I even get on the track!”

Growing up in the sport, many of Mackenzie La Rue’s competitors had known the young driver her entire life and considered her family, so she has always had plenty of support behind her as she developed her driving skills.

I have been very lucky in my 6 years of driving and I have never once received criticism from fellow competitors,” said Mackenzie. “I was welcomed with open arms into the sport and I have always been encouraged to continue.”

La Rue would go on to claim the 2010 Great Lakes Truck and Tractor Pullers Association Points Championship and the 2010 Central Ontario Tractor Pullers Association Points Championship her first year as a rookie in the two wheel drive class, one of the youngest and first women to win the championship. She defended her Ontario Tractor Pullers championship in 2011, earning a repeat title.

Mackenzie has now been competing for six years, and the college student, who is nearing her graduation with a teaching degree, truly enjoys the time she gets to spend alongside her father in the truck pulling circuit. They run a two-truck team, with both playing roles of driver and crew chief for the other’s truck.

We both campaign trucks in the same class, and although we are a team, it’s still fun to be competitive with one another. My dad is also our mechanic, chauffeur, and my driving instructor. He is amazing and works so hard to keep our team running, it would be impossible without him!”

Between pulls, Mackenzie and her dad run routine maintenance on the engines to prepare for the next hook. They service spark plugs to evaluate their engine tune, and make adjustments to the fuel settings based on how the plugs burned from the previous pull. Valve adjustments are made and oil filters are checked for any indicators of damage, sometimes requiring more in-depth tear down between pulls. Engine refreshes occur between events a few times throughout the season, and a complete overhaul is done during the offseason to ensure a fresh powerplant for the next season.

Truck Pulling into the future

Mackenzie’s grown as a driver in the past six years, and hopes to continue on in her local series, with the ultimate goal of racing in the National Tractor Pullers Association and following in the footsteps of her father to win a championship title. She is proud of her achievements in the sport, and enjoys surprising fans when she gets out of the truck at the pulls.

…Being a woman in pulling, it’s always funny to see the looks that you get when people realize you’re a driver. I have gotten a lot of people saying “YOU drive THAT?!” which always makes me laugh!”

Mackenzie says that building her confidence up has been key to her success. She learns from every pull and keeps nerves in-check.

The number one thing I have learned from tractor pulling is that you need to have confidence in everything you do! You need to be proud of your achievements and not let nerves and fear overshadow what you can truly do. It’s easy for me to get out on the track and let the nerves get to me, before I even pull I’m already beating myself! It’s much harder for me to go out there and be confident in my ability, I have to constantly remind myself ‘I can do this!’. Even when you lose you can always find things you’ve done well in a pull, even if it is the simplest thing, like backing into the sled really straight.”

Though she vows to remain loyal to her roots in the supercharged/alcohol based powerplant ranks, Mackenzie has high hopes for something with even more power in the future.

I’ve grown up in the two wheel drive class and I love it, but in the future I’d love to step into something with a bit more power. Our trucks currently make between 2500-3000 horsepower. There is a class called the Light Unlimited Modified class which I would love to explore. It is a modified tractor class that allows for 2 supercharged alcohol engines. I think it would be interesting to double the horsepower I’m working with but it would also double the work!”

Whether its 2,500 horsepower, or 10,000 horsepower – inch by inch, Mackenzie La Rue is making the world of truck pulling look as effortless as Child’s Play. We can’t wait to see where her career will lead her next!

Best of luck, Makenzie La Rue!

Meet INDYCAR Driver Mianna Wick

January 12, 2016 // by Kelly Morris

She started out in karts, moved from Formula Ford to Formula Mazda, and now is taking on INDYCAR.

19 year old Mianna Wick, is just as busy off-track as she is on. A college degree in small business and majoring in marketing, she also is a part time owner with her parents business of LBF Motorsports known as Living by Faith Motorsports.

To have the skill to drive an INDYCAR is somewhat rare, let alone drive it well. It takes so much mental discipline, as well as physical, and it takes a sense of just being able to feel the car and understand it’s language which can’t always be taught. It is incredibly hard, but incredibly rewarding. You have to stay focused not only when your driving, but when your home working out, pursuing potential sponsors, or connecting with fans.”

Mianna Wick – Love For Racing

At just 6 years old, Mianna and her family moved many times, far away from her hometown. They struggled at finding family activities they could really get involved with. One day, Mianna’s father pitched a great idea that they would put together a family kart with his mechanic skills. Once they began playing around with it, they decided they needed faster karts. They began to pave themselves a small track, eventually used for LBF Motorsports rentals. Mianna started to become addicted to the thought of racing, spending more time in the seat. Her family saw how much she loved it, that they began taking her to the local track.

My current team Loophole Racing, picked me up and started training me in a FF, FM and now just moved me to an INDYCAR. Driving and INDYCAR is the most peaceful and amazing feel one can get from an activity. The very first time I drove an INDYCAR the only way I could describe how it felt to others, was that it felt like I was home.”

Being a Woman in Motorsports

Being around the guys, especially in Motorsports can prove to be challenging for a young lady. Some men have a hard time with women climbing the seat to compete against them, some are pretty comfortable with the idea. When asked, “How do the men treat you on and off the track?” Mianna stated, “This is a tough subject simply because it’s all about perspective. It’s one of those situations that I believe you can choose to look at the glass half full, or half empty. Racing is very much a male-dominated sport. But being a woman of motorsports is an honor and is worth withstanding the uphills! If it was easy, we’d all be doing it.“

Women, and people for that matter, need to be encouraged. Because I am a woman in racing, it points a lot of the eyes on me. Everyone is watching to see how I handle myself, how I handle the critics, the young children, the fame, it’s what happens when somebody makes a choice to take a stand in what they believe. I want women to be able to look at me when they do, and become encouraged and self confident, to feel that they can believe in what they love too, to feel the drive to be everything Christ has created them to be… to give them hope. Women want to watch and see that they can change lives too, and they do.”

Mianna Wick | Accomplishments

2015

Tested a 1996 Indy Car
Winner: SCCA Freedom Sprint race 2, Formula Mazda
2nd position: SCCA Freedom Sprint race 1, Formula Mazda

2014

Drove a 2003 Indy Car
The selected driver of David Hoffpauir to drive for his team, Loophole Racing
Winner: SCCA Labor-day Daze race 1, Formula Mazda
Winner: SCCA Labor-day Daze race 2, Formula Mazda
Winner: Expedition car/driver during a two day vintage race event, Formula Mazda
Neared the track record at High Planes International Raceway, Formula Mazda
Received my college diploma in Small Business, Majoring in Marketing

I saw a quote a while back that says good friends are like aerodynamics, you can’t always see them, but you know they are always there. The support of my friends and family is endless, and I don’t think anyone, even myself, truly understands what they sacrifice for me to succeed in racing. And for that, I will be forever grateful!”

With the many other accomplishments Mianna has made over the years, she is ready to create many more in the future. Mianna has been shown continued support from her friends and family. “Being so dedicated to a sport so demanding comes at a high cost for me. One that requires not a LOT of extra time.” Mianna said. The price? – Not being able to have a normal relationship due with her friends and family as she would like. Though she may not get to spend much time hanging out with them, they do respect her for what she loves.

Find more on Mianna Wick

http://miannawickracing.com

Wide Open with Courtney Lambert

January 3, 2016 // by Horsepower & Heels

Whether you find her traveling the roads avoiding mayhem with Allstate, behind the counter at Kory Souza Originals, or over the airwaves on her very own radio show, Courtney Lambert knows only one pace in life…. Wide Open.

The Early Years

Her passion for motorcycles can be traced back to her childhood. Growing up in Chattanooga, Tenn., Courtney Lambert was the oldest of three and the only girl – a self-proclaimed ‘Daddy’s girl’. An avid dirt bike rider, her father loved to tell the stories of his youth and growing up on dirt bikes, riding the Chattanooga mountain sides with his cousins. It was no surprise that Courtney’s first bike came at age 5 – a small Honda 50 dirt bike, which she says she promptly rode “straight into a brick wall.”

A dedicated athlete through out her school years, Courtney was a fast-pitch softball star, playing 2 seasons of the sport per year for 14 years. A bit of a rough start on two wheels, a move to the Atlanta area at age 13, and a busy schedule in school meant that bikes took a back seat for awhile as she grew up.

My dad’s company transferred him to Atlanta when I was 13. Sucked at the time, leaving my friends, but kind of allowed me to reinvent myself and make all new friends. And it put me somewhere that offered so much more opportunity and diversity. Best thing that could have ever happened to me.”

Her dad always had a love of classic hotrods, a love that Courtney also shared. After she left school, that interest would expand into custom paint and auto body, and eventually would lead her to re-sparking a love for custom bikes.

Her professional start in the motorcycle industry didn’t come until she was 27 years-old. She was approached by Allstate Insurance to become a spokesperson for their Motorcycle product, traveling across the country doing stage shows and emceeing national motorcycle events and rallies.

…it [Allstate’s Job Offer] didn’t even sound like work to me, so I accepted! Eight years later, the program has grown drastically and I’m still enjoying my time on the road with Allstate Insurance.”

Allstate needed a woman with marketing and public speaking background, one with motorcycle knowledge and who could ride. The job had Courtney Lambert written all over it. She dove into the industry head-first and completely devoted her life to the scene, evolving it from a hobby, career and into a full-on lifestyle she never imagined was possible. She admits, ” I was, and still am, obsessed with it.”

Wide Open onto the Airwaves

In 2010, Courtney began hosting her own talk radio show about motorcycles called Wide Open Radio. She was on FM Radio stations in the Chattanooga, Nashville and Atlanta markets. With no prior training or knowledge about radio, she adopted the ‘Fake it ’til you make it’ mantra, a process she said took a few years. Relocating from Chattanooga to Sarasota, Fla., she moved the show to the Orlando/Tampa market, before finally moving to an internet radio platform.

It wasn’t until 2015 that I finally became intentional with Wide Open Radio and made a growth plan and stuck to it. During this year, our listeners grew from an average of 750-1000 listeners per episode to over 35,000 listeners per episode – and we’re still growing! I still can’t even believe that as I’m saying it! So cool!”

Courtney also launched the Wide Open Radio Show website, which she is building to become a leader for custom motorcycle entertainment and news – including archives of all Wide Open Radio episodes, product releases & reviews, national event coverage, special pricing offers from top manufacturers and blog posts about the latest news, trends and events in the industry.

With Wide Open Radio currently in a growth spurt, Courtney is pushing to keep up with the demands of her growing legion of listeners. They recently lengthened the show time from one hour to two hours, and are planning to add shorter, mini episodes throughout the week.

She also is developing another show platform to add to the Wide Open network this year, involving her love of classic cars. Though she currently does not plan on hosting the show, she will be involved in producing it.

Where Two Roads Merge

Along the busy road of her Allstate travel schedule, and through her radio talk career, she would meet and befriend so many key individuals in the motorcycle industry. But it was one very special custom motorcycle builder that would grab her attention. His name was Kory Souza, and the two would hit it off, sparking a very complementary love between two people who both shared a strong passion for their work and the motorcycle lifestyle.

In addition to Allstate and her work with Wide Open Radio, Courtney also manages the frontend of the Kory Souza Originals business, taking care of all the phone calls, billing, foot traffic, marketing, events, product releases and some of the sales as Kory and his crew take care of the backend business – building beautiful machines that keep the customers lined up at the doors.

I truly found my home here. When I am not at the shop, most of the time I’m wishing I were there. Crazy, I know, but I am seriously passionate about growing this business. Kory is super talented and I’m so proud of this company he has build from the ground up, all by himself.”

The pair have big plans for growth in 2016, with an upcoming release of a new product line being launched in February. The new line of custom parts will feature everything from seat pans, tag brackets, to handlebars, all designed by Kory himself.

Finding Balance

With such an impressive resume, it’s hard to imagine how Courtney manages to keep up with such a frantic pace. She credits her love for the people in the industry as a driving force, whom she says are “some of the kindest, most generous people out there.” She also adds that her ability to multi-task and her habit of writing things down help keep her on track and able to fit everything into her busy schedule.

It helps that I’ve streamlined my career so that everything I do is in some way related to motorcycles. This allows me to use my contacts and connections for whatever I happen to be working on at the moment. All 3 sides of my career feed off the others this way. Things are pretty much always crazy and our schedule is always full, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!”

And when there is free time, Courtney has a stable of her own cool rides to attend to, including a 2005 Harley Davidson Sportster, a customized Honda Ruckus, and a 1963 Impala. Her and Kory also have a rigid board track-style bike project in the works with a leaf spring front end that will feature the trademarked Kory Souza Originals flair.

But what does her family think of her Wide Open lifestyle?

Two of my family members, my dad’s brother and my dad’s dad, have been in severe motorcycle accidents, so my family, especially on my dad’s side HATES that I ride, but I love it too much to stop.”

Yet Courtney still enjoys riding dirt bikes with her dad in the woods behind his Atlanta home when she visits, adding that “life is too short to live anything but Wide Open.”

Shelby Ebert, Pro Eliminator Boat Racer

December 29, 2015 // by Kelly Morris

Twenty year old Shelby Ebert, lives in Manhattan Kansas. Attending in her Junior year at Kansas State University, majoring in Business. Recently, Shelby has started a marketing program, Marketing at Full Speed with Anna Marie in hopes of attracting more sponsors. Her parents own a machine shop E&R Machine, Inc. which is the one reason Shelby has been given the opportunity to race. Besides school, her life is all about racing.

Racing has basically been my entire life since I was very young. My dad has been racing for over 25 years and I went to my first race when I was only a few months old. When I was only 2 years old, I chased after a boat that we were selling as the new owner took it out of our driveway screaming “bring me my boat back!” That’s when my parents knew I was hooked.”

Shelby Ebert | Passion with Racing

Everyone has something they look forward too, especially at such a young age. At age 14, Shelby played sports in High School and began racing. She did them both for a while, but there came a time for her to choose whether to work on her athletic ability or continue to do what she was most passionate about, and that was racing. Shelby pretty much grew up at the track. She knew in her heart this is where she wanted to be. As she continued on, Shelby started racing a Jetski for three years in a Personal Watercraft 2 class.

My parents then bought me the MPH Hydro and I have been racing that for 4 years now. This past summer, we bought a Pro Modified boat that I will be moving into next year. This means that I will be a professional driver, and the only woman professional driver who will be running the whole National Series for the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series.”

When asked by many people, “What hobbies do you have, besides racing?” Shelby just replies “I don’t have an answer, because my whole life revolves around racing. We race from April to November and during the winter months, we are constantly working on our boats to get them ready for the next season.”

My goal for the 2016 season is to do my best, and win one race. If things go even better than that, then I will be absolutely ecstatic. I have very high hopes for 2016 because my team and I are super excited to learn about this new boat and motor, and I have so much faith that my guys will give me something great to race every single weekend. My long term goal is to race Top Fuel Hydro someday. Top Fuel Hydro is the fastest class in drag boat racing and they run about 3.5 seconds in 1000 feet at about 250+ mph. I think that racing in that class would be the most extreme adrenaline rush that I could ever experience.”

As many women coming into motorsports know, there are many challenges in this sport. Tough decisions to be made, as anyone would have too. But being a woman in a man’s world is another thing. “At the beginning, I received a lot of back lash. At one race, I had many competitors try to get me disqualified in my very first year in my boat.” Shelby says. She believes that most of my competitors look at her differently, whether it’s good or bad, because she is female and so young. Now that she has achieved quite a bit of success, most people do respect her. Shelby believes that she is held at a higher standard because she is one of the only girls in drag boat racing. She says, “I do believe that people judge me more and that I am watched in everything I do on and off the track.”

I wish that they would just look at me as a competitor instead of a 20 year old girl. Some people believe that I have gotten everything handed to me or that I’ve just gotten lucky. I hope that I have proved most doubters wrong because I have worked extremely hard for where I am and I continue to work hard every day to strengthen my career.”

Accomplishments

Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series Personal Watercraft 2 Championship in 2010
Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series Division 2 Top Eliminator Runner-Up Championship
Southern Drag Boat Racing Series Top Eliminator Runner-Up Championship
Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series Division 2 Pro Eliminator Championship
Southern Drag Boat Association Pro Eliminator Championship
Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series Division 2 Pro Eliminator Championship- 2015
Southern Drag Boat Association Pro Eliminator Championship – 2015

These past three years, I have also been nominated for the Southern Drag Boat Association ET Driver of the Year Award and last year, I received the prestigious Jimmy Tucker Memorial Award.”

Making A Difference

Taking on such a roll to help young girls out by starting a campaign on her Facebook page, “Fill My Boat with Barbies.” Shelby felt by collecting these barbies, she would donate them to the Barbie Care and Share to help young girl get the opportunity to experience a happy Christmas, Birthday, and other special occasions. Shelby has also been involved with the Junior Drag Boat Racing League as a mentor. She’s helped young kids learn how to drive a boat and have driven with them while they race competitively against other young kids. This means a lot to Shelby. She stated, “it is important that the sport of drag boat racing doesn’t die with my elders.”

We need to get kids involved so our sport continues to grow and prosper. My goal is to get people to follow their dreams, because if I would’ve listened to the people who told me I couldn’t make this happen, I wouldn’t be where I am today. No matter how big your dream seems, it is possible, and that’s what I want people to remember.”

Receiving Support From Family & Friends

Shelby is following the footsteps of her father, whom she has idolized since she was a little girl. She is creating lasting memories with her dad, while he puts his own boat on hold for her career. It surprised her because she knew how much this sport had meant to him. “It’s funny because he’s more worried about me being successful than himself and I’m more worried about him being successful than myself.” Shelby says. As she continues to become successful, her parents are very supportive of Shelby’s dreams, along with the rest of her family and crew chiefs.

I am extremely lucky that I have been blessed with people in my life that they’re dream is to see my dreams come true. As for my friends go, they have been supportive since day one. They think it’s pretty cool that they have a professional drag boat racer as a friend, and some of them come to the races when they can. I’ve also made many friends through racing, and they come and cheer for me all the time.”