Women's Motorsports Network Podcast
Women's Motorsports Network Podcast shares the stories of women involved in motorsports from around the world. The first episode was in 2018 and new episodes are added each week. Feel free to suggest potential guests to Melinda at melinda@wmnnation.com.https://www.facebook.com/womensmotorsportsnetworkandpodcastMelinda Russell
Gina Schild-Knowles: Short Track Racing Survives When Communities Show Up
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Short tracks aren’t just where racing happens. They’re where careers start, families gather, and a whole town learns what a Saturday night feels like. I’m joined by Gina Schild Knowles, a lifelong motorsports pro whose path runs through Texas racing roots, sponsorship sales, and the high-wire act of keeping racetracks alive when the math doesn’t always work on paper.
We talk about what it really takes to run and revive tracks like Houston Motor Sports Park and Mobile International Speedway, and what Gina focuses on today at Hickory...
SPECIAL MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND PODCAST--RIDE SAFE FOUNDATION--What If The Most Dangerous Machine On The Farm Is The One That Feels Like A Toy
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A kid on an ATV can look like pure summer fun, right up until it becomes an emergency. We sit down with Kristen Almer of the Ride Safe Foundation to talk about the reality most families never see: the repeat patterns behind youth ATV and UTV crashes, the heartbreaking cost of “dumb luck,” and the simple decisions that prevent tragedy. Kristen shares the loss of her 11-year-old nephew, Logan, and how that moment led her to spend years researching fatalities, working with agencies and trauma experts, and turning data into plain-language safety rules fami...
A Mother And Daughter Build A Purpose-Driven Brand That Helps Fund Cancer Research
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Your phone is the one thing you can’t afford to lose at the track, on a trip, or in the middle of a packed day, so why do we keep stuffing it into pockets that don’t exist or burying it at the bottom of a bag? I’m joined by Tammy and Elizabeth, the mother-daughter team behind Save The Girls, to share the surprisingly emotional origin of their patented touchscreen purse and why their mission centers on safer, more convenient phone carry for busy women. We also talk about their commitment to giv...
If Your Car Likes To Roll Maybe It Is Time To Move Up with Sophie Anderson
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A dirt track career can start with a dream, then immediately test you with fire, rollovers, and a rulebook you didn’t know you broke. That’s why our conversation with young Midwest Modified racer Sophie Anderson hits so hard: she’s honest about the messy parts of racing and the mindset it takes to keep coming back.
We talk about Sophie’s early years in Pure Stocks, including the night she won and then got disqualified, and how that emotional whiplash still became a defining “highest of highs” moment. From there, she s...
Stefy Bau: She Lost Her Racing Career And Built A New Path For Women In Motorsport
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A championship career can disappear in a split second. What happens next is the part nobody trains you for.Â
We sit down with Stefy, an Italian-born motocross world champion who wins three world titles, races against men on some of the biggest stages, and then faces a devastating injury that ends her time as a pro athlete. She shares what it feels like when your identity has been built around racing, how family support helps pull you out of the darkest stretch, and why stubborn belief can be a tool, not j...
Kelly Coss: What If Confidence Is The Real Finish Line
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You can love racing your whole life and still believe you “missed your chance” to drive. That’s why our conversation with 20-year-old A-class micro sprint driver Kelly Coss hits so hard. Kelly grew up around speed, spent years as a Friday-night fan at Red Cedar Speedway, then made the leap from the grandstands to the cockpit after discovering micro sprint racing at Thunder Hill Speedway. Her story is proof that dirt track racing has room for late starters who are willing to learn, work, and show up consistently.
We talk about...
Brina Seng: How A Dirt Track Meteorologist Turned Haters Into Fans
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A weekly weather report filmed in the rain probably should not be a turning point in racing culture, but that is exactly what happens at River Cities Speedway. We talk with Brina Sang, a Grand Forks, North Dakota native who grew up at the track, took over its social media, and found a bold voice that fans now recognize instantly. From marketing and sponsorship support to viral-style videos, she shares what actually works for grassroots racing promotion when budgets are tight and opinions are loud.
Brina also walks us through the...
Abby Maurer’s Fast Track To A Points Champion in Mini Wedge
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A lot of racing careers start with a “real plan.” Abby Maurer’s starts with a dusty car at her dad’s shop and a deal for gas-station ice cream if she’d sit in it for a photo. Abby is 14 now, a mini wedge racer with big trophies behind her and even bigger confidence on track, and she joins us to tell the full story from that first moment to chasing points championships at places like Owosso and Kalamazoo.Â
We talk about what youth racing really looks like week to week: balan...
How A 10-Year-Old Builds Speed And Confidence In Mini Wedge Racing with Kate Maurer
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A lot of people say they love racing. Kate Maurer is 10 years old and proves it by showing up, learning fast, and winning in a mini wedge.
I sit down with Kate to hear how she got started after watching her sister race, what it’s like running youth oval track events across Michigan, and why her home tracks at Owosso Speedway and Owosso Motorsports Park mean so much. We talk about what a mini wedge car teaches you early: you can’t stay full throttle everywhere, you have to lift in t...
Racing, College, and Life: How Chelsea Martin Balances It All
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Race nights look effortless from the grandstands, but the real story is what it takes to keep showing up week after week. I’m joined by Chelsea Martin, a 19-year-old Sport Compact racer from Shepherd, Michigan, and she brings the kind of grounded honesty that makes grassroots motorsports so relatable. We talk about the family thread that pulled her into racing, starting with her grandpa’s time in Street Stock and her earliest memories of being at the track at two years old, completely hooked on the noise and the speed.
Chel...
Jasmine Salinas: She Didn’t Start Racing Young… Now She’s Driving 300+ MPH
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A lot of people picture an NHRA Top Fuel driver as someone who grew up with unlimited passes and a polished pipeline to the pros. Our conversation with Jasmine Salinas tells a different story, one built on work boots, family pressure, and a scrap business in San Jose, California that taught her how to grind long before she ever went 334 miles an hour. We talk about what it really feels like to enter drag racing later than most, then have to “fast track” your learning in front of fans, sponsors, and competitors.Â
J...
I Learn More From Bad Nights Than Trophies with Memarie Ashcraft
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Dirt racing doesn’t reward the same lap twice, and that’s exactly why this conversation with 15-year-old micro sprint racer Memarie “Mem” Ashcraft is so gripping. She walks us through what it really takes to move up classes, stay calm when the weekend gets messy, and keep learning even when the results don’t show it yet.
We talk about how she got started in racing after growing up just minutes from a track, and how her program became a true family effort. Mem shares how their two-driver setup works with teamm...
Fallon Tucker Constantino: What An IMSA Safety Dispatcher Really Does
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You can love racing and still have no idea how it actually works. That’s why we sat down with Fallon Constantino, an IMSA race control safety dispatcher who lives in the space most fans never see: the radios, the response plan, and the split-second coordination that turns a crash into a safe, controlled reset.
We talk through Fallon’s unconventional path into motorsports, from early motorcycle club racing jobs and manual scoring to the moment she finally observed IMSA race control in 2019 and instantly recognized the complexity and precision. Fallon brea...
Mini Wedges Keep Racing Alive with Kenny Head
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A lot of racers retire and finally take it easy. Kenny Head went the other direction and built a youth racing pipeline that’s helping keep short track racing alive in Michigan. Melinda Russell sits down with Kenny to talk about the Kalamazoo Speedway Mini Wedges program, why it matters, and what it takes to turn kids as young as five into confident, safe, competitive racers.
We get into how the program has grown from a small, inconsistent group into a steady weekly field, plus how racing at Berlin Raceway creates bi...
Kendra Sommer: She Quit Her Reporting Job To Build A Motorsports Media Career
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She got told “nobody really cares about motorsports” and made a decision that changed everything. We’re talking with Kendra Sommer, a former TV news reporter who quits her job, flies to the SEMA Show with no network, and turns that leap into real momentum and a real business in automotive media. If you’ve ever wanted a career in motorsports content, this story hits that exact nerve: fear, hustle, and the moment you decide to bet on yourself.
We get into what it actually takes to build CWK Media, from creating...
Jessica Trout: A Lubrication Consultant Shows What Really Improves Engine Life
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Horsepower isn’t only built with parts and talent, it’s protected by the choices you make between rebuilds. We’re joined by Jessica Trout of Schaeffer Oil to talk about what happens when you treat lubricants like performance equipment instead of an afterthought, and why a “lubrication consultant” mindset beats a hard-sell pitch every time.
Jessica shares how she grew into the business alongside her father, and why Schaefferr’s made in the USA manufacturing story still matters to fleets, farms, and race teams who need consistent quality. We get practical ab...
What If A Pageant Made You Braver with Caitlyn Vogel
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Air horns, a packed arena, and a mom who never thought she’d wear a swimsuit on stage, then did it anyway. We’re joined by Caitlyn Vogel, a racer from Pennsylvania and a powerhouse in the women in motorsports community, to unpack what the Motorama pageant is actually like and why she keeps coming back for the friendships, the growth, and the chance to set an example for young drivers watching from the stands.
Caitlyn shares how losing more than 100 pounds changed her health and her mindset, and how she used...
Mallory Kutz Shares How Advocacy, Grit, And Community Turned A Pageant Title Into Real Trackside Change
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We trace Mallory Kutz's year from Miss Motorama win to a full-throttle campaign that connected drivers, packed a seminar, funded scholarships, and reframed what a motorsports pageant can be. Along the way, she kept racing, took her first feature wins, and proved that advocacy grows fastest at the track.
• redefining Miss Motorama as an ambassador role
• 113 events across eight states with sprint and asphalt highlights
• fundraising race honoring her sister and two driver scholarships
• why personal stories change participation and belief
• building panels, booths, and a standing-room seminar
Shelby Thurman’s Full-Throttle Journey
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What happens when a racer grows up trackside and turns childhood laps into a signature streak that few ever touch? We invited 20-year-old bracket sensation Shelby Thurman to share the real story behind her rise—from a junior dragster at seven to a hard-hitting 1991 S10 tuned by a family that lives and breathes motorsports.
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How A Chicago Community Leader Helped Bring NASCAR Home with Jacque Herrera
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NASCAR doesn’t just show up with race cars and a schedule, it shows up with road closures, noise fears, neighborhood questions, and a whole lot of logistics. That’s why my conversation with Jacque Herrera is so timely. Jacque grew up in Chicago, built a career in community relations and government relations, and then made a bold leap into motorsports to help bring the Chicago Street Race to life from the community side, the part most fans never see.
We get into what it actually takes to earn buy-in for a ma...
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Mckaylee Meyerhofer: Snow, Speed, And Grit
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The throttle snaps, the snow flies, and a 21-year-old rider decides to trust herself over the voice of doubt. That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with Mckaylee, a snowcross racer who started at five years old and climbed from 120s to 600s, stacking national starts and hard-won podiums along the way. She brings the kind of clear-eyed honesty that motorsports rarely show on highlight reels: the joy, the costs, and the stubborn choice to keep going.
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...Dystany Spurlock: What Changes When Women Stop Waiting For Permission To Race
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Dystany Spurlock doesn’t talk like someone waiting to be picked. She talks like a driver who decided to learn the game, earn the seat, and bring other women with her.
We sit down with Dystany to trace a journey that starts with childhood power wheels and turns into real-world racing across motorcycle drag racing, NHRA ambitions, and an upcoming ARCA Menards Series debut under the NASCAR umbrella. She explains how reaction time, precision, and confidence built on two wheels can transfer into stock cars, while also admitting what gets harder fa...
Karen Bailey-Chapman: Inside SEMA and PRI: Protecting Tracks, Growing Access, Elevating Women
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Karen Bailey-Chapman, Senior VP of Public & Government Affairs for SEMA and PRI, joins Melinda to talk about the “Right to Race” campaign, protecting local racetracks from nuisance laws, tax policy impacting track operators, and why grassroots motorsports still has a bright future. From Washington D.C. to King of the Hammers, this episode explores the intersection of policy, passion, and racing.
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Avery Hemmer: How A 14-Year-Old Became A Six-Time Champion In Snowcross
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At just 14 years old, Avery Hemmer is already a six-time champion and currently leading the Pro Women Snowcross points standings. From racing at age six in Minnesota to flying across North America for national competitions, Avery shares what it takes physically, mentally, and financially to compete at the highest level. She talks fitness, family sacrifice, social media branding, racing against boys, and why she encourages girls to get in the gym and chase big dreams.
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Racing Through The Noise with Taylor Reimer
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A single bad clip can turn into a full-blown verdict online, and Taylor Reimer knows that pressure firsthand. From her first ARCA Menards Series DNF at Phoenix to the wave of commentary that followed, she breaks down what fans rarely understand about stock car racing physics, visibility in smoke, and why a 3,000 to 3,500 lb race car cannot “just stop” when chaos erupts ahead.
We talk through Taylor’s full racing story, starting in Oklahoma go-karts and dirt racing at Port City Raceway, then stepping away for cheerleading and college at the Univer...
From Dirt To Daytona: Sonya Lloyd On Speed, Grit, And Breaking Barriers
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Sonya Lloyd is a 23-year-old professional motorcycle racer balancing a full-time engineering career at Siemens with competing in MotoAmerica. From hitting 161 mph at Daytona to racing in six countries in the Women’s World Championship, Sonya shares how confidence, resilience, and saying “yes” changed her life.
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Rilee Nowaczyk: A Teen Racer Balances School, Travel, And High-Speed Jumps
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High school sophomore Rilee Nowaczyk from Holland, Michigan is proving that snowcross racing isn’t just for the boys. Racing a 600 Polaris in the national ISOC series (streamed on International Series of Champions via FloSports), Rilee competes in the Pro Women’s class against racers twice her age.
From traveling three hours to her “local” track in Mancelona, Michigan, to missing school for national races in Minnesota, Canada, and New York, Rilee shares what it takes to balance high school and high-speed snowmobile racing.
In this episode, we talk...
Robyn Douthit on Running a Jet Car Team & RV Life
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Robyn Douthit didn’t grow up in drag racing—until life (and love) brought her into it. In this episode, she shares how reconnecting with her husband in 2009 led to a wild, rewarding motorsports lifestyle: a full-time RV family traveling across the country to put on jet-car exhibition shows. Robyn explains how JetCarsRock books events, why relationship-building with tracks matters, and what fans don’t see behind the scenes—maintenance, logistics, blip sheets, interviews, and constant content creation. She also addresses safety myths about jet cars, how their team prioritizes being good par...
Isabella Robusto: Driven Different: Building A Brand In A Male-Dominated Sport
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In this episode of the Women’s Motorsports Network Podcast, Melinda Russell sits down with 21-year-old ARCA driver Isabella Robusto to talk about her journey from go-karts at age four to racing full-time in the ARCA Menards Series.
Isabella shares how the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program launched her career, how Toyota’s Driver Development program shaped her path, and why the work off the track matters just as much as what happens on it.
From overcoming injury to building her personal brand “Driven Different,” Isabella opens up about...
Dana Courtney: How A Mustang, A Camera, And A Track Shaped A Lifelong Love Of Motorsports
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Dana Courtney grew up immersed in drag racing at Gainesville Raceway and later served 10 years as a military mechanic before returning home to rejoin the racing community. Now a volunteer photographer, raceway staff member, and builder of a 1965 Mustang drag car, Dana is passionate about preserving racing memories and expanding access to motorsports for kids who may not have the financial backing to get started. Her story is one of resilience, family legacy, and making space for women in every corner of the sport.
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<...Debbie Matthews: She Passed Him On The Outside And Married Him
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Debbie Matthews is known as the “Godmother of Women’s Motocross,” and after this conversation, you’ll understand why.
Starting her racing journey in 1974, Debbie competed in the very first Women’s National Motocross Championship at Indian Dunes in California. From there, she built a 50-year career that spans racing, dealership ownership, industry advocacy, national series development, coaching, and mentoring.
In this episode, Debbie shares:
·    What it was like racing when women were barely recognized in the sport
·    How she helped launch the first Women’s National Championshi...
How A 15-Year-Old Built A Sprint Car Dream And A Support Network
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At just 15 years old, Brielle Stern is already carving out her place in the competitive world of 600 micro sprint racing. From selling cookies to fund her first race car to traveling across the country chasing dirt tracks, Brielle’s journey is fueled by grit, family support, and big dreams.
In this episode, Brielle shares how a trip to the racetrack changed her life at eight years old, how she balances high school and technical machining classes with racing, and why she believes motorsports teaches girls independence and resilience.
She al...
Alexis Sparby Gross: How A Father-Daughter Team Turned Weekend Wrenches Into Real Track Confidence
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The engines might cool at sunset, but the stories only get hotter. We sit down with Minnesota racer Alexa Gross for a candid ride through family-built race craft, moving up to Wasota Super Stocks, and the steady confidence that comes from small wins and patient passes. From a childhood spent at the track to a heat race victory that changed her mindset, Alexa shows how real progress often looks like late nights in the garage, film study after the lights go dark, and learning to trust the feel of a faster car.
<...
Gabrielle Grigsby: How A Waterfall Jump Led To A Racing Career
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A leap off a Kentucky waterfall for a shot at a first race car. Late nights in the shop turning a bare frame into a factory stock. A seat in the UNOH engine room and a bold jump to the ASA Stars National Tour. Gabby Grigsby’s path is a fast, honest look at how a young driver builds speed, skill, and thick skin—one step at a time.
We talk through the family roots that shaped her love for racing and how switching between a quarter-mile factory stock and a half...
From Quarter Midgets To Miss Mahoning: Zoe Quinn’s Path In Motorsports
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A five-year-old asks for a race kart. A teenager helps build her first full-bodied car. Then she trades her helmet for a tiara to grow the sport she loves. Meet Zoe Quinn—19-year-old driver and 2025 Miss Mahoning—whose story proves that visibility can be just as powerful as velocity.
We dive into Zoe’s early start in pee-wee karts and a decade in quarter midgets, where consistent top-three finishes taught her discipline and patience. She walks us through building a rookie hobby stock with her dad, from stripping a street car to swa...
Rowan Edgar: The Car Doesn’t Know Your Gender, Only Your Grit
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A teenager with a torque wrench and a plan—Rowan Edgar is redefining what focus looks like at 15. We sit down with the Missouri micro sprint driver to map her path from caged karts to her first A-class win, and the choices that make speed possible: homeschooling to create time for travel and training, daily fitness to stay sharp to the checkers, and a mindset built on resets rather than excuses. Rowan brings a refreshingly direct take on confidence, composure, and why the car only responds to skill, not stereotypes.
The st...
From Homeschool To Hot Laps: A Mom’s Guide To Growing A Young Dirt Driver
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A single bold ask can change a racing life. That’s what happened when a six-year-old named Everett walked up to Food City’s CEO and asked for a sponsorship—an audacious moment that launched a genuine grassroots journey, powered by family, faith, and a love for speed. We sit down with Amy Larson, proud “momager” and homeschool parent from Virginia, to unpack what it really takes to raise a young driver who competes with adults on dirt and keeps his head in the toughest moments.
Amy pulls back the curtain on their p...
Paiten Burnham: National Winner Shares The Highs, Lows, And What Comes After Quarter Midgets
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One national win, one scary flip, and one giant leap forward. We sit down with Paiten Burnham, a 16-year-old quarter midget racer from Connecticut, to unpack a season defined by consistency, courage, and the bold move to test a midget in Indianapolis right after her final national in Topeka. From the bright lights of Las Vegas to the sweet payoff at Richmond, Paiten shares how travel, track time, and tight teamwork with her dad shaped a year that pushed her racecraft and mindset to new levels.
We dig into the nuts...
