Women's Motorsports Network Podcast

From Recovery to Racing: How Motorsports Changed Everything

• Melinda Russell • Season 9 • Episode 378

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Kelly Anderson shares her extraordinary journey from a 51-year-old grandmother to a wheelie-popping drag racer with a mission to help foster children through motorsports. Her passion for racing ignited when she scribbled "I want to drag race" on a napkin at a coaching event, leading to her first race in October 2019 and eventually developing into a nonprofit organization helping foster youth.

• Recovery from alcoholism gave Kelly the confidence to pursue new dreams at age 51
• Achieved a perfect reaction time on her fourth pass down the drag strip
• Created MAVIX Community Outreach to introduce foster children to motorsports
• Expanded into land speed racing after her home track at Irwindale closed
• Named a Hoosier Hero ambassador from among 2,000 nominees
• Brings race cars to schools where troubled teens and foster youth can experience motorsports
• Racing transformed her from someone without direction into a confident woman with purpose
• Plans to develop scholarships connecting foster youth with motorsports trade opportunities

To support MAVIX Community Outreach or learn more, visit mavixcommunity.org or email mavixcommunity@gmail.com.


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Melinda Russell:

Welcome to the Women's Motorsports Network podcast, the show that puts the spotlight on the incredible women who fuel the world of motorsports, from drivers to crew members, engineers to fans and everyone in between. We're here to celebrate the trailblazers, dreamers and doers shaping the sport we love. Each episode we share inspiring stories of females of all ages, from every corner of the Motorsports universe past, present and future. It's a journey through the seasons of life filled with heartfelt moments, laughter and a whole lot of horsepower. So, whether you're a lifelong fan, a racer yourself or simply curious about the extraordinary women behind the wheel, settle in, relax and enjoy a fun and uplifting ride with us. This is the Women's Motorsports Network podcast, connecting and celebrating women in motorsports, one story at a time. Let's hit the track. If you're looking to buy, sell or trade the stuff that strokes your engine anything from truck parts to classic and muscle cars, rvs to hot rods and everything in between then check out our official classifieds at RacingJunkcom. Racingjunkcom is the world's number one online racing and performance marketplace, the ultimate one-stop shop where you'll find what you need to rock your ride. If it belongs in your garage, it's for sale on RacingJunkcom. Log on to RacingJunkcom to find the gear you're looking for, sell your extra stuff, keep up on racing news and tech tips and more. Again, that's racingjunkcom.

Melinda Russell:

Hello everyone, this is Melinda Russell with the Women's Motorsports Network podcast, and my guest today is Kelly Anderson, and Kelly looks all pretty and tan because she lives in California, and I'm all white and pale because I live in Michigan, and until today, we've hardly had any nice warm weather. So, kelly, I'm jealous of your tan, but I'm glad we're finally going to have some summer here in California. We we deserve some summer here, finally. So I'm finally going to have some summer here in Calgary. We deserve some summer here, finally. So I'm so excited to have you on the show. I learned a little bit about you when we were at PRI and you won an award, and I'll let you tell about that, but so first, though, I want you to just share a little bit about yourself and your family, and then we're going to go on and learn how you got involved in motorsports.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for having me on. This is really an honor and I'm super excited. So a little bit about me. I am a 56 year old drag racing grandma. I am married 35 years or something like that. I think I don't know forever. I have four children and 11 grandchildren. Well, 10 grandchildren one on the way so 11 grandchildren. I have a dog named Sophia. She's a husky and she's crazy. So, yeah, I have a nice, nice big family, a very supportive family. Um, yeah, we're very blessed that's awesome.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah, that's. You have four children. Yeah, I had, I had four children. My son unfortunately has passed away, so my three, I still have my three daughters and I got you beat on the grandchildren how many? 17. 17. And I have at the end of the month. So there you go, got you beat there. I'm a lot older than you, so there's plenty of time. You might end up beating me in the long run.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

We'll see, oh, my gosh Crazy. Well, some of them are my step-grandchildren, but they're still my grandchildren.

Melinda Russell:

Me too, they all count. They all count, that's right yeah. So, Kelly, I know I love it, and every one of them is so different. Yeah, isn't it?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

crazy. You know we weren't brought up in the motorsports world, which I'm jealous. When I see kids at the track with their parents or grandparents I'm like man, what I wouldn't give to live the whole life of motorsports. I started drag racing at 51 years old. I became a health coach and during the time of being a health coach they poured so much goodness into me that I got self-confidence. I got goals and dreams which I never had, since I'm an alcoholic in recovery 10 years, so over 10 years. And they poured so much goodness into me that I just started having dreams and my husband would go out to Irwindale drag strip and spectate with his friends and I was like you know what? I'm going to go out with them one night. It'll be a date night. So I go out there and I'm watching these young kids and I'm like dude, I could totally do this.

Melinda Russell:

And I like to drive fast.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

And so I told my husband I went to a coach's breakfast and they had a napkin dream. So I wrote down on a nap. Husband, I went to a coach's breakfast and they had a napkin dream. So I wrote down on a napkin I want a drag race. And honestly, I don't even know where that came from. I didn't ever think that in my life it wasn't something that I had been passionate about. Just it just came to me. I want a drag race. I come home, I go, babe, I want a drag race. And he's like, okay, okay, we'll take your six-cylinder camaro out your daily driver and give it a go. And so we had a muffler, whatever system put on to make it, which I thought was going to sound like a v8. You know, you put the system on there, it doesn't.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

It sounds like a six-cylinder with an exhaust system on yeah so I go there's no way I'm taking that car sounding like that, that sounds ridiculous. And so he's like, okay, so he takes it to the shop and gets it removed. And I was like, oh my gosh, it's gonna happen. It's actually gonna happen. So October 10th 2019 was my first night of drag racing and, like my fourth pass down the strip, I got a perfect reaction time. I was absolutely hooked, like I couldn't make enough passes. I couldn't get enough of it. It was like a drug One night. I made 25 passes in one single night. I'm a little bit excessive.

Melinda Russell:

That's crazy, yeah, and but you know, what I love about your story is that you were not one bit afraid and you were not even thinking that you were too old or you, I'm a grandma, I shouldn't be doing this or I'm not gonna take my daily driver out on that track. You didn't think about any of those things, you were just hell bench, you were gonna go do it.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yep, that's for sure. And what Kelly wants, kelly gets.

Melinda Russell:

I'm glad for that. Yeah, that's cool. Yeah, so tell me about your what? What are you um? That was, that was 2019. Yep, so what have you been doing? You're still racing. What are you racing? What's your success been? Tell me all about it.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

So, uh, uh, right now we're doing not as much drag racing because Irwindale closed, uh in December, which was devastating, yeah, um. So since that happened, a friend of mine, jeff Stilwell, had connected me with some people in the land speed racing scene and they said we'll put you in a car, come on out.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

And so we went. A few weeks ago I got my first license in the land speed. Um, I really enjoyed it and, to be honest, I didn't think I would. I was like you know what. It's an opportunity. It'll look good on my racing resume. We'll just go do it, just to do it, and I fell in love with it. I absolutely loved it. The community, of course car community.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

People in the car community are amazing.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah, they are, they are.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

And did the land speed racing out at El Mirage, and now we're talking about building a car for that. So we'll still drag race and we'll still land speed race. So you know, I'm trying to make, I'm trying to put everything into these last years of my life, because I'm not getting any younger and I want to make the most of it. I tell you what, since 2019, when I started racing, I've lived more life than I ever have. It's insane.

Melinda Russell:

I could believe that because there was something missing. Wasn't there, Kelly, somewhere in that path, that you just told me something was missing and you found it with racing and the racing family yes, yes.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

So I honestly, like, when I first started racing I was like this is my calling from god. Why would god say drag race, kelly? This is is your calling. And I really didn't understand why. But I was just going with it because I knew it was from God. And so I started a girls group called the Gorgeous Irwindale Racing Ladies, where we encourage females of all ages and all motor sports and even car shows and anything with a motor and a woman. We're like go, go, girl go.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

And so the core group kind of it dwindled, it kind of fell apart and I just hung in there and I kept racing, I was just doing my thing. And then my grandson, my oldest grandson, went into foster care. And when that, and my and his two sisters, my oldest granddaughters, and when that happened, like that was so devastating, I decided that's when I created Mavix Community Outreach, which is our nonprofit, and we introduced foster children and troubled teens to the world of motorsports. Because I tell you what, at 51 years old, I hadn't, I hadn't had passions or goals and I was stuck in addiction for all my life. And then I found the racing world and everything changed. I mean, I got, I have boundaries, like all these things I never had in my life. I found through the love of motorsports.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

And so I wanted to do a make, a make something good out of the really ugly days of my life. And then, when Mavis was formed, I'm like that's why it's my calling from God. Now it all makes sense.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

You just gotta believe and hold on, and you know so how did you come up with that name?

Melinda Russell:

It has to mean something special.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

It does. So my girlfriend, my business partner, Maria, is this okay? So Maven, one of my sponsors said you're a Maven, it's a woman who brings people together. So she took the word Maven and Phoenix rise from the ashes and made Maven.

Melinda Russell:

Oh yeah, that's cool.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yeah, maria Link is awesome. She's my business partner. She'd come out spectating with me and my husband when we'd go. Then she was on board when I started drag racing. Then we got her in a car for Demolition Derby. She always wanted to do a Demolition Derby, so now she does derbies. And then I said I want to make mavix. And she says, okay, let's do it, let's create mavix. And she's been on board by my side through everything the bad days of the girls crumble and but girls of arundel still around. It's just. It started out more like a group and now it's an organization where we just encourage women.

Melinda Russell:

Okay.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Of all ages.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah, and so what? What's the closest like drag strip? Now to you.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

So the closest would be Famoso Bakersfield or Verona, San Diego.

Melinda Russell:

Okay, yeah, it's too bad. Or when Dale closed.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

What a mess, I can't believe. And it happened fast, like we did not know until just a few months before that it was happening. We heard talk, but you know, you always hear talk, yeah, and then it happened.

Melinda Russell:

It was like oh my gosh yeah, that's a shame that was devastating yeah, so tell me more now about Mavix, because I think that's where your heart is now. So your grandchildren went to foster care, which is so sad.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

It was so sad and it was during COVID. So they were in for 13 months because everything was pushed back, delayed, court was in video and just it was a nightmare. And so they're back home with mom and then my son's doing good, mom's doing great, the kids are fabulous. I get to have my grandson once or twice a week now and, oh my gosh, it's so awesome Life is getting so good.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

And so, you know, I just knew that me back in the day, not having any goals, any dreams, no passions, no interest in anything. Well then you get yourself into trouble. As soon as I had a passion for this, everything changed, and so I figured we could introduce some foster children to this world. They don't have to drag race, they could work on cars, they could tune cars, they could take pictures, they could do videography. Announcing there's so many areas of motorists. So right now we're trying to, you know, get us off the ground, and you know we're going to have a fundraiser coming up in July at an escape room to raise funds.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

We like to take my race car to schools. So we went to a school named McKinley and it was where they have a lot of troubled children and foster youth, and we brought the car out and then you get to start it for them and they get to get in it or just check it out up close and personal. And it just didn't get that. Could, you know, make them get interested in the motor sports scene. We pass out hot wheels, like all the kids love Hot Wheels.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

We do that and pass out little flags, checkered flags, and hero cards and stickers.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah, yeah, all the stuff kids love.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yep, exactly. So we also work with a foster agency that Maria started up. So Maria works for Home Depot's headquarters and okay.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

So they wanted her to do a good event for the community so she decided to work with the foster kids. So she brings out about 200 foster children and their families at Christmas time and she had us come out. So we went out and we were like, oh my gosh, besides devastating and sad, it's beautiful to be out there. Bring the race car out to the. She has a little car show there now and so all the cars are there and the kids vote on their favorite car and I usually win. But last year she said no, you can't vote for her car because that's not fair. Yeah, so we host an event now. We partner with her on that. We get a lot of donations from Foster Love, which is the largest nonprofit in the country for foster youth.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

They give us bikes and skateboards, and clothing and shoes and like beautiful items, and they come to our event and then they basically shop, so they take what they want for free. You could have the bike, you could have the skateboard, you could have this and that and they go out with arms so full and their cars are stuffed. I've delivered bikes because they couldn't take everything, you know.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

So we just want to make a difference in their lives as much as we possibly can, and it's an honor to be able to work with the kids.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah, so that's interesting that this is what you do, because I just did an interview last week with a gal that works for University of Northeast Northwestern I don't know if it's Eastern or Western, it's UNOH and it's in ohio and she's a recruiter for the college and she went to college there and she actually recruited a young gal from like, not very far from me, that races, that I've known from racing, and she said something to me and it's along the lines of what you're doing. She said she goes into the high schools and gives her presentation about their motorsports program because they're a huge motorsport. They have a, they have, um, a rally team, they have a drifting team, all kind and then they have degrees in motorsports and all. It's just amazing. So she said she goes into these schools and when she gives her presentation she said the thing that really gets her the most is when a kid says I, I didn't think I could go to college because I'm not a good student and I don't want to be a nurse or a chiropractor or a teacher or a whatever.

Melinda Russell:

Yep, but this is really cool. I want to do this.

Melinda Russell:

Yes, that is beautiful and then they go to unoh and and, like the young gal in uh that lives close to me, she's working on an arcane this summer wow, yeah, yeah, that's amazing, it is, and so you're. You know you're doing the same thing. You're exposing them to something that they would never have known about, and to the point to where you you're changing lives and you probably don't even know it.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yes, yes, like I say, you change one life as a generational line.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

All their kids, all their grandchildren, like just generations to come.

Melinda Russell:

Especially motor sports. Yes, Because we know that. You know that really is a generational hobby, more than not.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Right, I call it. It's not a hobby, it's a lifestyle. Well, it's a lifestyle.

Melinda Russell:

You're right, it assumes you, it does. Yeah, you can't think about anything else.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Right, and I tell you what if you are into cars, you don't have money for drugs. So, that's a victory. Yeah, keep them out of trouble. I say, you know, take care of it before it becomes a problem. And if they start young in the motorsports world just having the interest in it alone, yeah, it could change the trajectory of their lives.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yeah it really does and so our long-term goal is to connect them with trade school scholarships in the motorsports industry, which could be photography, still Like it could be chefs. There's chefs for John Forrest. Oh yeah, NASCAR has chefs. Yeah, so there's so many, everything pretty much could be in the motorsports industry.

Melinda Russell:

So that's our long-term goal. Well, you need to get connected to Mara Henderson Would you connect me. I'll connect you because she's the gal at UNOH. Yes, and you know they recruit from all over the place. Yes, she and you would be a good connection I would love that very much.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yeah, that'd be awesome.

Melinda Russell:

She's amazing too. I just love talking to, I just love sounds like it. Yeah, I love her already, I know. So, kelly, what? What has been your favorite thing if there is a favorite or your favorite things about being involved in the motorsports community?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

oh, the fans. I just love the fans. So at irwindale, the return road, oh, you're against the. I drive my car as close to the fence as you can get and I and I rev. They always like it when I would rev my engine. So they start doing this like rev, rev, rev. So I'm going down the return road. They go nuts yeah that is. That is it. The fans were always my favorite thing, because I do more exhibition running than I do racing like I didn't really do a lot of competition okay, I didn't do much summit or any of that stuff.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

We mostly just did exhibition runs and and I I'm good with that and so what?

Melinda Russell:

what kind of car did you? Did you do that and or do you?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

have. So I have a 2000 f body, camaro, uh, and and I do a lot of wheelies. We, we pop a lot of wheelies and the fans love them. The racers sometimes, don't they? They talk trash sometimes, but yeah, but the fans love a good wheelie and lord knows, I do sure they do do, Absolutely they do.

Melinda Russell:

Oh my gosh, that's so fun. So how do you think and I know I know this has changed you being in motorsports, but you know a lot of people. I'll say well, how do you think being involved in motorsports has made you into the person you are today? And you've already shared that it's really changed your life. But, yes, do you want to talk about that a little more?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

um, well, I mean, honestly, being in the motorsports world has consumed my entire world and I'm not sad about it, you know. I mean I it made me a better person, made me a stronger, independent woman. Of course I have my husband who helps me with everything, but I mean, I'm an independent woman who knows what she wants. I go after it. I have boundaries, which is a new thing in my life, because back in the day I was always like, yes, okay, whatever, like I didn't want to make someone mad. Now it's like this is how it is and this is the way. You know, I try to follow God's word. Perfect at it, that's for sure. But I have structure, I have confidence. I mean they're and having confidence is a really good thing, as long as you're humble about it. And I go through phases where I'm not, and then God says don't you dare, it's all about me, sister. And I gotta reel myself back in and get back on track and keep my eyes on the prize, which is Jesus.

Melinda Russell:

So yeah, yeah. So what does your family think about you being so involved in motorsports?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

they love it. They love who I've become. They love it. So my husband, all his life. It would be like, okay, my youngest son, baseball, private lessons, baseball practice, everything. Then my daughter soccer, boom, boom, boom, soccer, travel, go with her. Uh, my youngest son was, uh, swimming band archery. They did all that. And then now it's my turn yeah now he supports me 100.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

It's really funny because we filmed on a few shows, so my, my husband, paul, is now known as Kelly's husband, so don't be like filming. Okay, kelly over here, kelly's husband, go over there.

Melinda Russell:

Isn't that funny.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yeah, he loves it. He loves it. He wouldn't change a thing.

Melinda Russell:

That's cool.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yeah, it's great. My kids are so proud of me.

Melinda Russell:

I'm sure they are. I'm sure they are?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I'm sure they are. It's a. It's a wonderful life.

Melinda Russell:

I know I can tell, but you're so um, you're the excitement that you share when you talk about it and you know, I know if you're listening to this you can't see the look on her face, but if you go to YouTube later she'll be there and it's just. It's a pleasure to just watch you talk about what you've done.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Thank you, I really appreciate that. It is my heart, yeah, that's for sure.

Melinda Russell:

So what's your favorite memory? Do you have one from like when you were running your car?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I have a memory, a funny memory, a cool memory and a funny kind of memory.

Melinda Russell:

Go ahead.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

So John Forrest was at Irwindale watching his grandchildren do summit racing his granddaughter Autumn and at the time I had totaled my first car, which was Stacy OG I guess. And then I was running a Dodge Dart that we had bought. We bought the Dart because it came on the trailer that we wanted, so I ran it. I ran a 7.0, and I saw John. I went over to him, got a picture and I go, I'm going to get into the sixes tonight. And then I'm going down the track on my next pass he's on the fence below up in front of him. I go oh my God, I never got into sixes and I got ahead of myself bragging about my six, six, second run. I was gonna do so. That's a memory. And then I got to share it with him at pri two years ago. I told him the story.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yeah, that was that was that's cool I love, john forrest, john forrest has always been my favorite, since I was dating my husband and geez 87, 86 maybe. And he took me to Pomona for the first time, my first time at the drag races. And John Ford here, he comes halfway down the track. I was like, wow, that's amazing. I fell in love with John right then. Huge fan.

Melinda Russell:

How could you not be a fan of that guy?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Right.

Melinda Russell:

Right.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yeah, yeah.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah, for sure. So, do you? Do you work on the car too, or just I don't you know?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I wanted to, I. But then me and my husband fight too much when I try to ask questions and get all up in the business. He's like just let me do it. So I did take a beginner's automotive class at citrus college for a semester okay so I could oil, which I was so proud of myself.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I changed the oil, yeah, but that's okay. We're going to keep our roles how we know he's taking care of me my whole life, like we've been together since I was 16. So 40 years we've been together, married 35. And he's he likes to take care of me. So I was like you know what, I'm not going to fight with him to help work on the car, which I did want to work on the car, so I just let him do it. It's faster and easier.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yeah.

Melinda Russell:

And, you know, maybe that's his way of being very supportive. It's like this is my role. Yeah, that is your role. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah, I don't think I could. You know, my husband's a welder by trade and although we're more retired than not, um, I couldn't be a welder and work in the shop with him.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

yeah, no way, right exactly how to keep a happy marriage. Stay out of each other's way.

Melinda Russell:

Have your own space. Yeah, and sometimes he'll say you'all, I'll say we this or are we gonna go to this, or that. He said what am I? A mouse in your pocket, you know, because I'm? I'm the bigger sports fan than he is. Oh, okay, and so you know he goes to the races and stuff, but he, um, he would just assume, maybe not at times right, right, yeah, I get it so it. So let's pretend that it's race day. Yep, what's your what? What do you do? What's your routine on race day? Um?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

um, I try to hydrate pretty good because usually you sweat. So I call race day P5000 because I I will have to go to the bathroom. I get so nervous, but it's always nervous excitement. Yeah, it's like until my first pass. I'm like going to the bathroom constantly and uh, but once I make my first pass I'm usually good.

Melinda Russell:

Okay.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

You know, um, back in the day, when I was being healthier, I would always go for my morning walks and my morning walks for my Zen, and I've gotten out of that habit. I think it and look forward to the fans and the other racers and all your friends and it's just it's actually a smaller community than you would think. Like yeah, even the big guys like know who we are and it's like yeah it really is.

Melinda Russell:

You know, we talked before we started recording about how, when I first started the women's motorsports network, I just thought it was such a big, big community that I didn't even know where to start in motorsports. And then I decided I was going to focus on the women of motorsports. And as you get involved, are there, are there hundreds of thousands of women in racing? Yes, there are, if you look at all the different kinds, but overall it's a small community. It really is. People know each other. Yeah, you get to know each other. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah, they really do.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah, do you eat or not eat when you go on race days?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I usually don't eat a lot, not on race days. I eat plenty on the rest of the days, yeah did you have any superstitions? Same shirt, same socks no, no, thankfully I'm not a superstitious person but.

Melinda Russell:

I did.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I used to always get my walks in because it helped me keep my head calm and you know, calmer you can tell I'm not the calmest of people.

Melinda Russell:

You're a little excitable yeah.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I love it. It's funny because I'm exhausted, but for some I talk about racing and motorsports. I like life comes into me.

Melinda Russell:

You just have a lot of energy, and I love that, thank you. When just have a lot of energy, and I love that, thank you. When you had a bad when you had a bad day at the track, which we all do, how did?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

you react. So okay, one time, going down the return road, I had a, I had a bad pass. I was so mad, I drove down, pissed off. I was like, didn't look at the fans. I drove down, pissed off.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I was like, didn't look at the fans and and then I thought you know what that could be their first impression of me, because a lot of them may not have seen me before, they're not all regulars and I told, and I told myself like I will never go down the return road mad again, so I'll pull off, get out of the car, unsuit like just cool down and then go back down. Because you know what, when I'm a fan and I'm spectating, I don't even know who won, half the time I don't even know what happened, but I like that car, I like that racer, I like that person, I want to wave, I want them to wave at me. And so I thought, every time I go down the return, I have to give them an experience that they won't forget. And you know, so that was something for me. That was a really big deal.

Melinda Russell:

Well, you know that's. I hope other people listen to that, because even you know professional drivers and I follow really all sport, all motor sports, but NASCAR is my favorite, oh, nice and and so you know a lot of those guys have bad days and or they're busy and they don't want to sign autographs, but it's the same thing. You know those fans are paying your way, right and and yeah, you can't always do it, you know, but um, I, I think more people need to think of it that way, that yeah I.

Melinda Russell:

They may be seeing this for the first time and I want to leave them with a good impression.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yeah, exactly, you only make one first impression.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

One of the reasons why I came up with okay, I met Shirley Muldowney at NHRA once and she was having a bad day and I was like wow, and I thought I don't want to leave a first impression like that's not a good one.

Melinda Russell:

You know what I mean.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Like I could be having a bad day but they don't know that, right, they don't know what's going on in my life. All they know is they want to meet you, they want to experience your energy. They want to, you know. So you just have to really try to just kind of save it for when you get home.

Melinda Russell:

Exactly, save it for when you get home. Exactly, you just have to put that aside and and be in race mode, be in fan mode, all those things, and then, when you get home, so you can deal with it.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

We did a no prep event a year after I started racing in stacy og and that's when I totaled my car. So I totaled the car. It wasn't that big of a deal really. I'm surprised it got totaled on that slow of speed, but it did. And I mean the kids are running up to me and I have to just forget about the crashed car that they're loading into the trailer and be happy, and I was. I mean, you just gotta just be there for the people.

Melinda Russell:

They don't yeah yeah yeah, so when you first went to the racetrack and decided you know you were going to race that car, did you feel like you didn't fit in, or you just always felt like you were accepted?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I didn't think twice. I felt like I fit in. I mean, I knew it was my calling and you know, just because it's my calling from God or whatever, like it's not always going to be easy, it's not always going to be, no, no drama. There's going to be drama. There's going to be trials and tribulations. But I knew that that was my calling and I never thought twice about it. I just jumped off head first and that was it. There wasn't a. Should I do this? Should I nope? It was on that's awesome, yeah.

Melinda Russell:

So what was your biggest challenge when you first?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

getting enough seat time. I mean like I couldn't get enough. And you know what I always wondered? I always wondered do you ever get your fill? Do you ever feel like satisfied? Because back in the day it was like a drug and I couldn't get enough and so I'd make the 25 passes. I still want more. I still want more. Now I could do three passes.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I'm like all right, put the car away, I'm good, I'm going now you know, from going 13 seconds in the eighth mile to five, whatever, whatever, five, seven, five, point, seven seconds, you get your fill. You get you know, and I've made thousands of passes yeah so yeah you do, you do.

Melinda Russell:

I mean, yeah, I think you do get to where and and I don't want it to sound like that you don't care as much because you still care, but you don't have to go overboard anymore. A little is satisfying yep, yep, exactly.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

And I'm an extremist, I'm all or nothing, and yeah, I actually have a little bit of self-control when it comes to yeah, you know why hurt the car, why risk crashing? Because, honestly, the more passes you make, the more you're risking it. You're gonna hit the wall, like eventually things happen.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

It's just the more you make passes, the more opportunity for something to happen yeah, I try to be like, okay, we got the car down and put it away till the next time yeah, I agree, don't take too many chances, because that's not a good thing, right?

Melinda Russell:

yeah, yeah, so, um, what are you doing now? Are you just working with your, your outreach, or are you doing any? Yeah, I know you did land speed. What if you got planned for the summer?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

so, you know, honestly, my husband says I nap and I work, I nap and I work. I don't get much sleep and I'm always working. I'm either emailing or contacting people. I am a board member of the Cal Rods Car Club so I, you know, work with them a bit. I'm on, I am on the, I'm the vice president of the San Gabriel Valley Boss Ladies, which is a networking group, and that's how I've, and they brought me in as a non-profit. So they only have one category per, you know realtor and the balloon.

Melinda Russell:

Like me and I.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yes, and so I am the non-profit, and so we all work together to try to make us better, to get our story down, to get our presentation down. You're a one-minute commercial, so when you're in an elevator you got to pop it off.

Melinda Russell:

Right.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Know what you're talking about. I've had so much growth. That's once a week and that's a lot Like we really work hard.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah, it is.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I've worked harder this last year and a half on Mavix than I have, you know so Well, it's a big commitment that once a week and it doesn't set.

Melinda Russell:

You wouldn't think it is, but I was in B&I for quite a number of years for send out cards and it is a commitment.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yeah, yeah, it really is. Yeah, but it's great stuff. I mean, we become great friends. Yeah, I don't really hang out, I don't. I pretty much am home alone. I'm like a loner, unless we're at an event and then I'm all over the place, but then I'm home alone decompressing, yeah sitting in my room by myself quiet like I have to have a lot of downtime to rejuvenate this crazy head yeah, so um, so yeah, we do a lot of like, uh, mixers and a lot of you know, bringing other teams and yeah okay getting mavix's name out there yeah and are you gonna do anything with your car this summer uh, we're gonna run fuel fest at pomona in june, in a couple weeks, okay.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Um, we're probably gonna build a land speed car, I think, down the road here and um, but I'm still gonna drag race because that's my first love, okay you know, it just won't be as much, because we have to travel so far and then you have to get a room I know rent a trailer or whatever so I got a motor home for sale if you're interested.

Melinda Russell:

Oh really, well, is it a diesel? You better believe it is really. Yeah, well, where are you at what state? I live in michigan, but you know you can fly here and drive home, it's real we'll have to connect later.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Send me some info on it, I will okay thank you, it's nice, it's just.

Melinda Russell:

We got older. My husband wasn't comfortable driving anymore driving it, and so we we sold our big house. We built a smaller house. That's nice, though, and that it's easier for both of us to take care of yeah.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yeah, definitely send me some pictures on it and some info on it. I will, yeah, I will, so for sure. That's awesome.

Melinda Russell:

So now tell me, if somebody wanted to follow you on, like I'm social media or whatever, how would anybody follow you, get connected?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

be friends with you. So my Facebook page, my personal. I have two Facebook's. Because one of them was for Mavix, I had to create a Facebook. You can follow me at Kelly Barr Anderson and BARR to ours, kelly Barr Anderson on Facebook. Instagram is full throttleoroughoutalfabulous one word. And our website for Mavix is mavixcommunityorg. Mavixcommunityorg.

Melinda Russell:

And is there opportunity for people to like donate or help or in any way?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

with your outreach. Yes, if you go to my website, you can donate there or send me a message there. Mavixcommunity at gmailcom is my email for that. We love support. I mean help us get our name out there. Financial donations is great. We're getting ready to our fundraiser, like I said in July, our first big one. Yeah, we want to get our name out there. We want to make a bigger impact. I would like to travel the country.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

And go all over to the schools and stuff like that.

Melinda Russell:

See, you need that motor home, then I know, so you can do that.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

That's right. Send me that info, sister.

Melinda Russell:

I will tonight. I'll do it tonight for sure, Thank you. So, Kelly, is there anything? Well, one thing we didn't talk about you were a Hoosier hero, oh.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I am a Hoosier hero.

Melinda Russell:

How did that come about? How does that work so?

Kelly Barr Anderson:

that okay. So I've seen last year I saw them and post become a Hoosier hero, be an ambassador for Hoosier brand, and we love Hoosier tires. We've run them quite some time. The only time we really didn't run them was when, uh, covid, you couldn't get them. I know we. I mean I ordered a set and it took like I don't know a year and a half to get them, and then, uh, but we run faster with hoosiers so that last year I saw they're doing it, so I sent the link to everyone.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Like, nominate me please, if you feel, if you feel I'm a hoosier hero quality, whatever, nominate me. So I got nominated and I was at my daughter's in Arizona and I got the email. I said congratulations, you made top 25 out of 2000. I was like, oh my God, like I cannot even believe this is happening right now. And then it goes to voting, and then they do where the motor sports uppers, whoever, where the motorsports uppers, whoever I don't even know who they are uh, they vote and then it goes to the community and so you send the link to everybody. It's a full-time job. Yeah, I quit doing contests because I was like, oh, it's way too much work and it's annoying, but this was a something very near and dear to my heart and I really, really wanted to do it. So then, uh, I had a meeting and Maddie Gordon is the one that told me I was a Hoosier hero yeah they all expense, paid trip to PRI and then you do media day and it was just the trip of a lifetime.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I love PRI anyway, but it was all about Hoosier that year last year, yeah, yeah and so now I'm an ambassador and they sent me some tires, and they sent me gear and cleaning supplies. Oh my god, they're so good to us. It is such an honor To be a Hoosier hero. I cannot believe it.

Melinda Russell:

I'm glad we didn't forget about that.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yes, thank you, I would have felt terrible. Oh, thank you. Yes, it truly is an honor. Like my life, you know, a life beyond my wildest dreams.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah, I can tell, I can tell that you're very happy, very happy, yeah, yeah, that's good and that's what it. That's what it's all about. You got to get up every morning and and be ready to do whatever it is that makes you happy.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

Yep, and it's not easy. It's a lot, a lot of work, a lot of behind the scenes that no one sees. Oh, for sure it really is like a 24-7, seven days a week. Yeah, commitment to everything we're doing, but it's worth it.

Melinda Russell:

Yeah, it certainly is. Yes. Well, Kelly, I don't have any other questions, but do you have anything else that you would like to share? I know I'll think of it after we hang up.

Kelly Barr Anderson:

I hate that when that happens. Yeah, I know I do too. I mean, I feel like we've covered it all. Yeah, it's truly an honor to be on the show. Thank you so much for reaching out.

Melinda Russell:

Oh, I appreciate that. Thank you so much, and I'm so glad we were able to connect after a couple of you know I had to cancel and you had to cancel and finally we were able to reach out. Yeah, that's awesome so well.

Melinda Russell:

Kelly, thanks again for being on the show. If you just hold on for one second, I'll get with you when it's over. Thank you, uh-huh. Promoting a track takes heart and now showing appreciation can be just as easy with send out cards. You can thank sponsors, volunteers, drivers and fans with personalized digital cards sent right from your phone or laptop add, add a photo, write a message and hit send. It's that simple Unlimited sends for just $10 a month. Go to sendoutcardscom, forward slash 53240. That's sendoutcardscom. Forward slash 53240. Because gratitude builds great tracks.

Melinda Russell:

That's it for this episode of the Women's Motorsports Network podcast. We hope you've been inspired by the stories I shared today and feel more connected to the amazing community of women in motorsports. Remember, whether you're behind the wheel in the pits or cheering from the stands, your story matters and together we're driving change and celebrating every milestone. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, leave us a review and share it with someone who loves motorsports as much as you do. And don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates, behind-the-scenes content and more incredible stories. So until next time, stay inspired, stay connected and keep racing through life. This is the Women's Motorsports Network podcast, where every woman's story is worth celebrating.