Women's Motorsports Network Podcast & Let's Talk Racing LIVE
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.
Let's Talk Racing LIVE airs on Wednesdays at 7pm EASTERN TIME on the Women's Motorsports Network-A Media Company Facebook Page.
https://www.facebook.com/womensmotorsportsnetworkandpodcast
Melinda Russell
Women's Motorsports Network Podcast & Let's Talk Racing LIVE
From Dirt Bikes to Off-Road Trucks: Gray Leadbetter's Motorsports Journey
From a two-year-old denied a plastic toy car to racing alongside Travis Pastrana in Saudi Arabia, Gray Leadbetter's journey through motorsports defies all expectations. With no family racing background whatsoever, Gray carved her own path through sheer determination and a natural talent that was evident from the moment she first climbed onto a four-wheeler.
Gray's story is remarkable not just for her racing accomplishments—which include winning a championship in her first year of truck racing—but for how she's navigated the unique challenges of growing up at racetracks rather than in classrooms. When traditional schooling became impossible due to her intense travel schedule, she enrolled in On Track School, completing her education online while crisscrossing the country for competitions. By age 12, she was flying solo to training sessions in Arizona, displaying a maturity and independence that continues to define her approach to racing.
Now competing in Pro Light trucks in the Champ Off Road series, Gray brings a refreshingly levelheaded perspective to a high-pressure sport. Rather than overthinking before races, she deliberately keeps her mind clear until moments before the green flag. "If you're not having fun," she says, "why do it?" This philosophy has served her well through the inevitable highs and lows of racing, from championship victories to mechanical failures and crashes.
Perhaps most inspiring is Gray's role as a trailblazer for young women in motorsports. While she doesn't dwell on gender barriers—"Once you put a helmet on, you're a driver, it doesn't matter who you are"—she acknowledges the special connection she shares with the girls who visit her pit area. They see in her what's possible when passion meets opportunity, regardless of background or tradition.
What's next for this rising star? While she's focused on her current truck racing season, Gray dreams of someday racing a Porsche 911 GT3 at the Daytona 24 Hours. Based on everything she's accomplished before her 21st birthday, it would be unwise to bet against her making that dream come true. Subscribe now to follow Gray's incredible journey through the world of motorsports!
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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.
Speaker 1:Hello everyone, this is Melinda Russell with the Women's Motorsports Network podcast, and my guest today is Gray Ledbetter. And I was talking to Gray before we got on here and recorded and said Gray, I've been following you for a long time. I just can't believe I have never had you on the show or in the magazine, so I don't know what I was doing or how I let that fall through the cracks. But we're going to catch up today. So, gray, I want to welcome you to the show and would you first tell us a little bit about yourself, your family, your pets, anything you're willing to share?
Speaker 2:Yeah, of course, but first off, thank you for having me on here. I'm glad we were able to pull it off. I'm sitting at a racetrack right now actually.
Speaker 1:Of course you are.
Speaker 2:But I have two older sisters One is a PA and one is an esthetician, so we all took very different career paths, that's for sure. I have a dog that I love more than anything. I live in North Carolina. I don't want to move. I've traveled a lot of places and I don't think I ever want to move anywhere. I graduated from on track school, which is the online school that I think it's made its way big into the end of the motorsports world now.
Speaker 2:So, but I started school. I started with them in fifth grade and went all the way up through graduation. So they they were a big help, plus their graduations at a motocross race. So why not?
Speaker 1:Is it really? That's pretty cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so the AMA pro nationals is where they are, so they do their graduation, because it started from dirt bikes and it obviously is now ventured into everything else. But they have their graduation out of dirt bike track, but you're homeschooled and get a real graduation, so it's pretty cool that's very cool.
Speaker 1:That's that's fair. I've heard of that, that school before, so yeah, it has become very popular, I know that's for sure it has a ton.
Speaker 2:It was very grateful.
Speaker 1:It's why I've done it, for why I'm able to be racing where I am yeah, because you know really, when you think about it, um, back when you were in fifth grade which, however many years that was, it still online school wasn't a big thing no, um, it wasn't at all.
Speaker 2:We, uh, we went through I think I actually found them through somebody else, um, and then we just started with them. Going into my fifth grade year, I think, we did one other school for like a semester and I didn't like it um, but the on track stuff.
Speaker 2:It gets you the opportunity to travel with it, and every single teacher and every single person within the school understands racing and they understand sports in general, that if you're at an event and you can't be there or you can't do your school work, you just tell them and they're like, okay, like, just do it next week, it's not a big deal so now do they incorporate things that apply to motorsports in your schooling, or is it more just like regular school?
Speaker 2:no, it's regular school science, history, all the regular classes you take, a language you take. Basically they have a bunch of electives like drawing and photography and everything like that. It might be they might have added more. I graduated three years ago, so they might have added more since then.
Speaker 1:But yeah, pretty, pretty cool. And what a great way for kids to be able to do school and do what they love. Because that's you know a lot of, and a lot of times kids when they're in younger, don't even know what they want to do. But when you're passionate about motorsports, I find that kids at a very young age realize that that's what they want to do, and so it makes it so much easier for them to get through school. That's. That's great for sure. So you've been racing for quite a while. Tell me your racing story. How did you get started? Who influenced you to start? Tell me where you were at the beginning to where you are tonight.
Speaker 2:Well, I started racing when I was four years old, which that's the youngest you can race, uh, but I the how I got into it was so none of my family is a part of motorsports. They've never raced day in their life. I have no background or history background of racing whatsoever, um, in my family. And so we, we wanted or well, I wanted a plastic toy car you get at walmart that like two-year-olds have. And my parents said no, because they didn't want to listen to the plastic tiles, tires on our gravel driveway. So instead we had friends that race dirt bikes and they were like, hey, you can get her this little Four-wheeler. And it was it's pretty small, you can read it at two years old.
Speaker 2:So I turned two years old and we got a four wheeler and I started riding that around everywhere, like I would not stop bugging my parents to let me ride this thing at two years old. I wish I could remember it, but supposedly that's what they say, and so I fell in love with it. And then, since we had friends that raced dirt bikes, they were like, hey, get her a PW50 at three years old. So I started riding that and then, once I got off training wheels. I started riding more and liked it, and so they were like hey, put her to race.
Speaker 2:And so I went to race, and then I liked it, and so then I went and raced and I raced dirt bikes all the way up until I was around eight, nine, 10 years old-ish. We started going to a local indoor go-kart track when I was around nine, nine ish, and because it was raining all summer and I couldn't ride my dirt bike and so instead I went to race go-karts and I liked that. So then we started going to the outdoor go-kart track and I raced outdoor go-karts and I liked that. And then we went to Millbridge, which is the local track by Insalsbury, and I drove an Outlaw cart and so then I started racing those because I fell in love with that and you can kind of see the theme here.
Speaker 2:It's pretty much anything that I've gotten in. I've been able to race, which I'm very thankful for, thankful for my dad for that but I've just kind of fallen in love with everything that I've gotten into and eventually that led me to side-by-sides to race off road. Um, because we were in Austin, texas, at the 2015 X Games uh, summer X Games and I saw Rallycross for the first time and I was like, when they had it in X Games still, and I was like I want to do that. And I was nine years old, 10 years old, and I was like I want to do that. And I was nine years old, 10 years old, and I was like I want to do that.
Speaker 2:Well, they couldn't do it until you were 14 or 16 at the time. And so instead we got a um, we got a side-by-side, which is sequential shift, which was similar to the rally cars, and then we met Johnny and Kathy Greaves and I started racing with them. And now here I am. So what are you racing this weekend? So we're racing the pro light truck, um, which is what I've been racing all summer. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and what series is that that you race in?
Speaker 2:Champ off road.
Speaker 1:What's it again?
Speaker 2:It's champ off road.
Speaker 1:Champ off road. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:The series all around the Midwest.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, we're going to California this year, so it's leaving the states.
Speaker 1:That's not the Midwest, for sure.
Speaker 2:No, we're leaving three states that we always race in and we're making our way to California in September, Wow.
Speaker 1:So you still live in North Carolina?
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:And so what states have you raced in so far this year?
Speaker 2:This year we raced in so far this year. Uh, this year I've raced in. We raced in missouri, we raced in wisconsin and minnesota and then we'll race in michigan in two weeks um, and then we'll go to california in the end of september and where in michigan are you going to race? Bark river, which is upper Michigan, upper.
Speaker 1:Peninsula. Okay, because I live in Kalamazoo, but that's a long way away, that's far away.
Speaker 2:I almost went there for the when they do the Night of Destruction at the Speedway over 4th of July.
Speaker 1:Darn it.
Speaker 2:I know I was almost going to go and then I didn't. Maybe next year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, maybe next year. Yeah, maybe next year. We have to let me know because I live 15 minutes from the racetrack so that's a great racetrack, for sure.
Speaker 1:I've always wanted to make it, but I really I think I've only been to lower Michigan, like once okay, well, it's beautiful and when it's not storming like it is tonight, so it's normally sunny and and bright, and right now it's almost dark. So, yeah, it shouldn't be dark yet, but anyway for sure. So I'm going to go back. So at two years old you started racing and then you just kept moving up and up and up and up and your parents had to see that you were really serious about this, even though if my four-year-old had said I want to do this, I'd have probably been like, yeah, right, whatever. So they bought into it that you really were serious about that. You loved racing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they supported me all the way through. I mean, I'm very grateful for it. I wouldn't be here without them. But when you're on dirt bikes at that young of an age, it's not a serious thing. And my dad up until probably four years ago was like this is not like a profession. This and not to me, but like to other people, because other people are like she's good, like she's going to want to keep doing this and like warning him that, like I'm gonna end up somewhere. And he was like no, it's fine, it's just for fun. It's just for fun.
Speaker 2:And now here we are yeah all the way up until I was probably 15 years old, 14 years old, um, he, that's what he was saying is like it's, it's fine, it's just for fun, like it's, we're just enjoying this. And now here we are. So that's kind of how dirt bikes were the whole time. And then I eventually started missing so much school that I had to become homeschooled. And so in fourth grade my dad was like if you do this, this and this, like most parents, it's like if you ride your bike every day, or if you do this or you take care of the dog or whatever, you can be homeschooled. And so I did that and I rode my bike what felt like every day at the time. And so I became homeschooled. And then it just I never went back and I never had the desire to go back and I was always traveling 24, seven after that point.
Speaker 1:So so who traveled with you?
Speaker 2:Well, up until I was 12 years old, my dad traveled with me, and then, at 12, I started flying by myself. So I would fly, fly. I would go out and train with Buddy Rice in Arizona and I would just. It's a direct flight from Charlotte, so I would do the unaccompanied minor thing walk to the airport with a parent, get on to the flight attendant, fly over there, have somebody meet you at the gate, yeah. So when I turned 14 and I was able to be by myself, it was like heaven it was like I'm an adult now at 14.
Speaker 2:yeah, it was so nice to be able to fly by myself, but, um, yeah, I've, I've really been traveling a lot by myself. I'm thankful enough to be able to do it with my boyfriend now. We travel and do everything together. Um, we went over to saudi arabia last year when I raced, uh, extreme e with travis pastrana that was.
Speaker 1:That was a cool experience that had to be very cool. He's, he's amazing. I've watched. I went to an event in Phoenix that he put on probably maybe four years or more ago. It was like the weekend after the NASCAR cup race and my two daughters live out there and so, um, I happened to be out there and and I went, because kyle bush was my was is my favorite driver, is one of my favorite drivers, and he was racing in that with travis and what a cool, what a cool thing to watch. You know, they were running, it was dirt and they were running, they were jumping over these things and it was just really, really fun to watch.
Speaker 1:So, and then he was supposed to be in kalamazoo yeah that's probably why you were thinking about coming, and then it got rain. Whatever he was coming for got rained out, so yeah yeah, they.
Speaker 2:I'm not sure what happened, but yeah, that's why I was gonna be there yeah, I figured as much for sure.
Speaker 1:So, um, you're racing a truck.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:That's. I love trucks, so I love, when I first started getting into racing and I started going to Kalamazoo Speedway, more seriously, there was a guy that ran a truck and he ran it with a bunch of cars, you know, and he was the only truck and he was my favorite driver because he was driving a truck. I just thought that was cool. And then, you know, I followed the truck series in NASCAR and I always really liked them because I thought they were much more like grassroots racing than anything else. And then Carson Hosovar lives is from my town and so you know I I really got interested when he was driving. But, um, what, what made you go the truck route? How did that happen?
Speaker 2:Well, we I was racing with Johnny and Kathy Greaves in 2021 and CJ was moved, or I guess CJ and Johnny Greaves either, or um, cj was going to be moving to Polaris the following year and cause he went from Yamaha to Polaris and I was racing either. Or CJ was going to be moving to Polaris the following year because he went from Yamaha to Polaris and I was racing a Yamaha and I was like, well, they were like you can't be under our tent just because of sponsorship obligations. They're like you can't be under our tent if you race a Yamaha and he's under Polaris. And I was like, okay, well, just so happened to be a few races later, ryan Beat comes up to me. He pulls me over to his tent. As I'm walking by his tent, he calls me over.
Speaker 2:I honestly didn't really know who he was at the time. I mean, I knew his name, but I don't think I'd ever spoken to him and I was 17 at the time well, 16 at the time and he called me over and he was like hey, there's this new prospect coming up. Chevy would like a driver under my tent. And I've been watching you come up through the ranks and I think you're doing really good. Would you have any interest in racing it for us next year? And I like thought about it and he happened to also live in north carolina. He had just moved from california and now he lives an hour away from me and I was, that's convenient.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, so I, we got through the racing season after crandon and a few months go by and I kind of didn't forget about it, but like it was just kind of like a standstill, um, and I messaged him and I was like, hey, is the offer still stand? And so he was like, yeah, come by the shop here in the next few days or the next week, whenever you have time. And, uh, come check it out and see what you think. Went down to the shop. And then next thing, you know, I was getting fitted for this pro spec truck and was looking to race it the following year in 22. And it was a blast. I absolutely loved racing the truck. We were able to win the championship our first year and then the second year I finished third, but going into last year I think we were all three tied for points, pretty much Wow.
Speaker 1:So it was a good year.
Speaker 2:I absolutely loved racing the pro spec truck and we took a year off last year to go race Can-Ams and move back into the side-by-sides my boyfriend and I. We were able to do it all by ourselves. He's a moto guy, he didn't know anything about side-by-sides and took on the adventure with me. It was literally just us two showing up at the racetrack and that was it. So that was an eventful experience. I'd never done or ran a race team I mean, there's only the two of us but I'd never ran a race team by myself. So that was a learning curve. It was really fun and I'm grateful that I've gotten to do it. But then the opportunity came back up and Ryan was like hey, If you're willing to buy it, we can put you under our tent and you can race with us again. And so here we are.
Speaker 1:Wow, you and your boyfriend. So there's a lot more to a race team than what you think.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I always knew I'm grateful to have been around the Grades and around Ryan, like I always knew how it worked. It was just doing it ourselves with just the two of us. I mean we didn't have a hot pit. We just we had friends that helped us out. We had friends that helped us out, made us food every night, the racetrack we would just mingle off of them, which I'm so grateful for them, and everybody that helped us out last year. But yeah, no, there's, there's a lot that goes into it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there there really is. But what great experience for you to have, because, moving forward, you know, as you race more, you're going to probably own your own team here at one of these days and you'll you'll have that experience behind you for sure.
Speaker 2:For sure it was. It was something I'm very grateful to have gone to experience, and especially only at we were 19 and 22 at the time.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:So it's for just the two of us. It was interesting.
Speaker 1:You know. I find, though, that and you know it's never a hundred percent, but I do find that girls since I've interviewed more girls I don't know about the boys, but girls mature faster. That are in motor sports. They're much, much more mature for their age, I should say the ones that have grown up racing, being involved, and I think a lot of it come comes because they've gained confidence, they've had to learn how to speak. They are around a lot of adults, you know. I mean, when you think about it, a team is mostly adults helping a kid, and so um. I find that you know you're mature beyond your years a lot of times if you've been involved in motorsports oh, I agree 100.
Speaker 2:I think I'm around kids my own age back at home or just in general in public and I'm like I look, I'm not against them. It's just how you grow up and I definitely think there's a big change around it. And especially which I didn't go to school high school either so I wasn't around the drama, I wasn't around all of that type of stuff that you get in high school no-transcript.
Speaker 1:Junior high, all that. Yeah, there's a lot of things that I'm glad you didn't have to experience, but there's also a lot of things you missed. Did you ever regret? I mean, you know, like everybody's going to prom or or football games or different things, did you still attend or or have friends as part of that? Or really, you were just, you're just like nope, I'm doing this and and those were all a different life.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was, I think. When I was younger it was really hard when I just had transitioned into uh, I think it would have been easier if I would have transitioned, going into middle school, rather than missing the last year of elementary school and having all my friends and watching them go through it. I miss it a lot. Uh, I don't think middle school I really was. It really was an issue. Going into high school, I um, there was definitely times that I missed, like the, the, uh, what is it? The theme week?
Speaker 2:I can't even think spirit week stuff like just like the silly little things that you get in high school going to parties, going to this, doing that like there was definitely times I miss it. But then I just try to look at life that I have now and what I'm doing and I'm like, yeah, but I'm also already here and I've gotten to travel the world and I've done all these things, so it's a love-hate relationship. There's definitely times that even still now, like with college cause I don't go to college Um, there's times where I'm like, yeah, I kind of wish I'd get to experience it, but then again, like I get to be a racetrack almost every weekend.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and, and you know, there there's a thing called the College of Life and that's kind of what you're learning, right, yeah, and nothing against college. I encourage people to get as much education as they can. But I also know just from my granddaughter being in college and she brought her accounting over one time and I was like you're never going to use this. Yeah, if you actually get into an accounting job at a company, you're never going to use this, and so her mom probably didn't think that was a good thing to say, but it was the truth. But you know, there's things that they have to teach you and whatever, and so you're learning things like how to run a race team by actually doing it.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's much better than words on a book.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:You get like the real-life experiences and everything and, honestly, like prom was one of the things that I was sad that I missed, but I had a friend that was still in high school at the time and they invited me to their high school prom and we were there for, I think, 20 minutes and then we left and then the school on track school, so they actually have prom also at during graduation week at that, at the race that they have it at. So I got to experience that problem, which that one was actually really fun.
Speaker 1:Okay, so that's good. I don't feel. I don't feel bad for you now, cause you still got to experience some of that stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that one. That one was a blast. They have it. So it's interesting is they have it from a freshman year to high school or to senior year, because they don't have that many kids. So they just invite the whole high school that's at the track racing um to come in and experience it, and so they were playing songs and there were kids that I didn't think were that much younger than me but were in for like as freshmen, and they didn't know what was playing and I was like, am I old? It's like the difference between four years can make is wild oh, oh.
Speaker 1:It can be a huge difference and you wouldn't think so, but it really can, yeah, so what's been your proudest moment so far?
Speaker 2:There's a few. I think the race team thing last year was a big one is making it through that and really not having any issues Going overseas. And racing in saudi arabia with travis was a huge one. I mean, although we're able to do stuff together now and we film videos with each other all the time on his channel 199 stuff like he was still my idol growing up and if you would have told little old me in fourth grade that I would be racing with him on this, like physically racing with him as we switch co-drivers midway through, um, I would have told you you were crazy. So that was, uh, definitely a big one.
Speaker 2:And then racing the truck, winning the championship, my first round, and I think throw it back to even rallycross in 2019. When I raced that because that was still like, like I said earlier, when we were at X Games when I was 10 years old and I was watching that, I was like that's the, what I want to do and to have the opportunity to have gone to race. That was is still nuts to me, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. Well, you've been in this a long time, you know. I mean, I don't want to make you sound like you're as old as me, but if you started when you were two years old kind of two, three, four years old, you know, and now you must be about 19- just well, I'll turn 21 this year, okay you'll turn 21 this year, so you think about how many years you've been in racing.
Speaker 1:Um, how has the how has how? Have things changed the way women are treated? Have you seen anything different? Has it evolved? Or were you always pretty much accepted because you've been racing so long? How can you speak to that a little bit? Or was it never an issue?
Speaker 2:Um, I think when I was younger it was more of like a question about it. Now I think there's so many women in motorsports now that it doesn't get as questioned as much. Uh, now there's still times where you go beast. I have the pictures on the podium last or a few years ago and I won the championship of the guys that I'm racing against, that are in their mid 30s to mid 40s and they're they like as I'm standing on the top of the box and they're a little angry about it. Uh, but I mean, for the most part, I think everybody treats me the same way.
Speaker 2:I mean, I've always looked at myself as the same way as everyone else. I mean, we're here to drive. Once you put a helmet on, you're a driver, you're not. It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter who you are. And I think in motors and it depends on the sport, because I think for in terms of, obviously, if you go to soccer or tennis or whatever it is, yeah, there's different. There's men and women's sports, because you're different physical levels, like that's just how it is.
Speaker 2:Um but once you go into motorsports, it's once you put a helmet on. That's, that's what you're doing. It doesn't matter who you are, and that's the one thing that I love about the sport. But in terms of being treated, I don't think. There's definitely been times over the years, but for the most part, I feel like it's all pretty equal yeah, um, do you?
Speaker 1:do you feel any pressure at all, like if you're going into a race and you're the only girl? Do you feel pressure to show that you can keep up with them, or are you just there focusing on what you're supposed to do?
Speaker 2:That's pretty much it. Once I put the helmet on, like I just focus on what I'm supposed to do and I don't really think about it. I mean, there's definitely times where people will race you more aggressive, this, that or another, but at the same time, like we're, we're all racing for the same thing, we're all trying to get to the same place and, um, I think that's just really what my mindset is on it. I don't try to think, oh well, now when I do win, is it that much cooler? Yeah, but either way, no matter how I do on the track, you always have the little girls coming up to me in the pits. There's some that have been around for four years that will basically live in the tent if I would let them. They will stay there and they will not leave my side, and so that's really the biggest thing about being is just showing the inspiration to the little girls, and that's my favorite part about this sport.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was going to be one of my questions, so you just answered it. You know, what do you, what do you say to a little girl who wants to be just like you? And? And you say just work hard start everyone has the power to do it yeah, so what does a typical race weekend look like for you? You drive. I'm assuming you have a motorhome or something that you drive to the track, right?
Speaker 2:yeah, we have. So this sprinter van actually that I'm in right now it's just a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van and it has the bed in the back. It comes down. We put the toolbox, because we bring our own tools from home, also in a pit bike, so we put the tools underneath that. The bed goes down on top of it. It has a fridge. This is a shower behind me and this is it, and in front of me is just the two front seats. So we bring this to and from North Carolina. We normally drive back and forth every time and this is what we live out of.
Speaker 1:And then it pulls the hauler that has your truck or does that get there some other way?
Speaker 2:No, ryan takes that with the team, so that'll go in the big semi and everything else, so we just really get to drive this, which is kind of nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good then. That's not like having a big motorhome going down the road or having to pull a trailer, so that's good for sure. So how do you prepare mentally, physically, you know, before a race or maybe even through the year? You know what do you do to stay in shape and then to make sure that your head's in in the right place, because that can be something that you know people can mess with you and then that'll be part of the the issue. So being being strong mentally and physically is important.
Speaker 2:Yes, for sure. I mean I try my best to go to the gym. Thankful enough, I have one at my house that I try to go into every time I'm home. On the road it's obviously a lot more tough, but for the most part, physical is a big fitness thing or it's a big mental block. Really, I struggle more with the mental side of it than anything than physical.
Speaker 2:I don't think I've really truly, thankfully, been in a position where I've struggled physically. It's just for me, whenever I race which sounds silly and a lot of people call me crazy for it I don't think about the race. Probably two hours prior to literally when I get in and I put my helmet on five minutes before we go on track, I just I laugh, I try to giggle, I try to think about anything else but racing and then, as soon as I put my helmet on that's when I like flip the switch and then I start driving and everything just falls into place well, sometimes, if you overthink it, you're gonna think yourself out of being successful exactly I, uh, I, I learned that probably a few years back.
Speaker 2:I was just like I can't if I sit here and I overthink it and I overanalyze and and I, whatever I, I just I don't drive to the best I can because I'm thinking, well, what if I did this wrong, or what if I do this, or what if I do that? And then I, then I just drive all over the place and I'm not thinking straight. So if I, I just try to zone out up until that.
Speaker 1:That's. That's good. I think that's a good plan. Do you have any superstitions or pre-race rituals?
Speaker 2:I don't think so there's probably. I always like do this with my hands or like do this type of stuff before I go out and like push it up against the steering wheel. I don't think it's like a superstition or anything. It's just something that I do every single time and I didn't really notice it until I was watching GoPro footage back one day. And I'm like I do that every single time and I didn't really notice it until I was watching GoPro footage back one day. And I'm like I do that every single time before I go on the track. But I I don't think there's any true superstitions or anything.
Speaker 1:Okay, so everybody has a bad night at the racetrack. This is a question I ask everybody that I interview. Racing is the one sport that you do not win 100% of the time.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:So when you have a bad night, how do you stay motivated to go back, keep working hard after you've had a bad night or a bad weekend?
Speaker 2:I normally will come into this van and just be alone for anywhere from five minutes to an hour. It depends on what happened. If it was my mistake, if it was somebody else's, if it was what it was just something that happened on track Um, I normally just come in here and I'll sit in silence and I'll just sit with my thoughts for a little bit and then, once I've calmed down or once I've gotten over it, I'll go back out, we'll discuss it, we'll figure out what happened or if the truck needs to be fixed, we'll figure out that, and then I just go on with the night, because at the same time it already happened. Obviously, you can think about what happened if it was your own mistake, but if it was a racing incident or whatever, there's nothing you can do about it. It happened, it's over, and you just move on to the next day. And that's kind of the one thing that I try to keep going, because if you're not having fun and you're not able to have fun, why do it?
Speaker 1:Exactly, I love that.
Speaker 2:I love that statement, that attitude. It's a very expensive sport to not be having fun doing.
Speaker 1:Well, that's true and it's. It can be very frustrating at times. But if you don't remember the fun times, or even during frustrating times, it can still be fun, right, and you might be all upset at the time, but when you look back on it you're like you know that was really fun and so you can't, you can't just focus on those. It's got to be. If it's not fun anymore, you gotta stop doing it for sure exactly.
Speaker 2:It's like missing the stuff from high school. It's like, well, I'm also doing something pretty fun too, so it's not like I'm missing out on too much no, no, for sure.
Speaker 1:So where are you going to be in five years?
Speaker 2:shoot, that's a loaded question. I, my life, has taken me to the dirt. I love the dirt. That's kind of where I ended up at the moment, but, as I've always said, and I've said forever, I will race anything that I've given the opportunity to do. I would love to end up in a pro two, a pro four in this off-road stuff. That would be a literal dream. But other than that, I've raced a lot of stuff. I did do some asphalt stuff in 2018, I believe I raced, uh, or I drove a late model in an ARCA car, um, and I love racing. You know legend cars and, um, I'd love to race a sports car at some point. Uh, but I'm kind of just here at the moment and I'm trying to take it day by day and, um, just enjoy it. But also, like I said, if an opportunity arises, I'll take it. It's like moving into the truck when I did in 22.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so when you said you don't think about racing until you get in the truck, so you get in the truck. Are you calm? You're focused, or are you nervous and a little bit hyped?
Speaker 2:up. It depends I think it fully depends on the track conditions if it's raining or if it's dry or whatever. It also depends on starting position. I think starting first is the scariest place to start, because you can only go back If you're not winning. You only went back If you're starting last. There's no pressure. You can only move forward. I think that plays a big role in it, and I think how you did the day before plays a big role in it. For the most part, I try to stay calm. I think I am a fairly calm person, or at least on the outside I am. Normally. If I'm not speaking before I race, that's when I get nervous.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, I love you know when you say you don't really think about it until you get in the truck, and that doesn't mean that you haven't thought about it prior, because you know where you're going to race and you look at the track and you learn about the track and you do all those things. But but when you say you know right before the race, a couple hours before the race, you try to just be relaxed and have fun and I think that probably is one reason why you're successful, because you're ready for it to start, but you're not like crazy. You know about everything that's happening, so I love that part about you. Great, that's cool.
Speaker 2:Thank you, yeah, it's. I've told a lot of people that and some people call me crazy and some people are like that's smart and so I've gotten mixed emotions about it, but it helps me and that's really what matters in my eyes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so do you give your truck a name? You know a lot of people name their cars. Does your truck have a name?
Speaker 2:It does not. Not, I have never been one to name a vehicle. Actually, I, I think I had one side by side and I named it Meg and it was because it looked like them. It was right after the Megalodon movie came out, and it was it looked like, cuz I had the same color formation as the Megalodon. As I did it Meg, and I think that's the only vehicle I've ever named.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's, and you know that's. That's something that a lot of people do and a lot of people don't. They just, but I like to ask that question because I've gotten some really fun answers to that. Well, when you've been at the track, what's been the most maybe creative or difficult thing that you've had to fix so that you could get back on the track?
Speaker 2:Thankfully hopefully it goes the same this weekend We've had no issues with the truck. The one thing about truck is all the panels are fiberglass fiberglass. So we have to stitch them together and find ways to put them back together so you don't go spend another 500 buying another body, um. So we will make any way that we can, whether it's taking uh, aluminum paint like aluminum sheets, putting them behind them, if it's, whether it's using old fiberglass panels and putting them behind and and we've glued them together, we've taped them together, we've used zip ties to put them together, and that's that's where creativeness, uh, is much needed around the trailer zip ties and all kinds of stuff yeah, we were making a joke that we need a band-aid sponsorship and just plaster it every single time there's a patch on the truck and the whole thing will probably be covered.
Speaker 1:Honestly, you know that's. That's a pretty cute idea, absolutely so. Let's talk about your sponsors. Um, I happen to know one of them or have met one of them recently. Do you want to share about your sponsors and and all what they do to help you?
Speaker 2:yeah. So you just met josh with freedom race lifts. He helped us a ton out last year, um, supplying us a lift and, honestly, we don't use them much for the truck coming soon, but not announced yet for the truck lifts, but for the side-by-side it just lifts all four tires up off and then you don't have to worry about it. There's no jacks, there's no this, there's no that and it's perfect, honestly. And I've also Pepper Palace.
Speaker 2:They are a hot sauce company based out of gatlinburg, tennessee, and although it's a very small company, it is widely distributed across the whole entire us, but in the office there's only about 30 people and they only make 100, 100 gallon batches. So every single hot sauce is the exact same and they, they all, are the same, they're all together and there's never really a mess ups, and that's one thing that's really cool about them. We actually have a video coming out soon and we tried. I went into one of their stores at Mall of America and I tried every single hot sauce, or nearly. And I'm not a spicy, spicy person, I'm like a mild to maybe hot person. And there was one point that I couldn't talk because it kept feeding it to me and I was like I can't breathe. Yeah, so we have some fun with them. We actually went and handed out a bunch of hot sauces the people at your X, the last race, and then on track.
Speaker 2:School is actually a sponsorship also. Obviously we talked about them a bunch. They've helped a ton. Yeah, and that's pretty much it. Yokohama is the next biggest one. Um, they supply tires to me and, uh, keeping me up on the track on all four corners, uh. But besides that, we're just trying to make it ourselves. We're trying to make it through the season. Um, find what we can here and there, but yeah it's uh, it's an eventful time.
Speaker 2:We're trying to find a budget.
Speaker 1:I think everybody is in the same, in the same position yeah, they really are, and I love that a small company sees the value and in sponsoring and the other thing is, like you said, what a fun company yeah, I love working with them.
Speaker 2:we had one of their media guys come out to ERX and also the chief of marketing come out and they were having a blast Like. I'm like they like to party, they like to go to tailgates, and I'm like, well, you're at the right place. Because there's some people that are in the back that don't even make it to the racetrack. Right, they're here to party.
Speaker 1:And oh, by the so there's a company called Melinda's Hot Sauce, really, and I've been, we've been talking back and forth about them becoming a sponsor for me, because, first of all, melinda's not that common of a name and they sent me some hot sauce and I'm like you, I can't do the hot hot sauce but I can do the anywhere up to maybe past medium a little bit. But they, they have some really interesting products and and defined, you know, and I and I was like you, I was like I could do so many fun things. You know, promoting that with the name and stuff, so we'll, we'll see how that goes. But, yeah, you know promoting that with the name and stuff, so we'll, we'll see how that goes.
Speaker 2:But um, a partnership that has anything to do with food is always a good time.
Speaker 1:Always a good time.
Speaker 2:It's super easy and just like, and honestly like, I'll put the hot sauces out under the tent and they'll be gone by the end of the weekend, because everybody uses them Whenever we eat lunch, dinner, breakfast, even there were people that put it on eggs, like they used it all the freaking time, and so it's it's a good time to have them on board yeah, it is.
Speaker 1:That's fun. So, gray, I know I promised you around 30 minutes so we've gone over, which is okay. I I love being able to talk to you, but what have we not talked about that? We really need to let people know about you and your racing. And then also like the social media part. How can people follow you?
Speaker 2:everything on social media is just my name. There's no nothing special about it. Um, you can find me on every single platform, I believe uh, tiktok, instagram, facebook, everything. Um, I don't think there's any. I feel like we covered a lot.
Speaker 2:I don't think there's anything, uh, in particular that we missed. I think the extreme east stuff was the one thing that we briefly went over, but I was able to do that with Travis Pastrana under Jimmy Johnson's team, basically Long Black Motor Club. That was just a really cool experience. Hopefully we're back on board for sometime soon. I'm not sure what the series is doing because they switched from electric to hydrogen, but hopefully that's able to come back up. But besides that, I think I think we covered everything yeah, and there was a lot to cover yeah, yeah, you've done a lot in your short lifetime for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, lots of, lots of fun and good memories, and way more to come.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:So now you have to promise me when you come to Michigan you have my, my information, you're going to let me know and and we'll meet up for sure and hopefully you can make that happen. I just hope you have a great rest of the season. I'm so proud of what you're doing and you know you're not relying on a lot of other people to take care of it for you yeah, I try to do mostly everything that I can myself.
Speaker 2:Obviously, the working on the truck physically a different story, um. But as far as sponsorship goes and getting to and from the racetrack and stuff like that, I try my hardest to do it myself with what I can I have help help. My dad's my biggest help. He's my biggest supporter of all of it, and then there's a few other people behind the scenes. But I try to keep it all within myself as much as I can.
Speaker 1:So, Gray, we really didn't talk about your mom. How did she feel about her little four-year-old, five-year-old girl racing?
Speaker 2:We. So, on dirt bikes, I think she was a little nervous. I ended up breaking my shoulder at seven, which didn't didn't help anything, um, but up until when I got into cars and I had a roll cage, she was all about it, she loved it. She was like this is fine now, um, which, funny enough, her only request of me growing up was I had to play one normal sport at some point in my life, and so it was soccer. I don't know why they decided that was a good thing. I don't like running. So it lasted for, uh, it felt to me like two weeks. I'm not sure how long it actually was, I think I was like seven or no, I was probably five or six, um, and then they realized that I don't play sports, and so we left and I went back to motorsports.
Speaker 2:But anyways, um no, when I was, uh, I was racing world of outlaw, world finals at charlotte and she came down because it's an hour away from home and um, 410 sprint car, you're going 110 miles an hour down the straightaway there and we had a part failure and I went. It broke, what set me into the wall. She had only seen me go on track once before, because this happened in qualifying and she after that was like I don't like those, which I ended up racing them the following year anyways, but she was like I don't like those. So she wasn't a big fan of the sprint car stuff. But going into the truck she always comes up.
Speaker 2:She really likes the off-road races up here. She tries to come to at least one or two races a year, um, and she really enjoys the truck stuff. So, yeah, I don't think she's as nervous anymore, really because she knows that I'll be fine after seeing the sprint car wreck. Um, she didn't like that at the time being, but I got out and I there was a pretty sunset and I was like I'm going to take a picture of that. So I grabbed my phone and I ran to the grandstands and I took a picture of the sky right after I got off the, after the car.
Speaker 1:So very cool. Last question where is what track? Or if you could pick a track, a car, something whatever that you would really like to race, what is it and where is it?
Speaker 2:I think so there's obviously a pro four. Um, I would love to race pro four at. That goes for any track, though up up North that's just being in a pro four in general. But I think the one thing that I would absolutely kill to race is a Porsche nine, 11 GT three on the Porsche team for Daytona 24 hours.
Speaker 1:Oh, that would be so cool.
Speaker 2:It's a a very exact thing, but that car has been my dream car in general and sports car racing, I just think it's one of the coolest things there is. And endurance racing, I think, is so freaking cool. I love racing at night. Give me the night shift, please. I think it's 10 times cooler racing at night. Um, but no, I that's one thing that I has been at the top. That's like the top of the top of the list, like if I ever decided like I like.
Speaker 2:Okay, I don't need to do anything else. I reached my goal, which that's never the end goal, but like I would be, like I am set. I'm set for life. If I couldn't race again tomorrow, I'd be okay with it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's the top of the bucket list, for sure.
Speaker 2:That is the top of the top of the list. I think for sure very cool.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm gonna manifest that for you. I'm gonna, I'm gonna, you know, see you racing that and and I would love to go to the daytona 24 hours. So, uh, maybe we can, we can figure that out at some point. How would that be fun lots of that would be.
Speaker 2:That would be pretty freaking cool. It's obviously completely different path that I'm doing right now, but at the same time, never say never. I never thought I'd end up here.
Speaker 1:No, and look at all the things you've already done, so there's no reason to think you couldn't do it.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, Gray, I have really enjoyed talking to you tonight. I hope you have a great weekend. I'll be watching to see how things go and if I can ever have you on again or something big's happening and you want to come on and talk about it, you're always welcome and hopefully I'll see you in person one of these days and watch your race and or maybe we'll watch Night of Destruction together.
Speaker 2:I know, hopefully I get to, hopefully get to come to that one next year. Maybe I will just because you live right there.
Speaker 1:Okay, that sounds. That sounds great for sure. Well, thanks again for being on and you have a great rest of the week and please stay in touch.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. I will.
Speaker 1: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.