Crash, Crown, and Cobalt: Delaney Dunns Wild Ride

Delaney Dunn's racing journey is one of perseverance, breaking barriers, and finding strength in what makes her unique. Racing for 11 years since age 15, this 26-year-old driver from Otis, Maine has transformed from an uncertain rookie into the newly-crowned "Queen of the Oval" in the Ladies Acceleration Tour.

The path to Victory Lane wasn't straightforward for Delaney. After eight years without a feature win, she finally broke through at Oxford Plains in a rental race car - a moment she describes as feeling "like I won the Oxford 250." Her determination was tested further last year when she was involved in a viral crash with an ATV on track, an incident that could have ended her racing career. Instead, she bounced back stronger.

What many don't know about Delaney is that she races while being on the autism spectrum, receiving her diagnosis at 17 after she had already begun racing. Rather than viewing this as a limitation, Delaney considers her autism a "superpower" that enhances her racing abilities, giving her a sixth sense when it comes to car handling and translating sensory input into actionable feedback for her crew.

Now competing in a 2009 Chevy Cobalt in the Ladies Acceleration Tour's four-cylinder "hornet" division, Delaney races alongside women aged 16 to 56 at tracks throughout Maine and New Hampshire. She's achieved the remarkable feat of securing a top-three finish at every currently active racetrack in Maine, winning at three of the five venues.

With four races remaining and points standings incredibly tight, Delaney remains focused on consistent performance to potentially claim the overall championship. For aspiring racers, especially young women, her advice is simple: "Start early, earlier the better." Her story stands as powerful proof that with persistence, support, and self-belief, remarkable achievements are possible regardless of your starting point or the challenges you face.

Feel inspired by Delaney's story? Follow the Women's Motorsports Network for more profiles of extraordinary female racers breaking barriers and changing the motorsports landscape one lap at a time.

Transcript

Introduction to Women's Motorsports Network

Speaker 1 0:02

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.

Meeting Delaney Dunn

Speaker 1 0:47

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. Hello everyone, this is Melinda Russell with the Women's Motorsports Network podcast, and my guest today is a friend I've had for quite a few years, delaney Dunn. We've known each other, gosh Delaney, five years maybe, maybe more Longer than I think it's longer than five years.

Speaker 1 2:09

I think so too. I think I met you in 2018.

Speaker 2 2:13

Oh, I think 2017.

Speaker 1 2:15

Maybe so. Yeah, so it's been a while and we've kept in touch and I follow you on social media and I see the ups and downs. You've had lots of things happen, in the last couple of years especially, but I wanted to have you on because you've accomplished something really big, which we'll talk about a little bit. But first I want you to share with my listeners a little bit about yourself.

Speaker 2 2:40

My name is Delaney Dunn, I'm 26 years old, from a tiny town called Otis, maine, and I've been behind the wheel of a race car for 11 years.

Speaker 1 2:50

Wow, can you believe that?

Speaker 2 2:53

11 years yeah 11 years, started at 15 years old. I'm 26 now.

Speaker 1 3:00

Gosh, it goes fast, doesn't it?

Speaker 2 3:02

Oh yeah, I saw an old photo from my very first race weekend and I'm like who is that kid? Yeah.

Speaker 1 3:10

And you've learned a lot. I know that for sure. So, Delaney, do you have any siblings?

Speaker 2 3:15

I have a younger sister who actually got through adoption, and then I have two brothers.

Speaker 1 3:23

Okay. Biological siblings Okay. And how about any pets? Do you have any dogs or cats?

Speaker 2 3:31

or turtles, two cats, gunner and Phoenix.

The Ladies Acceleration Tour

Speaker 1 3:34

Okay, all right, so I like the name Phoenix, I love Phoenix. In fact, I'm going to Phoenix on Tuesday to see my daughters and my grandkids. So, delaney, tell me your motorsport story. How did you get started? Who introduced you to it? Where did you start? And then bring me up to speed where you are today?

Speaker 2 3:56

Oh, I think real first introduction was when I was 12. My dad was racing a late model at the time and I had the opportunity to go into the pits one day and help them tinker on it. And then, a couple years later, after some urging of mom and dad, I finally got my very first race car when I was 15.

Speaker 1 4:20

Didn't win my very first feature till 2022 and just went on from there yeah, and you've had a lot, of, a lot of exciting kind of things happen in those years. So, um, what kind of car are you driving?

Speaker 2 4:36

uh, this year it's a 2009 Chevy Cobalt oh, okay yeah, that's cool, does it?

Speaker 1 4:43

does it race?

Speaker 2 4:44

pretty good uh, considering the results at west cassette, I think it goes pretty well I think so.

Speaker 1 4:51

I think so, for sure. So what's your favorite thing about being in motorsports?

Speaker 2 4:58

making new friends and seeing new places because, especially with now being part of a tour, we get to go all over and see new tracks and new scenery and meet new friends yeah, and then are you still racing locally around at the track, or you usually race uh, the touring series I'm with visits that track and living out here on a beautiful lake. It's nice having weeks off in between so you'll be able to enjoy it.

Speaker 1 5:27

Yeah, I don't blame you. You know I love the racing every week and as a fan then I can go every week. But honestly, and the local tracks do give some weekends off to certain classes, but overall they race pretty much every weekend and I honestly feel like that can kind of burn you out a little bit.

Speaker 2 5:51

Yeah, the last couple of years we did the every week thing and I'm like I'm getting burnt out. Let's do the touring deal.

Speaker 1 5:57

Yeah.

Speaker 2 5:58

Enjoying it.

Speaker 1 5:59

And you still get to race and be part of the community and, like you said, you get to travel and do all those things. But you also can have other things in your life.

Speaker 2 6:10

Yeah, it's a. It's a great balance right now.

Speaker 1 6:13

Yeah, I would think so for sure. So let's talk about that series that you're in. Tell me all about it.

Speaker 2 6:23

Oh, it was.

Speaker 1 6:27

I say last year was the very first year of it, it's called the ladies acceleration tour by betty nelson yeah who have interviewed and have chatted with.

Speaker 2 6:35

So go I have check out her episode yeah I actually was the very first winner for the ladies acceleration tour last year and I actually got two wins with them.

Speaker 1 6:46

So wow both at my home track well, so you had a little bit of an advantage a little bit.

Speaker 2 6:54

Yeah, in looking at the field, I actually have them. I think I have the most years under my belt out of all the other drivers really, and they're all ages, aren't they? Oh, from 16 to 56.

Speaker 1 7:08

yeah, yeah, I knew that. Um, she, she put together a great, a great little series that travels, and I shouldn't say little, a great series that travels because, um, it's all women, yep, and what. And so tell me about it, it's all women. What kind of cars is it? And where? Where do you go to race?

Speaker 2 7:30

uh, there's two divisions actually. There's the v8 class, which is like your camaros, your street stock kind of style cars, and then you have your four cylinders, the hornets which I race in that are like your shittyetty Cobalts. Your Acura Integras your four-cylinder front-wheel drive caged Enduro-style cars.

Speaker 1 7:52

Right, right. And then you live out east, so you travel in the east side of the country. Tell me what tracks you go to.

Life as a Female Racer

Speaker 2 8:02

We go to Spewy 95 in Herman, maine. We recently went all the way up to Caribou, maine, all the way up by the Canadian border, west Cassett Speedway, which is a little bit more coastal, unity Raceway, the rebuild, which is dirt, and then in a few weeks we're actually going to go to Riverside Speedway in Groveton, new Hampshire.

Speaker 1 8:25

Uh-huh. Yeah, I knew you were going to Riverside because I listened to a podcast called In the Pits.

Speaker 2 8:32

Yep.

Speaker 1 8:33

Are you familiar with it?

Speaker 2 8:35

A little bit.

Speaker 1 8:36

Okay, so it's all. It's guys in Maine and up in that area and they do a podcast and they talk about local racing west cassett and riverhead and white mountain and some of those others but they also talk nascar and stuff and so I don't know how I got introduced to them. But anyway, I listen to that pretty regularly and uh, and then betty had told me you were going to Riverhead, so that's pretty exciting.

Speaker 2 9:05

Yeah, it's a super fun track. It's tight and short, but it's fun.

Speaker 1 9:09

Yeah, yeah, for sure. And so how many races altogether does that series do? About six or eight.

Speaker 2 9:19

We had nine races originally scheduled, but we weren't able to get one rescheduled because of a rainout. So this season's eight races. Okay, eight races, so that's a nice number for the summer to race yeah, and with some kids in sports and stuff too, it actually works out very well yeah, for sure.

Speaker 1 9:36

So, um, what does the typical race weekend look like for you? Because now you're traveling, you're not going right there to your local track, so let's what's race day look like, or race weekend uh, race weekend actually starts on fridays.

Speaker 2 9:53

Um starts with unit going to unity raceway and helping my teammates on on at unity on friday nights on dirt and then usually we already have the car loaded. So when we went up to caribou we actually left at like seven in the morning because it's a four and a half hour haul all the way up there. Track opened out around noon time and we didn't hit tires, didn't hit the track till about three o'clock in the afternoon okay, all right.

Speaker 1 10:21

And what kind of track is that? Do you know?

Speaker 2 10:24

That's asphalt.

Speaker 1 10:25

Yeah, and is it a bigger track or a small one?

Speaker 2 10:29

About a third mile. The average size track in Maine is about a third mile.

Speaker 1 10:34

Okay, all right, and it's mostly asphalt, but I did hear you say there's a dirt track involved.

Speaker 2 10:47

Yeah, there's a Unity Raceway rebuild that got revived back in 2022 as a dirt track. It originally was pavement and I remember the pavement days of it, but I've only really got to drive on it when it was dirt.

Speaker 1 10:58

So what do you have to do to your car to run dirt instead of pavement?

Speaker 2 11:03

We're going to take the Lexan windshield out and put in a wire mesh screen and I think we're going to put some beefier tires on it, but we're going to run the same car we have all season.

Speaker 1 11:14

Okay, all right. Do you like dirt or asphalt better?

Speaker 2 11:20

I have more laps on pavement, but dirt's always fun. Yeah, it is fun. I like sliding sideways.

Speaker 1 11:29

It's so different.

Speaker 2 11:30

Oh, it is different.

Speaker 1 11:32

And you just can't explain. You know, like, if somebody's like I grew up around pavement really, or when I was really really started getting into motorsports when I live, it's mostly pavement really started getting into motorsports where I live, it's mostly pavement, and so um, but when I first started going to the races it was in Illinois and it was it was dirt tracks and so um, but I didn't really remember that much about those dirt tracks and how different it was until I got really more and more and more involved in in racing and, um, I didn't think I really cared for dirt, I don't know why, it was just in my head. But after I went to, um, oh, what's? It's called the I can't think what it's called sprint car week or something, and it they go to like super dirt car week, kind of like.

Speaker 1 12:20

Kokomo, indiana, is where I went to to see to watch it with some friends and after I went that night I was like I love watching dirt.

Speaker 2 12:32

Yeah, it's definitely unique. Unity actually yesterday had the Sprint Cars of New England there and they put on quite the show.

Speaker 1 12:40

I bet yeah, they're fun to watch, aren't they?

Speaker 2 12:44

Oh yeah. I wish I could drive one, but I'm also terrified of them.

Speaker 1 12:49

You know, I'm a little terrified. I would be a little terrified of them and only because I've seen so many flips and rolls and I'm kind of addicted to flow racing and some of those, because you know, I don't I meet so many people Delaney, just like you, but I can't go to your races every weekend. And so I can get on flow and I can be like, oh, they're racing at Riverhead this weekend, I'll be able to watch, or I can get on Dirt Vision, or I can get on um racing america or whatever they are, and so I've gotten to where, you know, in the summer everything's a rerun yeah so I sit with my computer and have that streaming on my computer, and then my husband has whatever on on the tv and so I can watch a movie and watch racing at the same time, which, which is kind of fun.

Speaker 2 13:46

Like. What. Which track do I want to watch today?

Speaker 1 13:49

Oh, and I and I, you know, if I go to one and and it's not real exciting or whatever, you can switch around. It's just, it's just amazing. It's just amazing what we can do. And you know, I know there's a lot of controversy over can do, and you know, I know there's a lot of controversy over the streaming and does it hurt the track and that, and, and honestly, you know it might hurt some tracks because people stay home if the weather's iffy, but for me it's such a blessing because I can watch people in california or texas or maine and there's no way I could go to all those races, and so for me it's wonderful, for sure.

Speaker 2 14:31

Oh, definitely.

Speaker 1 14:32

Yeah, so when you started racing as a girl in motorsports, did you have anybody that didn't treat you very well? Or did they just accept you as one of the drivers, or did they just accept you as?

Speaker 2 14:44

one of the drivers. I actually got quite a good group at the track that I raced at for the 10 of the 11 years that I raced.

Speaker 1 14:53

And what track was that?

Speaker 2 14:55

Speedway 95. Oh yeah, I have turned the most of my laps around that place, okay, and actually got most of my wins there as well. But start now. I was I was actually in the kids, actually started out in like the kids class, so they saw me as this little kid getting my start and then jumped up to the adult class and like there are some people that like butted heads with me and then they're like, yeah, she'll push back yeah once I kind of was able to stand up for myself.

Speaker 1 15:29

They kind of were like okay, we'll, we'll back off yeah, I think they have to test your limits and they want to, you know. Yeah, they want to see what they can get away with, because that, you know, that's part of racing in a lot of ways that you know, bumping into you and different things. Um, it's just the way it is. But once they find out that you'll bump back, then they go bother somebody else, maybe for sure.

Speaker 2 15:56

Yeah, so when you have a bad weekend at the track and I know you've had some of those, um, have you ever felt like, oh, I'm just uh, biggest thing last year was I had people actually like offer cars to me like within like a day, and I'm like I can't afford it right now, but I'll consider it yeah but it did get to a point last year where we were gonna almost sell everything and buyVs and just try something different.

Speaker 1 16:36

Yeah, yeah but.

Speaker 2 16:38

I had a good group of guys over the winter. Give me a phone call and I'm back behind the wheel again.

Speaker 1 16:44

Yeah, that's great, because you did have kind of an upsetting event last year. Do you want to talk about that, or would you rather not?

Speaker 2 16:54

We can chat about it.

Viral Crash and Comeback

Speaker 1 16:55

Okay, do you want to let some of the others know what you went through last year?

Speaker 2 17:01

Last year I went viral by having a collision on a racetrack with an ATV and not many people. They've heard of the accident but they haven't met the driver.

Speaker 1 17:17

Right.

Speaker 2 17:18

Because everybody was. He's actually doing pretty okay. I actually got to see him the other day actually at the racetrack. He's doing actually really well considering.

Speaker 1 17:27

Yeah.

Speaker 2 17:28

He's. I think we're both lucky on both ends of the deal. I'm lucky to be able to be back in a race car this year and he's lucky to not have any more injuries right.

Speaker 1 17:39

So how did an atv end up on the track when you were on the track?

Speaker 2 17:44

there was a. This was in the sport four division, which is my. I had a inaccurate tagger that looked like a little mini truck yeah, yeah. The caution happened on the backstretch and I was the very dead. Last car I got by the rack and then, right when I got by the rack was he was came out behind the wall and next thing I know four wheeler is on my hood.

Speaker 1 18:12

Yeah.

Speaker 2 18:13

Yeah, he didn't realize you were he didn't realize you were. He didn't realize you were still coming. Yeah, he didn't realize that was. I haven't gone around the corner yet and yeah this wrong place, wrong time right.

Speaker 1 18:24

Right, it did go viral, that's for sure, and you know those kind of things do and thank goodness everybody was, you know, has moved on and and is okay from that. But scary things happen and weird things happen at a track and that's one of the things that you know.

Speaker 2 18:41

After something like that, it can be discouraging and it can be upsetting to the point where it's like, okay, I don't know if I want to go back to the track, but you did yeah yeah the next race I got back in the car I believe was actually at wiscasset speedway in a borrowed car okay a buddy of mine was like hey, I'm going to be already there, do you want to drive it for the ladies tour race, and the car wasn't really up to ladies tour caliber, but I was able to pull off a top three finish yeah, yeah it was very encouraging to prove to myself that I could still do it.

Speaker 1 19:19

Right, right. It wasn't about how fast the car was going, it was about getting you back in the car. Yeah, yeah, for sure, yeah. So if a young gal or a mom came up to you and said Delaney, my daughter thinks she wants to race, would you encourage them to do that? And what would you say?

Speaker 2 19:39

Start in go-karts Start young. I feel like I got a late start. I feel like if I started younger, I probably would have been probably in the street stock by now.

Speaker 1 19:50

Yeah.

Speaker 2 19:50

But I'm loving my four-cylinder front-wheel drive racing. But I say start early, earlier the better. I see a lot of kids in these kids divisions actually like create amazing friendships with the other drivers and they're all they'll. They'll all go to their race, cars go racing and then, next thing you know, they're all playing football in the pits.

Speaker 1 20:10

Right, right.

Speaker 1 20:12

They'll make friends for a lifetime that's true, and you know I, I interview a lot of younger girls that are still in school or homeschooled or whatever, and, and you know I, I usually ask them what do your friends think about your racing? And a lot of them tell me that their friends don't understand and and don't don't get why they're at the racetrack on the weekends and not at the movies or whatever. You know and um, the and what I always tell them is you know, those friends are important, but the friends you're going to have for life are the ones at the racetrack definitely I've.

Speaker 2 20:46

There's one girl that I'm racing with right now in the ladies tour that it's been like eight years since I've raced against her and she's just now getting back into racing and I'm like I'm the only other driver that's raced with you in the past yeah, but it's kind of cool seeing people get back behind the wheel after so many years with this tour as well as the next generation joining as well yeah, because you know they see it, as it's not every weekend, it's not as expensive and all those things, and for a, for a woman and, you know, a mom or whatever, to a lot of them it doesn't take them away from the family every weekend, and so you know it's the perfect fit for some people.

Speaker 1 21:32

Some people want to be at the track every weekend and some people don't, but they still want to race and so that gives. That gives an option for sure. Um, who helps you with your car? Delaney?

Speaker 2 21:43

uh, two brothers, family racing um, horace proffered and von pierce gave me a phone call back in march actually, so so a little bit late. We kind of had a short notice to get a car together, but me and Horace we actually raced against each other. And then he's like you really need to get back behind the wheel, Lainey, and we have a deal made on this car and do you want to drive it? And then next thing we know we're standing in victory lane with that car and got crowned got crowned, so let's talk about that for a minute.

Speaker 1 22:23

Show us your crown. That's amazing and so, um, how did you win a crown instead of a trophy at a racetrack?

Speaker 2 22:37

We had what they called the Ladies Acceleration Tour Queen of the Oval Triple Crown Series. It started at Speed 195, my home track. I ended up winning the heat race but had some mechanical issues and finished fourth in the feature. And then our second trip to Spud Speedway was part of that, where I actually had an incident on the racetrack where I team-boned another car because she was broadside, nowhere to go, hit it, got hauled into the pits and then just played the handicap system and was able to accumulate enough points at the end of the day this past Saturday that I was able to win the championship yeah, so, so, so fun.

Speaker 1 23:26

when you you sent me those pictures and I was like, oh, I'm so happy for you because, like you said, I've interviewed Betty and I know enough about the tour to know that that's a big deal, that's so fun.

Speaker 2 23:38

And this is only year two, so who knows what can happen in year three or five?

Speaker 1 23:43

Exactly, but it's definitely fun. Where are you going to be in five years? Do you think this is something you want to keep doing? Is raising this tour?

Speaker 2 23:53

As long as there's the tour available, I'll run it. It's, it's fun I have. I have fun with these girls where we actually actually all joke with each other. If somebody needs parts, we're all messaging each other back and forth. It's, it's a great group of gals. There's a lot more that happens behind the pit wall, as you would say. Then a lot of people will know or understand from the grandstands yeah, and about how many women show up for the races?

Speaker 2 24:24

uh average for the four-cylinder hornet division is about seven eight cars oh yeah, that's good so it's. We have a good field of cars like. Even even if, um, no drivers from that track want to hop in with us, we still have enough cars to put on a pretty decent show.

Speaker 1 24:40

Oh, yeah, for sure. And you know, once you get started, you don't want to miss. You're like I gotta be there. I can't miss out on this.

Speaker 2 24:48

I gotta be at the next one.

Speaker 1 24:51

Uh-huh, yeah for sure. So five years from now, hopefully betty's gonna have that keep going. You're gonna be racing in that. Do you ever want to move up to a street stock or a different type of car?

Speaker 2 25:04

uh, if I had the funding to, I would. I would love to get into a real drive. That's actually like. The next step up in like the ladies tour divisions is. We have the four-cylinder class, which is kind of like getting your feet wet. Yeah, we have the v8 class, which we only average. We only really have like one or two v8 cars so far this season. Before we go to riverside um, riverside has a lot of v8 cars.

Speaker 2 25:31

Yeah, um, another international women's and motorsports association uh, sarah schroeder yeah, I actually got to race with her last year, so it was kind of cool seeing another ambassador yeah I finally got to meet another one there, that's awesome so I got to race with her last year in the. We actually had the v8 cars and the four-cylinder cars on the track at the same time, so okay fun passenger with my little four-cylinder yeah.

Speaker 1 25:59

So, delaney, do you work on your car or who who helps you with that? The two?

Speaker 2 26:04

horace and von crawford actually work on the car okay have the the little bit of a luxury that if I need to go over there, they'll send me a text message and I'll run over. But they do 99.99% of the work on the car. I just have to relay to them what the car needs. And they're a great group of guys. They're like my. They've turned into big brothers.

Queen of the Oval Championship

Speaker 1 26:30

Yeah, that's nice. So have you ever had an oh no moment other than the one we talked to, an oh no moment or a favorite moment? Now, I know winning the crown was a favorite. So other than winning the crown and other than the four wheeler running on your hood, has there been anything else that you can say? I'll never forget this moment say I'll never forget this moment um my very first feature win at oxford plains.

Speaker 2 26:59

Um, that was a pretty unique experience because it was a rental car program. Um, a friend of mine built four v6 front wheel drive cruiser division cars and he rented them out on a weekly basis for $400 and there was a crash deposit in case I wrecked it and all that. And they knew I raced in the past but they didn't think I could do anything because I didn't really do anything right for that point.

Speaker 2 27:29

So I showed up, I brought my suit, my helmet, hopped in the car. I just got luck of the draw. I started on pole for my heat race, like very first race.

Speaker 2 27:39

Good luck, okay, I got the pole yeah all my laps in my heat and I won the heat race and then I was able to pass the car owner's son in the feature with three laps to go to win my very first feature. And, looking back on it, um, a lot of people actually involved with the ladies tour were there that day at oxford plains to watch me win my first ever feature race that's cool to yeah, v6 front wheel drive for my very first win and just kind of surreal moment that it was on main's big, one of main's biggest stages, I felt like I won the oxford 250 oh yeah, and everybody.

Speaker 1 28:22

Well, I don't know if everybody knows about the oxford 250, but a lot of people do it's. It's one of the biggest races in the country and, um, you know it gets a lot of press, especially on on In the Pits, because that's right there where.

Speaker 2 28:36

Kyle Busch have run it.

Speaker 1 28:39

Yeah.

Speaker 2 28:42

Yes, I was in a front wheel drive car, but I felt like I won the 250.

Speaker 1 28:46

Yeah.

Speaker 2 28:46

That was after eight years of trying to win a feature feature.

Speaker 1 28:51

Well, and you know what? I'm glad you said that, because a lot of kids or adults even they don't realize how hard it is to win a race. Okay, and they talk about this a lot, especially like through with NASCAR. They talk about how hard it is to win a race, you know, and especially even more so now with the parity in the NASCAR cars. But you know, and especially even more so now with the parity in in the NASCAR cars. But you know, people just think, oh, it's just driving, you know, you're just turning left, it's not a big deal, right, oh yeah, and so I like that you shared that, because a lot of people are just like you and some have still never won a race, but they keep trying.

Speaker 1 29:35

And it's not, it is about winning. Don't get me wrong. Everybody wants to win, but it's. But if you never won a race, you'd still keep racing because it's your family, it's what you do, it's in your blood, you love it and that's why you do it. It it isn't about the trophy or the crown. Really, it's about being a part of something that you know.

Speaker 2 29:59

You can really feel like you're part of something amazing yeah, when is like you're, it's like the cherry on top. It's that recognition of I was able to get it done and finally check that box. And now I'm just keep checking the boxes ever since that one first win and now I have gotten a top three at every currently open active track in the state of Maine.

Speaker 1 30:27

Wow, I did not know that.

Speaker 2 30:30

Yep Every besides Beechridge. I never got the chance to go out to beach okay but um every currently open active track in the state of maine, I have gotten a top three finish at well, that's something to be very proud of, yeah it took a long time to do it, but it be able to say that I've gotten a top three at every track. It it's, it's quite the I guess you could say quite the achievement to be able to say that I've been able to do that.

Speaker 1 31:00

It is, and just the fact that you've done that. I don't know if anybody else has done that.

Speaker 2 31:07

I I even know other female drivers here in the state that are in like super late models and street stocks, but I I bet none of them have done that no, that's really cool, delaney. Good for you and I've gotten a win at three of the five wow, you just got two more to win at. That's he, that's gonna happen, that's gonna happen yeah, that's one of them's gonna be a four and a half hour drive that's all right that's not that far.

Speaker 1 31:38

You know, there's people that drive a couple hours or more every weekend to race. We're spoiled. We never had to do that, you or I, but yeah for sure. So, delaney, is there anything we haven't talked about? I feel like, because I kind of know you, I might have kind of jumped over something. Is there anything we haven't talked about? I feel like, because I kind of know you, I might have kind of jumped over something. Is there anything we haven't talked about that you would like to share with my listeners about you or your racing?

Speaker 2 32:04

Quite the be able to think that I was pretty much almost tired back in January and I was just going to. I was originally was was just gonna follow the tour as like a helper be like if Betty needed something ran around, I would run around the pits for. But then I literally I bought and picked up a brand spanking new Polaris ATV and then the next day I got the call to drive the race car because the four-wheeler was originally supposed to be the race car replacement. And now I get. It's kind of like I get to have my cake and eat it too yeah four-wheeler and race at the same time nice nice.

Speaker 2 32:43

This whole year has been almost a dream yeah, like it's almost like is this really happening right now to this is my 11th season, so it took me over a decade to win even a mid-season championship. So just to go from this little 15-year-old that's on the autism spectrum to 26-year-old and finally a mid-season champion, it's quite the quite the journey it is quite the journey. I could always write a book with all the stories that I've you probably should write a book.

Autism as a Racing Superpower

Speaker 1 33:25

You know, um, my youngest grandson has autism and he's very high functioning, like I think you are, and and so I didn't know a lot about it until he was diagnosed with it. And he's, he's just amazing. He'll be, he'll be five years old in October and I just can't believe he's getting so big. And I'm going to visit on Tuesday. I'm going to Arizona to see three of my grandkids out there are teenagers and one's a middle schooler and then I got the little one, and so I can't wait to go and visit all my grandkids that live out there. But you know, delaney, there's a, there's a misconception about people when they you say, oh, I have, I'm on the spectrum, I have autism, or I have this or I have that, and people, people don't understand that you can do anything you put your mind to.

Speaker 2 34:29

Yeah, I'd say I actually. I started racing before I actually got my diagnosis of being on the autism spectrum. I didn't get my autism diagnosis till I was 17 years old, in high school.

Speaker 1 34:41

Wow.

Speaker 2 34:42

So I kind of lived most of my life not knowing that I was on the spectrum and then the moment I got that diagnosis it was. It was like oh, so that's why I do this, that's why I do these certain things, and then a lot of the people I've interacted with the last few years at the racetrack. They're like you're autistic they have no idea they have no idea and they're like oh, that's probably why you're fast.

Speaker 2 35:12

Because I've been told I have like a sixth sense when it comes to figuring out the handling of a race car, and that's between being in the garage helping work on them to now being able to relay. Okay, these changes are now affecting. This is how the car is handling, and I'm actually kind of the sensory input yeah I'm in the race car. I'm able to translate that it's absolutely it's. I say autism is part of just this little superpower that helps me in racing.

Speaker 1 35:46

It's I love that. I love that. Yeah, my little grandson, if you met him you'd never know. You know you just wouldn't. And and actually, delaney, my, his mom, my youngest daughter and her husband ended up opening an autism center when Huxton was about two because they couldn't find one they liked, and long story. And now they have four autism schools in the Phoenix area. So they're helping a lot of, a lot of and it's little kids, you know, I think you have to be six or under- I would say the the younger with those kids, get them doing things, get pretty much figure out what their favorite thing is and encourage it.

Speaker 2 36:29

Because, with how my brain works, with racing it's my special interest and I deep dive and I've been in google before. So it's once you've nourished that special interest. It it's a rocket ship, it'll take them anywhere yeah, you're absolutely right.

Speaker 1 36:47

Yeah, for sure. Well, delaney, I have really enjoyed talking to you and I love getting messages from you, and when you sent me that message and said I just won the mid-season championship, I was like way to go, delaney, oh the, the clips that I got sent of me and my crew in victory lane.

Speaker 2 37:08

I'm like I I've been watching them like a thousand times, oh yeah, over the last week, and I'm like I've been watching them like a thousand times, oh yeah, Over the last week and I'm like did that happen? I'm like is that me, like everything was still. It's still surreal just to say that I'm a ladies' acceleration tour queen of the oval.

Speaker 1 37:24

Queen of the oval, I love it yeah.

Speaker 2 37:27

So it's quite an interesting thing to add to my resume.

Speaker 1 37:32

Absolutely, and you've got a couple races left, four, four races left. So who knows what's going to happen?

Speaker 2 37:41

And the points are super, super tight.

Speaker 1 37:43

Are they Okay?

Speaker 2 37:46

Currently first and second are currently tied with the same amount of points. And then I'm sitting right there, three points behind them, just waiting just waiting just need to have a consistent rest of the season and, yeah, you wrap it up and put a bow on it there you go.

Speaker 1 38:03

Well, I know you can do it. So good luck with that and thank you for spending part of your morning with me and and sharing what you're doing and giving the ladies acceleration tour a little bit of promotion, because I think Betty's amazing and I'm glad she started this and now all of you ladies that get to participate together. It's a good thing.

Speaker 2 38:28

Yeah, we need more female drivers here in the New england states. Uh, we actually recently had a new youngest driver okay for, and she's either 12 or 13 and she finished second place behind me at wiscasset speedway her first night the ladies acceleration tour, so it's quite the be able to see somebody first race out. We're actually at her home track, so she had a little bit of a home track advantage, but she ran an amazing race. These next generation of drivers is amazing and I can't wait to see where they go.

Speaker 1 39:03

Yeah, me too. It's a lot of fun, isn't it?

Speaker 2 39:06

Oh, definitely the girl who won the Ladies Accelerating Tour Championship last year. I actually remember watching her her first ever time in a race car okay and watching her and her dad race and it's it's definitely a family atmosphere now yeah, it is well, delaney.

Speaker 1 39:24

Thanks again for being on. You keep you keep sending me those messages so I can keep track of what you're up to and and good luck in the next four races and make sure you tell betty I said hello oh, I'll tell betty and all the ladies touring gals that you say hi and yeah we'll have fun at the rest of the season if any of them want to be on the show, let them know.

Speaker 2 39:44

All they got to do is reach out oh, I need to get you with brianna okay uh, she's our race director, so we have a we almost have an all-female crew for the ladies tour, which is amazing, it's.

Speaker 1 39:56

Okay yeah, connect, connect us for sure.

Speaker 2 40:02

Oh, definitely.

Speaker 1 40:03

All right, well, thanks again. You have a good weekend.

Speaker 2 40:06

You too have a wonderful rest of your morning.

Speaker 1 40:08

All right, bye-bye.

Speaker 2 40:09

Bye-bye.

Episode Conclusion

Speaker 1 40:13

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.