Rowan Edgar: The Car Doesn’t Know Your Gender, Only Your Grit

A teenager with a torque wrench and a plan—Rowan Edgar is redefining what focus looks like at 15. We sit down with the Missouri micro sprint driver to map her path from caged karts to her first A-class win, and the choices that make speed possible: homeschooling to create time for travel and training, daily fitness to stay sharp to the checkers, and a mindset built on resets rather than excuses. Rowan brings a refreshingly direct take on confidence, composure, and why the car only responds to skill, not stereotypes.

The story begins in a family shop, where modifieds were built and raced and a young girl asked for her shot until an aunt dropped a go-kart in the driveway. From there, she worked through 250 and 450 classes, learning how to handle power and read surfaces before stepping into micros. We dig into adapting lines as the track slicks off, the night everything clicked for her first A-class victory, and the rituals that keep her grounded—yes, the no-chicken rule on race day made the cut. She also gets real about setbacks, including the blown engine saga that forced a pause and taught her exactly where she wants to spend weekends: at the track, not at parties.

Rowan shares practical advice on sponsorship—how conversations at PRI turn into real partnerships when you follow up and own your results online. She talks about the growing number of girls in micros, why she chooses to lead with “race car driver” rather than “female racer,” and how young drivers can build resilience by working on their own cars. We cover pre-race music, shop nights, crew support from family and friends, and the long game: medical training to fund a racing life and a clear target to win a High Limit sprint car feature.

If you love honest race craft, measurable goals, and the grit it takes to earn speed, this conversation delivers. Tap play, share it with a young driver who needs a nudge, and subscribe for more stories from the Women’s Motorsports Network. Then tell us: what goal are you aiming at next?

Transcript

Meet Rowan Edgar

Melinda Russell 0:02

Hello everyone, this is Melinda Russell with the Women's Motorsports Network podcast. And my guest today is someone I'm very familiar with because we talked, oh gosh, Rowan, quite a few years ago when you were just a little girl, I think, and now you're growing up. It's it's hard for me to believe that all these kids are growing up so fast. But I'm glad to have her back on the show and catch up with what all she's been doing. So my guest today is Rowan Edgar. And Rowan, I want to welcome you to the show. And would you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_01 0:35

My name is Rowan Edgar. I live in Farmington, Missouri. I have one sister and well, I guess I have two dogs now, but one dog that I claim. Okay. And I am a sophomore in high school. Well, I should be a sophomore with my age, but actually I'm about to graduate.

Melinda Russell 0:58

Oh, good for you. So you homeschool then? Yes. Okay. All right. Well, that's pretty cool that you're gonna graduate early. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:08

Yeah, really excited to get done with that. I mean, with being homeschooled, I've gotten to go through school a lot quicker.

Homeschool Acceleration And College Plans

Melinda Russell 1:15

Yeah. And you know, I've talked to other girls that have homeschooled and they tell me the same thing, you know, that it's you know, the one girl says, Yeah, I can get my schoolwork done in about an hour a day. And then I think we make these kids go to school from eight something to three something every day. And and you know, I realize there's a lot of other things, you know, the social part of it, whatever, but gosh, couldn't we make things a little less long for kids, especially kids that do other things, like you do the racing and people that kids that play softball or basketball or whatever? It's just such a long day for kids, but that's that's the grandma in me speaking. So, Rowan, you're gonna be graduating soon. So when you're 15 and you graduate high school, then what is the next step for school after that?

SPEAKER_01 2:11

Well, I should be taking college classes in a couple of months. Some colleges, a couple around here, will let you enroll at 16.

Melinda Russell 2:19

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

So good.

Melinda Russell 2:22

And then I want to go to dental school after that. Okay, so you do you want to be a dentist or a dental hygienist? A dental surgeon. Oh, a dental surgeon. Okay, and what brought that on? What makes you interested in that?

SPEAKER_01 2:36

Do you think honestly, they make really good money and you need quite a bit of money to support racing? Yeah, you're right. Schooling doesn't it's doesn't take that long, and I actually am quite interested in it.

Family Roots And First Go-Kart

Melinda Russell 2:52

Okay, well, that's very cool. That's good. I hope that works out and and you get all that lined up so you can get school started as quickly as possible. So that's awesome. So, Rowan, I I know you've raced a few years, so why don't you tell me your racing story? And would you go back to the beginning and start? How do you got involved in motorsports?

SPEAKER_01 3:15

Well, my grandpa raced. I honestly don't know much about that. He raced modifieds and hobby stocks for a while, and then my dad started racing when he was about my age. He raced modifieds, then he started building modifieds, and I had been around that since I was born. He was I was always in the shop with him while he was building modified and stuff, and always going to watch him race. And I was really interested in it from super young, and I was constantly asking to do quarter midget stuff, and he was like, just wait, just wait, just wait. And then finally, my aunt actually bought me go-kart, and it all just kind of took off from there.

Melinda Russell 4:00

Okay, so what'd your mom have to say about all that?

SPEAKER_01 4:05

She wasn't upset with it. She kind of as it keeps growing, she's like, Oh, okay, that's all right. We're still going with this, okay.

Melinda Russell 4:14

Yeah, yeah. So, how old were you? Did you say when when you got your go-kart? I was 10. Quarter midget? 10.

From Caged Karts To Micros

SPEAKER_01 4:21

It was 10 when I got the car. I think I ran one race while I was still 10, but basically 11.

Melinda Russell 4:28

Basically 11. Okay, so four years, five years you've been racing. Okay, and so how long did you race quarter midgets?

SPEAKER_01 4:37

Oh, I didn't race quarter midgets. I wanted to and I got told no.

Melinda Russell 4:41

Oh, okay. What kind of what did you get then? What was your first car?

SPEAKER_01 4:45

A cage cart, a two of oh, a cage cart.

Melinda Russell 4:48

I'm sorry, I misunderstood. Okay, so you're in a cage cart, and how many years did you do that?

SPEAKER_01 4:55

I did that for three years. Okay, and the last year that I was also running the 250, 450 stuff, and then I ran I started micros with a little bit of 250 stuff sprinkled in, and then last year we finally got just to micro stuff.

Melinda Russell 5:17

Okay, so you're just running a micro, all right. And so did racing a cage cart just make that progression easier, you know, the things you learned.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

A lot, I don't get honestly how a lot of kids go straight from 206 carts to micros because that is quite a big difference. I think doing the 250, 450 stuff really helped there.

Melinda Russell 5:41

Yeah, I would think so. Because, you know, it's it's kind of a progression of you know, you learn this and you get better and you keep going. And so, yeah. So, do you love racing the micros?

SPEAKER_01 5:53

I do, I like it a lot more than the cart stuff. The cart stuff really just um with no suspension, it would beat the crap out of you. And I'm glad I'm done with that.

Tracks, Travel, And Race Frequency

Melinda Russell 6:06

Yeah, yeah. It it's it's a it's a difference there, and and your body can only take so much. I mean, even as a kid, you know, and so so that's great. So, where do you where do you primarily race? Do you have a home track? Do you run a series? What do you do?

SPEAKER_01 6:21

We primarily race dough run raceway just because it's super close, but we go to um Southern Illinois Raceway and Coles County and Wayne County quite a bit.

Melinda Russell 6:35

Okay, all right. I'm familiar with especially Coles County. I hear that one, that one quite a bit. And how often do you race?

SPEAKER_01 6:42

Every weekend, a couple times on the weekend, or we try and race two times a weekend, but sometimes we just have conflicting schedules with other stuff going on and can't make it work. We try and do two times a weekend. Sometimes we'll race three times a weekend if because sometimes we in county races on Sundays.

Choosing Racing Over Other Sports

Melinda Russell 7:02

Okay, all right. So you're pretty much that's what you do. You don't play softball, you don't do any of the other stuff. No, because you can't really if you're gonna be if you're gonna be serious about driving that, then you're all in.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

Yeah, I tried doing volleyball and racing for a while, but it just got to the point where I had to choose one.

First A-Class Win And Slick Tracks

Melinda Russell 7:24

Yeah, yeah, I can see that. And you know, volleyball is a great sport. Racing is something you can do the rest of your life, really. And so you you do have to make those hard decisions for sure. So what's the thing that you love the most about racing or being involved in racing?

SPEAKER_01 7:43

I love the friendships that I've made through it because I meet a lot of great people through racing.

Melinda Russell 7:50

Yeah, I hear that a lot. That's that's a common, common thing. It's about the people, yeah, for sure. So what's been your proudest moment so far?

SPEAKER_01 8:03

Probably this year, my first A-class win. I we were dealing with a lot of car troubles last year and beginning of this year, and it just felt like it was never gonna happen. And then towards the middle of these this season, it was a pretty stacked field, and I pulled it off and it was in the slick, and historically, I'm not great in the slick, and something just kind of clicked to me that night, and I got it.

Melinda Russell 8:30

That's awesome. Were you pretty excited?

SPEAKER_01 8:33

I was very excited, of course.

Adapting To Track Changes

Melinda Russell 8:36

You were I know that you were for sure. So, what's what was the biggest thing, the challenge that you had to learn? You know, you started in cage carts and you moved up. What's the thing that's been the most difficult for you to master?

SPEAKER_01 8:53

Probably the because the track changes a lot quicker with the bigger cars and having to adapt through the race to how the track is changing, how it's slicking off through the race, and having to notice that and switch my lineup.

Melinda Russell 9:09

Yeah, yeah, because there's no predicting that, is there?

SPEAKER_01 9:13

Yeah, like last week we were great first couple laps and then track slicked off, and I was just holding on.

Women In Micros And Growing Community

Melinda Russell 9:20

Yeah, yeah. So when you you race primarily with guys, I assume. How are there a lot of girls in your class or any other girls in your class?

SPEAKER_01 9:30

There actually are quite a few girls around here that race micros. Last year I had one heat race that was all girls.

Melinda Russell 9:38

Oh, that's cool. Yeah, I don't hear that very often.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

Yeah, it's more of a recent thing. I remember in the beginning there really wasn't a lot, but now there's usually at least two with the A-class stuff, there's not as many, but in Restrictor, there was always a few.

Confidence, Mindset, And Bad Nights

Melinda Russell 9:55

Okay, yeah, that's good to hear. Because there in the past there hasn't been very many, and so I think I think it's growing. And I think you know, getting the word out and like having young girls like you on the show that do it, I think helps spread the word that hey, girls are doing this, there's no reason that you couldn't for sure. So, do you have any advice? Like if somebody came up to you and said, My daughter wants to race, what would be your advice to get them started?

SPEAKER_01 10:23

Don't let it scare you because it used to scare me quite a bit, because it just looks intimidating with all the guys, and they're gonna make it seem like it's a lot not it is hard, but they're gonna make it seem like you can't do it.

Melinda Russell 10:39

Yeah, and you can, and a lot of it's your mindset, it's your mindset, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 10:46

Yes, and a lot of it is mindset. If you think you're not gonna have a good night, you won't have a good night, right?

Melinda Russell 10:52

I just heard somebody say something that I've I've heard a lot over the years. If you think you can or you think you can't, you're right. So, whichever your mind is telling you, that's probably what's gonna happen. And unfortunately, you know, it's hard to stay positive, especially some nights are not good nights, you know. So if you have a bad night at the track, how do you handle that?

SPEAKER_01 11:15

I have gotten a lot better with handling that. I used to be quite bad with handling that, and I would drive like I was mad and I would just overrun everything. But now I realize you're gonna have bad nights, it's gonna happen, bad calls are gonna happen, people are gonna do stuff that you don't want to happen. You just have to let it go and every lapse a new lap, not even every race. Yeah, you just have to completely restart.

Sponsors And How To Land Them

Melinda Russell 11:45

Yeah, for sure. And you know, that's kind of a life lesson. Every day is not gonna be perfect, is it? And so we have to learn how to deal with adversity and challenges, and racing is a great sport, I think, to teach all of us some of that. So, do you have sponsors that help you? And if so, would you want to mention them if you want to? And then how do you go about getting sponsors?

SPEAKER_01 12:10

Yes, our sponsors are engine ice, Robert Holder Express, CB Concrete, CRH Lawn and Land, High Caliber Graphics, BSB, Midwest Suspension, Fergola Plumbing, SBS Suspension, AKR Racing, Parkland Precision Machine, Edgar Contracting, Tim J Chassis, Mo Power Racing Engine, FK Rodens, Hanning Racing Components, and Black Knight Automotive. And I think the best way that I've gotten sponsors is going places like PRI and just striking up a conversation and acting like you've known everybody for 10 years, even if it's the first time you've ever talked to them, and you just have to be really outgoing.

Race Day Rituals And Superstitions

Melinda Russell 12:55

You do, you have to build those relationships and make friends with people. And then, you know, I think too, a lot of it is then they either start following you or watching what you're doing, or you know, you you tag them when you make posts on social media, and so then they're like, Oh, that's that girl we met at PRI, you know, and so that all of that put together, I think, really helps for sure. So, what does a typical race day look like for you? You know, do you eat, you don't eat, you eat at the track, you're what do you do?

SPEAKER_01 13:29

I eat before I go, but I refuse to eat chicken. I won't eat chicken on race days, it's bad luck. I used to not believe in it. I was always like, You're crazy, that's not true. Then this year I didn't eat it one day. I was amazing. I won my heat and my feature next day. I was like, that's not real. And I ate it and sucked. Oh my gosh, not happening anymore. And I slipped up one night and then I did that again. It could be all in my head, but I will not eat chicken on race days, but I do eat before I go to the track. Okay. After I get there, I will not eat because if I eat right before I race, yeah, it's not good.

Melinda Russell 14:12

Things don't go well. Yeah, yeah. It's heavy, it lays in your stomach. I don't care what you eat. Yeah, yeah. That's kind of a typical don't eat, you know, before you race, and then you're starving when you're done.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Fitness, Focus, And Pre-Race Routine

Melinda Russell 14:26

So how do you prepare? You know, mentally, physically, all the things you're doing homeschooling, you're working in the shop with your dad and do on the race car. I'm assuming you, you know, you're a teenager, you have friends, you like to do other things. So, how do you keep yourself kind of balanced, you know, mentally, physically, etc.?

SPEAKER_01 14:49

I will not let myself spend the night at a friend's house or anything before race day because I know it throws me off. And I recently started working out every day and trying to maintain a better diet because at the beginning of this season I was running a great race and I just got tired and I just decided that I wasn't gonna let that stop me again, and it hasn't.

Melinda Russell 15:14

Okay, that's good, and that's a good habit to get into for the rest of your life for sure. So, do you have any superstitions or pre-race rituals that you do?

SPEAKER_01 15:26

I don't eat chicken, and I sometimes if my friend Addy King is there, I'll have her pick grass for me and tie it on the steering wheel. I don't know why. We've done that since carts. We always did it for each other, and when she comes, I have her do it.

Melinda Russell 15:43

So she just goes and like pulls a couple weeds type thing and then ties it onto the steering wheel.

SPEAKER_01 15:49

Yeah, and she recently moved to well, actually, not that recently anymore, but they moved to North Carolina and she was back about a month ago, and I had her do it, and it still hasn't come off of the steering wheel, and that steering wheel isn't getting washed anytime soon.

Melinda Russell 16:03

Well, that's cool, and you know what what fun to have that, you know, with your friend. And yeah, that's very cool. So you're it's just it's you that races, nobody else in your family, right?

Family Crew And Shop Help

SPEAKER_01 16:18

No, we tried to get my sister to race, wasn't her thing. My dad is thinking about maybe getting in a micro soon. I don't know what he's doing with that.

Melinda Russell 16:29

Okay, but he's been talking about it. So he's the crew chief. Who else helps you with your car?

SPEAKER_01 16:36

My grandpa helps, my mom helps when she can't, she gets my helmet ready and stuff all the time for me. Um, Chris Holder and Bob Holder and Mark. I don't know his last name, I just call him Mark. And then we recently got some pretty good help, just not Justin, um, Jake Francis. He's been coming down to the shop to help us on stuff. That is greatly appreciated because things were getting a little overwhelming.

Starting Positions And Race Craft

Melinda Russell 17:06

Well, there's a lot to do to keep up, and you know, I'm sure your dad works a job or as a business or something, and so you know, it's not like he's just hanging around the shop all day working on the car, right? So, you know, you have to work all that into your other life schedules, and the more hands on deck, the better. And so that's great that you have have helped for sure. So, what would you say your driving style is? Do you prefer to start on the pole or the front row, or do you like to come from behind and pass cars?

SPEAKER_01 17:40

I mean, obviously, I like to start in front because I'm in front, but sometimes it gets a little boring. So I like to start a couple rows back that way I can at least pass a couple cars.

Melinda Russell 17:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:53

But I don't like starting way in the back because I feel like that gets me just involved in more cautions and more chances to break stuff and yeah, not a good time.

Melinda Russell 18:05

Yeah, absolutely. So have you had any weird or crazy thing happen at the track where you had to fix your car in kind of a like an unusual way?

SPEAKER_01 18:17

Well, last a couple weeks ago, we were running non-wing for the first time. I was running second, I had it out for first, I was right there, and then got involved in a little bit of an incident, and the injection got knocked halfway off, and all sorts of body panels were just like hitting me. And under red, I was like trying to push stuff back out, and the injection was still kind of hanging on. So I was able to finish that race in second.

Melinda Russell 18:48

Oh, that's great. Yeah. So from the car, you were trying to fix it on the track.

SPEAKER_01 18:53

Yeah, and my dad was standing there like telling me what to do, and I was like, what? I was quite lost, but I think I got it done.

Car Identity: Colors And Number

Melinda Russell 19:00

Yeah. If you finish second, I'd say you got it done. So does your car reflect your personality at all? Like color, number, anything at all?

SPEAKER_01 19:10

I really like the colors on my car. I've had the same ones for a long time, but I really like it. The number, honestly, I chose that a long time ago because I was really into Harry Potter. And I did that, and it just kind of stuck. It's no longer really relevant to that, but I just keep it because it reminds me of that, and I really liked it at one time.

Melinda Russell 19:36

Well, and now it's your number. Yeah, you know, and what so what number is that? Because I'm not a Harry Potter fan. And what color? Nine.

SPEAKER_01 19:44

It used to be nine and three quarters because of Harry Potter. Yeah, I dropped that.

Melinda Russell 19:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:49

I grew out of that. So you're just number nine. Yes. And then the colors are pink, teal, and black.

Melinda Russell 19:57

Oh, I love those colors. Yeah. Are great.

unknown 20:00

Yeah.

Fitting In And Finding Friends

Melinda Russell 20:01

So when you go to the racetrack, either now or back when you know you were younger, did you ever feel like you didn't fit in? Were you ever made to feel like you're a girl and you can't do this?

SPEAKER_01 20:12

I feel like in carts sometimes I was kind of in a weird age to be just starting, and there weren't many girls, so it was like, who do I really talk to here? Because it was there were a few girls, but they were a lot older than me, and they didn't really want to talk to a 10, 11-year-old. Right. And then all the 11-year-old boys are a lot different on a maturity level than 11-year-old girls. Absolutely. So hanging out with them wasn't really my cup of tea.

A Favorite Race To Relive

Melinda Russell 20:43

Because they want they want to fart and talk about body parts. I'm sorry. I have grandkids that age. I get it. Yeah. Yeah, that's not what girls normally want to talk about. Oh gosh. Yeah. So now though that you're in micros, more girls, it's more accepted. It's probably you're just another one at another driver, another competitor.

SPEAKER_01 21:09

Yes. Since I got in micros and started traveling a lot more and with a lot more girls being in it, I've made some great friends.

Melinda Russell 21:18

Yeah, I'm sure you have. And they're gonna be friends for a long time, even if you quit racing. You know, that's just how it is. So, what about the friends you had at school? Do they do you still hang out or see them? I mean, that's hard when you homeschool and you're not in the day-to-day things. Yeah, do you still have you know friends from there, or are are the racing people mainly your friends now?

SPEAKER_01 21:42

I still have a lot of friends from school. Okay. Um, I just kind of when I went homeschooled, I just kind of decided whoever wanted to stay my friend could, I wasn't gonna force anybody to be. And I ended up keeping a lot of friends, and yeah, they come to the races and try and support me. They don't really know what's going on, but they try their best.

Learning Maintenance And Engines

Melinda Russell 22:01

Yeah, that's good. I love to hear that because I I often hear that, you know, oh my, you know, my even kids that go to school, oh, the kids at school don't really understand, I don't really fit in, and that makes me so sad. So I'm so glad to hear that your story is the opposite of that, you know. That's that's great. I I love that. So if you could, if you can think back and you could relive one race, win or lose, do you have one that comes to mind that was just like a race you'll just never forget?

Essentials In The Race Bag

SPEAKER_01 22:35

Probably Decoin 2023 with 250 carts. I was I hadn't been doing great for a while in carts. I was doing good, but just nothing to really have a lot to give to the indoor guys, and things didn't go great in the heat race. And then the feature I was battling for second for a long time, throwing sliders with second and first. It was just a great, super fun race.

Big Dreams: High Limit Sprint Cars

Melinda Russell 23:04

Yeah, those are the kind that you you know you want to remember, the kind that were fun, not the ones where you flipped or something. Those those are not the good kind. So I assume you do help your dad in the garage. Am I right about that?

SPEAKER_01 23:18

Yes, I have to help him on stuff, otherwise I'm not racing.

Melinda Russell 23:21

Yeah, that's good. That's that's good. So, what is something that you've learned or something that you still need to learn? You know, what are what are the things you do in the shop to help your dad?

SPEAKER_01 23:33

I do most of maintenance on my car because we take care of another guy's car. Okay, he kind of works on that. And I've gotten to the point where he can just kind of be like, go do your thing, and I can do that. And then he's currently trying to teach me how to rebuild engines and stuff because he has MoPower racing engines where he builds engines for micros.

Melinda Russell 23:56

Okay, that's cool. So what's in your bag? Like, you know, your bag of stuff you take to the race, what's in your bag that you never go to the race without?

Acceptance Of Women In Racing

SPEAKER_01 24:07

A hairbrush and perfume. Because I have to tie my hair up when I get in there and then I get out, and it's a mess, and I gotta try and fix it really quick. And I hate smelling race fuel, isn't bad, but then when I have a certain thing against the smell of it like sitting for a long time, I can't deal with it, and I don't like to smell like it.

Melinda Russell 24:34

No, I get you. I I'd probably be the same way for sure. So if you could choose any any class of racing anywhere, no the budget is you know unlimited. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Where would it be? What kind of car, you know, what what would you love to do?

SPEAKER_01 24:55

High limit, high limit sprint cars.

Pre-Race Music And Mental Game

Melinda Russell 24:58

Yeah, that's cool. So my friend Lori is a chaplain with Racers for Christ, and she travels with High Limit. Oh wow, and yeah, so I watch that a lot on Flow because of her, and I've gotten to know through her some of the kids that race, kids, they're all kids because they're all younger than me, and then her husband is works on the he's like the medic safety crew or whatever, and so they've been traveling all summer with high limit, and she's told me stories about some of those guys that race, and they're just uh amazing people, some really, really good people in that series. So I love following it. So that's a that's an attainable goal for sure.

SPEAKER_01 25:45

Yeah, yeah, I like to keep my goals attainable but high enough. So my goal is I want to win a high limit feature. It used to be outlaws, I've switched to high limit, but that is my goal in racing. My dad's always like, You don't want a championship? I'm like, I mean, I would love that, but I would like a more attainable goal.

Life Lessons Racing Taught Early

Melinda Russell 26:07

Yeah. Attainable in that it doesn't seem unrealistic. Yes. And so once you start racing in that series and you, you know, you'll start and you'll be in the back, and then you won't do well, and then you'll move up. And by the time you get up to where you're competing for wins, then the championship will be the goal after you've yeah, worked in it for a while for sure. Do you think women are more accepted now in racing? As far as you know, there's so many women doing so many things, and I but I still talk to some women and they they don't feel accepted, you know. It sounds like you do feel accepted. How can we make that more general across the board? So, you know, what kind of an impression, I guess, do you leave with people that women can do this?

SPEAKER_01 27:03

When I talk to kids, I just always try and not bring up the fact that I'm a girl because it you shouldn't have to state that. It should just be I'm a race car driver.

Melinda Russell 27:14

Right.

SPEAKER_01 27:15

That shouldn't matter. And obviously, if they want to talk about it, I will, yeah, but I try and not to even put that idea in their heads that it could be any harder because it's shouldn't be any harder. Yeah. And I've even seen in the last few years that I've been racing that it's gotten a lot more accepted. Now there are still times that I'm like, what are you talking about? And some stuff happens that I don't agree with, but yeah.

Why The Track Beats Teen Parties

Melinda Russell 27:44

That's but that's life too, kind of. Yeah, you know. I mean, just in the world that we've seen in the last week or so where Charlie Kirk got shot, you know, what a wonderful person. And just because somebody doesn't like what you think or say, they you know, and so that's life. Everybody's not gonna agree with us a hundred percent of the time, and everybody doesn't agree that girls should be racing, and yet it's getting more and more accepted all the time. And and Billy Vennerini told me one time the the car doesn't know if it's a man or a woman behind the wheel, it's just a race car driver, and I I love that that he said that. So, do you before a race, do you listen to music? How do you get yourself hyped up and ready to race?

Concerts, Hobbies, And Surprise Interests

SPEAKER_01 28:35

I listen to music, but it's usually my dad's music because we got but me and him share the same music case, so I'm okay with it. But I sit in the race or in the race trailer for a couple races before. Everybody always says I get in way too early. I I need all my stuff right there. I will be in three to four races before I need to be out there and I'll just sit there and wait. I won't be on my phone or anything, I just sit there. Sometimes I'll look at the lineup and try and play out scenarios in my head, but then I start doing that too much and I gotta put it down.

Melinda Russell 29:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:11

And I just get in early and try and tune out everything else around me and just walk in.

Melinda Russell 29:18

Good idea. Do you have a certain song that you like or just what kind of music?

SPEAKER_01 29:24

Like metal music we listen to a lot.

Melinda Russell 29:26

Okay, all right. Yeah, that's fun. Because you don't look like somebody that will listen. I was gonna say you probably listen to country, but no.

SPEAKER_01 29:35

I mean, I do, but I have a very wide music case. I have a country concert shirt on right now. Yeah, but okay, that's what I listen to on race days because I feel like it hypes me up more.

Social Media And Where To Follow

Melinda Russell 29:48

Yeah, I agree. It's a different if it's it's a different feeling of that kind of music for sure. So if you had not been involved in racing, what are well let me restate that? What are some things that you've learned at a young age of 15 or maybe earlier, because you were involved in racing, that you would not have learned had you not been involved in racing? Does that make sense? Yes. Okay.

Season Plans And Tulsa Shootout

SPEAKER_01 30:17

I think how to talk to adults and people older than me, because a lot of my friends will be around that don't race, and I'm like, you just gotta go talk to them, talk to them and just act mature. I feel like it's really helped mature me a lot because I have to have mature conversations with adults, and I'm not scared of those kind of conversations. And I feel like a lot of kids my age are, and that intimidates them. And I feel like, well, I can't drive yet, but when I can, I feel like I have a slight advantage if something were to happen, like I break down or something, I can kind of figure out what's going on a little bit easier.

Melinda Russell 30:58

Yeah, so maturity, a little bit more mature from being involved with adults more than kids. It's you know, racing is let's face it, racing's kind of a an adult sport, at least it used to be. Now, of course, there's millions of kids that start at the age of four or whatever, but but you know, it is an adult sport in that the way you have to act, the way you have to talk, even if you're four or five years old, people are watching. And if you throw a fit when you lose a race or you act some way or stomp away or whatever, people are watching. I don't care how old you are, and and you have to learn the behavior that's acceptable, and that's adult, that's an adult lesson that some adults need to still learn for sure. So you could be a lot of places on the weekend, but you're at the racetrack. Why is that?

SPEAKER_01 32:01

I just I like it there more. I have more fun. I tried for a while last year. We had setback with sending our engine off to get rebuilt because it blew up and it was a whole fiasco getting it back. And I was like, Well, I guess I get to experience being a regular teenager and not doing this on the weekends. And I went to like parties and stuff, and I was like, this isn't really my thing. And I just went back to going to the races even if I wasn't racing.

Melinda Russell 32:30

Yeah. And do you and why do you why do you think that is that when you went to those parties, you were like, Yeah, no. I just I feel like maturity again.

SPEAKER_01 32:41

It's I mean, I guess you could say I should act my age, but no, a lot of times I'm just like, what are you doing?

Melinda Russell 32:50

Yeah, no, that when people say act your age, that's because you're acting like a two-year-old when you're 15, not when you're 15 and you act like you're 21. Okay, so that's a good thing, uh, you know, that you realize that you know, this really isn't my thing. I'd rather be at the racetrack. And that's not to say that the racetrack is the most cuss-free zone, or you know, there's interactions between drivers and crews and stuff. We're not perfect, but overall, the things that you learn from being with race family far outside what you're gonna learn at a party with a bunch of other teenagers? I'm sorry, but you know that as well as I do because you're a smart kid. So when you're not racing, is there anything that you like to do or you have an interest in that might be a surprise to people? Like, is there a certain TV show you you never miss? Is there anything at all that about you that might surprise us if you told us this big secret?

SPEAKER_01 34:01

Concerts. I go to a lot of pretty heavy concerts and I enjoy it. I don't look like the type of person that would, and I do like it, and TV show-wise, I watch TV, but nothing crazy. I really like Dexter, but that's yeah, just common things.

Melinda Russell 34:23

Okay, so what are some concerts? Okay, what are some concerts you've been to that you think would surprise me?

SPEAKER_01 34:29

I went to Pierce the Vale and I went to Slaughter to Prevail, which I don't think you know, it's basically just Russian screaming.

Melinda Russell 34:39

Never heard, never heard of either one of those, and so I'm all I'm all for you, Rowan. If that's what you like, then that's what you should be doing. Oh gosh. And do you have other friends that go?

SPEAKER_01 34:51

Or my boyfriend comes with me a lot. Okay, all right. I was kind of into it for a while because my parents have been since I was little, that's all they listen to, and then I started going with him and I like it.

Melinda Russell 35:06

Okay, all right, that makes more sense. I don't want you going to those concerts by yourself. Oh no, no. So, how do you use social media to promote your promote yourself, your brand, your driving, and how could we follow you?

SPEAKER_01 35:22

I'm on Facebook at Rowan Edgar Racing. We keep up with race updates. If it's a big show we try and do throughout the night, we fall behind on that a lot of times, but we always post race results on how the night went. Even if it was a bad night, we'll tell you why it was a bad night. And if it was all me, it was all me.

Melinda Russell 35:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:41

Uh on TikTok, it's just Rowan Edgar. I post quite a bit of racing content there as well.

Melinda Russell 35:47

Okay, all right. That's awesome. Rowan, is there anything that we haven't discussed or I haven't asked you about that we've completely overlooked? Not that I can think of. Okay. I try to cover most of the things that we need to know, but sometimes when I follow someone closer than I do other people, like I follow you more than some, you know, then I feel like I already know it, and then I forget to ask. So that's why I wanted you to have a chance to share. So is there anything that you would like to share before we stop the recording?

SPEAKER_01 36:24

Just follow me on Facebook and TikTok, please.

Melinda Russell 36:27

Yes, awesome. Well, Rowan, it's been good to catch up with you. Gosh, I can't believe I don't know. I'm I'm gonna look back and see how long ago it was that we chatted, but it's been at least four, it's been at least three or four years because I think you were just starting and racing.

SPEAKER_01 36:44

Yeah, I think it's been about three years, yeah.

Melinda Russell 36:47

When I first talked to you, so interesting. Well, I want you to have a really good rest of the year. It's almost over, probably, for you.

SPEAKER_01 36:55

You'd think, but it is not. We have stuff scheduled until November. Wow, and then we get a little bit of a break, and then we go to the Tulsa Shootout.

Melinda Russell 37:05

Yeah, I was gonna ask you if you're gonna be at Tulsa Shootout. I really would love to go there. I have so many girls that I've interviewed that that race there that I would just love to be able to go. So we'll see if that works out, if I can get out there this year. But that's awesome. Well, Rowan, thanks again for taking time to be on with me today. And I'll I'll still be following you. And if you tag Women's Motorsports Network, it's easier for me to follow you. I don't have to keep searching, just tag me when you you know do your posts, and then I can keep better track of you. And hopefully, I'll see you in Tulsa.

SPEAKER_01 37:42

Hopefully, I'll see you there. Thank you for having me. Awesome.

Melinda Russell 37:44

Thank you.