Shelby Thurman’s Full-Throttle Journey

What happens when a racer grows up trackside and turns childhood laps into a signature streak that few ever touch? We invited 20-year-old bracket sensation Shelby Thurman to share the real story behind her rise—from a junior dragster at seven to a hard-hitting 1991 S10 tuned by a family that lives and breathes motorsports.

Transcript

Welcome And Mission

Melinda Russell 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 trailbizers, 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.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

Yeah, I appreciate you having me. I'm greatly appreciated for it. I'm Shelby. I've been racing for 14 years. I live in Portland, Tennessee. I work at Publix. My dad, he has his own transmission shops. That's how he works in all of our cars. I'm very deeply into racing. That is my passion. That is what I love the most. Wrap my whole world around it pretty much. My boyfriend as well, he races too. He uh is just rebuilding his whole car. So yeah, just pretty much the racing world is my world. Okay. And do you have any siblings? I do not. I'm the only child.

Melinda Russell 1:57

No child. So you're a you're your daddy's spoiled daughter, right? Pretty much we can admit that it's okay. And and uh how about pets? Do you have any pets?

SPEAKER_00 2:10

I have two wiener dogs. Oh their names are Doug and Carl. Everyone who like really knows my family knows Wiener Dog because my dad posts about them like they're newborn babies. But yeah, we love them. I also have a cat, she just kind of chills, but yeah, I got two wiener dogs. Yeah, she tries to.

Melinda Russell 2:33

Well, that's cute, very, very cute. So I'm gonna ask you if if somebody googled you, would they find out anything about you that most people don't know?

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Yes. A few years ago, I actually had like a little thing with Drag Champ where they did a thing about me. And I used to, I was really into beauty pageants and dancing when I was younger. So that's something that most people don't know about me. Is I did a lot of beauty pageants. The older I got, the more I got into racing. So I just kind of like didn't do that anymore. I wasn't really interested in it.

Early Start In Junior Dragsters

Melinda Russell 3:10

Well, you and you kind of have to choose, don't you? A little bit. Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's cool. I did not know that about you, so that's that's pretty cool. So um, so tell me, how did you get started in motorsports?

Climbing Classes: 8.90 And 7.90

Big Wins, Bristol Memories, And Milestones

SPEAKER_00 3:25

So my grandpa, which is my dad's father, he he raced long ago, which got my dad into racing as well. And my mother always says when she was pregnant with me, every time my dad would do a burnout, I would start kicking. That's how they knew I was gonna be a racing baby. I was always at the racetrack with my dad, even when I was a newborn baby. That's how they revealed my gender as they went over the intercom and announced that they were having a girl and everything. So yeah, I was always by his side. There's actually like a little picture that my dad has on his bedstand, and I was like not even a year old, and I had a helmet on in his car just standing there. Then I fell out of the car and busted my head open. But that's that's okay. I I never really knew about junior dragsters until I got older, and back when I started the legal age to start was eight. Well, I was eight for like three years, so I just stayed at local tracks that I was like they were allowing me to race. I started when I was seven. I got a little junior dragster on my seventh birthday. It was like this was back when like Jegs made junior dragsters. It was called a Jagster, had a little 1390 Briggs Stratton motor. Wasn't nothing too crazy. I raced at Music City for a very long time until I turned eight. Then we were able to start traveling. And then that's when my dad realized he was like, okay, she's actually into it. So he got me a bigger junior, half skill. I had that junior up until I aged out because he got it for big enough for I could have it the rest of my junior career. I traveled at places like Memphis for when they had this like junior program going on. I think it was called the Southeastern Junior Dragster series. Can't really remember. It's so long ago. I did that a lot, as well as Music City and Bowling Green, those were three of my big tracks until I was finally able to go to Bristol. And oh my goodness, that just like changed everything. We only went for three days. I remember this. I mean, we went for three days, and we didn't even get to like experience half of it. So that's when we started going for like the full week and a half and everything. I did that for till I aged out, obviously. And then when I turned eight, he got me a bigger motor A90, whole new, whole new world. Like I thought I was flying. I thought 1290 was fast. No, 890, faster than the birds. I did really good in A90. I like to think. I won a bunch of things. I'm trying to remember. I feel like I haven't been in a junior for a long time, but it's been like three years, two years. The whole different game changer was 790. That's when it kind of developed 790. It was hard at first, didn't like it because the car was just so inconsistent, but bigger, bigger motor, bigger parts, more things that can be wrong. My dad finally figured it out. So 790 career. I remember this is when Chad Axford, he's a good racer, good friend of ours. He used to put on these races back in the day called the Mississippi Showdown, Throwdown, Mississippi Madness. That's the one. As well as Dream Team. I was I won Dream Team two years in a row, and then three years back to back to back in the finals. So that's a very good core memory of mine. And I was able to mark off 100 wins in a junior. So I don't remember when I did it, but I think I finalized at like 130 something when I aged out of a junior. My mother as well. She was always a she was always there for all my races. She was always a nervous wreck, but she is definitely my biggest supporter in the junior career. And that's when Drag Champ did like their little article about me talking about my wins and stuff. I won a bunch of Wally's Iron Man's. I had Best Appearing Junior at one time. I when I was back in like seventh grade, my dad told me if I won this one certain race, I think he wanted me to win more than I wanted to win. But he said if I would won it, he would let me get my car re-wrapped. And I won it. So I was in seventh grade and I was sitting in English class and I was just drawing it out how exactly how I wanted it. Even colored it, the color I wanted, and he surprised me with it. And that's a do that's another core memory I have. When I turned 16, I made it on to the FTI farm team. I think it was 16, 16, or 17. I loved it. They always treated us very well, sent us very good products for our junior as well as Wild Willy. They sent me some products for the junior as well, along with clots. Back in 2023, that was that was my last year in a junior, 2023. I won a good amount, and I'm glad I did. I started the year off kind of rough, so it's kind of I think because I was just so nervous. This is my last time in a junior. But I won like a teams race in a junior. It was me, Anthony Bradford, Braxton McGee. Yeah. And it was just a team that was thrown together, and we won. And it was just awesome. It was in Montgomery. And then I went back to Montgomery a few months later in September, and that's when I won all those races in one week. And it was like Friday night, we get there, and they have a 5k Gambers race, and I win that. Didn't even think I could win it, but I won. So I was just like, I was happy for the weekend. Woke up the next day and I told my dad, I was like, you know, I want to race the junior because they would do the junior class first and just get those out of the way, and then they would start doing big cars. So I was like, I'm just gonna run the junior. I won$500. I was like, oh my gosh, didn't know I still had it in me. And then later that day was the team race, and it was me, Dylan Kyle, and Cam Wheeler. Once again, it was just a team thrown together at last minute, and we won the team race that night with$7,500. And then Sunday I wake up, race again, won$10,000, and that was it. That's a weekend I still will never forget, and I still talk about it to this day. Just because I don't know, I just that's one of my biggest accomplishments in my life and racing career. And then I was able to, I was blessed enough to get into the Mike Smith race and the 500k, which was like a few, like a month or two after that. And I had a great time. I won some money, made a lot of good friends, and then um I as well won the sports and spectacular in my truck that season as well. I started racing in my truck back when I was 15. And that's I remember it was the last center mountain, and they had to cancel the race due to the weather, and they were able to drive the track off enough. And my dad was like, You want to hop in it? So I hopped in it and left, whole foot came off the pedal, couldn't reach the pedal. Still to this day, I can't reach the pedal, so I have a pillow behind me. Good friend Jody Davies made me a custom pillow that will that helps me reach the pedal, but that is definitely a core memory of mine. And then 2023 in Braydaton, that was the last go-around in the junior. It was definitely emotional. I was like, for the longest time, I was ready to get out of it until I did get out of it. And I try to tell people a lot who don't like to race the junior to just stay in it as long as you can because once you get out, you cannot go back. It is definitely just it's just a core memory. Like I just loved my friends in the racing world, especially Bristol. I wish I could go back to Bristol for that week and a half. I would do it all over again, honestly. But aging out of the junior made me and my dad focus more on the truck, which I was mostly excited about when we sold the junior. We were able to start building this motor 383, and we put it in there last season. Last season was last season was kind of rough. We were still getting like all the bugs and the everything out. We were whole new motor, whole new setup. We had new transmission, motor, converter. We had like just new everything, front end, everything you think of. So I'm hoping this season will be better, which I think it will. We finally got my truck figured out literally in November. That's when we finally got everything. Good buddy of ours, Trevor Wiggins, owner of Get Hem, he was definitely there for a lot of it to help us figure out because we put a gethem carburetor on there as well. Flawless. It's nasty. Like, but he's always a phone call away. You're like, you can call him at 2 a.m. and he'll answer. And then BTE, Brandon over at BTE, he we had some issues with the converter, and we sent it over there, it comes back flawless. At the I believe he got us, it's like an old converter, and he turned it into a 388-600, one of those hard-hit converters. So yeah, that's that's not even like half of my racing story, but with all these years, I can't even remember half of like I can remember the good stuff. But you do know there is a lot of bad things in racing. Luckily, in the junior, I never wrecked, never did that. My dad always preached to me to never slam on your brakes at the finish line. If you do, don't do it too aggressively, don't turn too hard when you're going fast. He always preached that to me. And then as well in the truck, he still says that on he watches at the finish line, and every time I hit the brakes, I come back to the trailer. And he's like, I saw you hit them brakes too hard. And so honestly, I think I just don't like slam on the brakes because I don't want to hear my dad talk to me about it. So yeah, that's pretty much that's my story for racing. Little little bit.

Melinda Russell 14:36

We're gonna go back a little bit. That weekend that you won all those races. Yeah. Did you at the time understand how amazing that was? People just do that. They don't win all the in the same weekend.

Transition To The S10 Truck

SPEAKER_00 14:53

Yeah, I was so in shock, like honestly, like the rest of the month I was, because I was never, I never I don't know. I'm like, I take I don't take stuff for granted. I don't like when people do take it for granted, you know. So I don't know. I just it didn't hit me till like a month later. I was like, oh my goodness, dad, we did that. And my dad was like, no, we did it, you did it. I was like, my dad is my number one supporter as well. He works on all the cars, he makes sure my car is better than his. Mine's the number one priority, not his anymore. And so, like that weekend, after I won that 10K, it was just like I was just in tears. I couldn't, I couldn't believe it. And especially seeing my dad, he was in tears as well. That's just what put the cherry on top because I love knowing that he worked on this, and all the success is what makes him happy, mostly when it's my truck. It's like your hard work is the reason why I'm here, dad, because you made such a good truck and you turned me into a good driver to know what I'm kind of doing.

Melinda Russell 16:11

Yeah, well, you obviously know what you're doing, or you wouldn't have won all those races.

SPEAKER_00 16:15

Yeah.

Melinda Russell 16:16

You know, one of the questions that I normally ask is, What is your proudest moment? I don't even think you could pick one. There's so many that you've just shared with me. And I I just love I love hearing all of that. And I'm sure there are it are a lot more wins and races and things that you've won a lot along the way. Um was there ever, ever a time when things didn't go well and you came off the track and said, No, that's it, I'm done.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

I'm trying to think. I believe this was honestly last year. I just I could not catch a break at all. Could not catch a break. And I actually like I took a few months off just to refresh because I never want to quit, but I don't want to race and just make myself feel miserable. So I just took a few like a month or two off, and it really made me miss racing. So that's when I went back. But it's just my dad always kept telling me, don't give up, we will get this truck figured out. I think he was, I'm pretty sure last year made him go halfway bald because of that truck. It just made him, it made everybody crazy. But last year was definitely a very hard year for me with all this new stuff that we have trying to figure it out. But I never really wanted to quit because I don't really know what I would do without racing. But I definitely there are a few times where I'm just like, okay, I need a I need a break for a moment and just go do something else because I'm just getting too frustrated with this.

Melinda Russell 17:56

So, Shelby, there's a lot going on when you're in the race car. What keeps you at ease when you're going down ready to go down the track super fast? You know, you may be going for a win. What keeps you calm and at ease?

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Um, definitely before I race, put my helmet on, I always say a prayer just to keep me safe, keep me calm, all that. I never I never pray to win. I just my grandpa actually taught me that. Never pray to win, just pray to do your best. So I always just pray to do my best. And my dad as well taught me take deep breaths. That helps a lot because in racing, get a high adrenaline, you can it's easy to mess up. So I just take a lot of deep breaths. And that's that's pretty much what I do to help keep me at ease, as well as my mother. She will like talk my ear off and just make me laugh and forget about the whole world. So uh that's why I keep her around, you know.

Melinda Russell 19:01

That's cool. So, what's your race car number?

SPEAKER_00 19:05

211X.

Melinda Russell 19:07

And did you are you able to choose that or do they choose it for you?

SPEAKER_00 19:12

They chose it for me. Actually, back before I started racing for like NHRA, IHRA, all that stuff, when I picked my number, it was 8211. My dad's two, my dad's number was H211, and so we made mine 8211 for because I was eight when I started racing, and then his 211.

Melinda Russell 19:34

Okay. All right. And tell me what's your c what does your car look like now?

The Montgomery Hot Streak Weekend

SPEAKER_00 19:41

Oh it's definitely a different looking car when my dad first bought it back when I was maybe like a year or two years old. All primer, random wheels. And when I first started racing it, it had these. But now it has RBZ. Luckily, like I don't know how they did it. They made my wheels look 10 times better. They put some V locks on it. Dad lowered the front end a little bit to add more travel and help me do wheelies, put a bed cover on it. Now I just got a new dialing board for it. RBZ steering wheel, new shifter. We painted the whole inside black. Got some new stickers. TJ Jordan made me. He's really good. He always makes all my stickers. It's definitely a different looking car from when I first saw it. It's like it's my design on a car now, pretty much, too, because I mean it's my truck and my dad helps me with it.

Melinda Russell 20:49

So yeah, it's a truck, not a car, right?

SPEAKER_00 20:52

Yeah, it's 10.

Melinda Russell 20:54

I meant to say I meant to say truck. I'm so used to saying car, but yeah. I like so what kind of truck is it?

SPEAKER_00 21:01

It is a 91 square body S10. I'm I'm in love with square bodies. I actually, if I had a short sleeve on, I have a tattoo of my truck on here. Okay. But yeah, my dad also has a 69 Mustang as well. He raced that. He it was his first car when he was 16, and then he just slowly throughout the years turned into a race car, and now it's runs like 580s, and that's pretty much all I know. I don't really know what kind of motor he has. I don't pay attention to him.

Melinda Russell 21:34

You've got enough to take care of with yourself, right? Yeah.

unknown 21:37

Yeah, for sure.

Melinda Russell 21:39

So when you go to the racetrack, I mean, you've been so successful that you have to be fairly well known when you go to the track. Do you have a lot of people that come up and talk to you? A lot of little girls, little boys that come up and want to see your truck and want to talk to you?

SPEAKER_00 21:55

Mm hmm. Um one of I have a girl who As Rosie race with her. Her parents, I love, I just love her whole family. They actually let me run her junior most of the time. And I love it a couple of times. We've gone rounds. She's actually won once before when I ran her junior. But I do have like a lot of people that come up to me and ask me how I got into the racing world. And then I sometimes do have the younger people come up to me and ask me what to do this round or just saying hi to me. And I definitely love it when people come up to me just because I love talking about racing, especially to the younger people. I like giving them advice to help them proceed in the junior world and big car world. But I even like it when like older people come up to me that's been racing way longer than I have, and they tell me that I'm a good racer and all this stuff. It's definitely a good feeling to have knowing that people know me by my driving.

Melinda Russell 23:06

Yeah, for sure. So what about partnerships? What kind of do you go and and try to get partners? You know, does your dad do that? Who who does that? How do you do it? Because that's a big deal when you're racing, your partnerships.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

My dad, most of the time, he sells a lot of stuff and he tries to pick up partnerships. I think he just picked up one. I don't know yet, still in the works. But with like Wild Willie, that's one of our partners, along with Clots, and then Phoenixes sponsor us. And we got Trevor to hop on board as well from Gethem. He sponsors my truck. My dad helps him out as well. And then BTE, they they jumped on board a couple seasons ago. Trying to think who else. Yeah, Clawts, Wild Willy, BTE. But yeah, my dad mostly does all of the partnerships just because he buys everything with his business and sells it through his business. And luckily they want to hump hump on board with me too. So yeah.

Melinda Russell 24:19

That works out really good. So do you ever have any doubt? Like when you get when you let's say you're going to a big race, and do you ever doubt yourself before you go or when you're at the track? And and if so, how do you overcome that? And maybe you don't have that. And if so, how how do you keep that away from messing with your head?

Setbacks, Breaks, And Mental Reset

SPEAKER_00 24:44

Sometimes sometimes there is a doubt, but that'll just be like through the week, knowing if I'm traveling somewhere and I have doubt, I just try to my best, just cut it out. Because if you roll in somewhere thinking you're not gonna do good, you're not gonna do good. And that is something I try to keep embedded in my my brain, in my head, to roll in somewhere, knowing you're gonna win, knowing you're going to good do good, so you can keep the positive vibes on track, as well as my dad. He really helps me with it. I talk to him a lot about my racing and my mother, and they they talk me through it all if I have any doubts, especially with like questions of my dad. I'm like, well, this happened last week. My dad's like, it's fixed, it's it's okay. I fixed it, it's not gonna happen again. So that is something that does happen pretty often, but luckily I have them two that just help me through it, as well as my boyfriend. He he knew me with all my success. He's knew me for a while, but he also talks me through it.

Melinda Russell 25:52

So you've got a good support system for sure around you. Yeah. So, what is something that racing has taught you about yourself that maybe you wouldn't have learned had you not been involved in racing?

SPEAKER_00 26:07

Um trying to think. Definitely maybe patience. Um when I was like when I was younger, did not have the patience for nothing. Still, honestly, I really don't, but racing has definitely helped me with that. Just just slow down and everything will come. Like, you don't have to rush, you don't have to do this so you can become this type of person. Just slow down and everything will happen on its own. And Scotty Racerson once told me I was really close with Scotty, still one of my biggest idols to this day. He always told me when I would have a rough time. You have peaks and valleys. When you're at the peak, there's nowhere you can go other than to the valley. And then he's like, When you're in the valley, all you can do is go to the peak. So that is something I always keep in my mind as well, peaks and valleys. Because without that, I don't know. I probably would be like go crazy.

Melinda Russell 27:13

No, that's really good advice, not just for racing, but for life. Isn't that just how life is? You know, you just one day you're at the peak, and the next day you're at the valley, and you just you know, or week after week, and that's really good advice to remember just in life, that there is no life that is just a solid, even keel that never has the peaks and valleys. So I I love that for sure. So, how has being involved in motorsport sports made you stronger, do you think?

Rituals, Calm, And Driving Mindset

SPEAKER_00 27:50

Definitely like when I was younger, I never really got myself out there, didn't really know much about like cars, I guess you can say. And the older I got, the more I want to be out there in the crowd and talk to more people and inspire more people if I can. As well as I have a few friends sometimes who might not know if something's wrong with their car, and I can help them out a little bit. I like to be there just to help people, you know. That's something that when I was younger, I never really understood until the older I got, the more I knew that my heart is like kind of bigger than my body. I went I went to help people.

Melinda Russell 28:33

So what you know, I I assume you went to high school. What you weren't weren't homeschooled, or did you go to high school?

SPEAKER_00 28:42

Uh funny story. I went to high school for about a year and they did not like my racing, so I went homeschool. Just because they I would go racing and they would like not give me my work, so my parents were like, We're done. We are going to homeschool.

Melinda Russell 29:01

So that's not very supportive of a kid.

SPEAKER_00 29:04

I know.

Melinda Russell 29:05

If you were playing basketball or something, I bet they would have done it.

SPEAKER_00 29:09

So yeah, that's what we said.

Melinda Russell 29:11

But I'm sure you had friends in school because you're a very likable person. What did your friends think about you racing? Did they understand? Did they go to watch?

SPEAKER_00 29:21

So I actually had a few teachers that came and watched me. I loved that. So this day they keep up with my racing. Even when my first grade teacher, I remember her when I first started racing. She still keeps up with it. Most of my friends didn't really understand racing, but I'd always like try to talk them through it, which they understood kind of like the basics. And where I work now as well, a couple people know a lot about racing because they came and watched me, and that's like that's really all I talk about. Yeah. But I I still have a few friends who don't really understand it, but they see what I post and they're like, Yay, good job, you won first round, you know.

Melinda Russell 30:07

Well, that's good. At least even if they don't understand, they're supportive of it. So that that's so where do you see yourself down the road? What do you want to do? You know, what what are you 25 years old?

SPEAKER_00 30:20

I'm 20.

Melinda Russell 30:22

Oh, yeah, that's right. You're 20 years old. So in the next five to ten years, where's Shelby gonna be in the racing?

SPEAKER_00 30:29

Well, I hope eventually I will get in my dad's car, race his car a few times. I really love my truck, like I really do. I for the longest time I wanted to be a pro stog racer because Erica is one of my biggest role models. But honestly, I just I love bracket racing. I love my S10 and being around my people, but I hope within like five to ten years I do have like a bigger development out there more, and I can maybe go like across the world somewhere and continue to just race at bigger races and race at some races. I've never thought I'd be there on that big stage.

Truck Build, Upgrades, And Setup

Melinda Russell 31:15

So is there a track that you would really love to race at?

SPEAKER_00 31:21

Trying to think. I've been to so many throughout my years.

Melinda Russell 31:26

That's what I figured. You've been to a lot of them already.

SPEAKER_00 31:29

Yeah, Bristol. 100%. Yeah, I would love to race at Bristol in my truck. I've been there for 10 years and only raced to junior. I'd love to go to Bristol in my truck.

Melinda Russell 31:41

Okay, we're gonna put that on the bucket list that you won't go to. Yeah, for sure. So, what about social media? Do you use it? How could somebody follow you on social media?

SPEAKER_00 31:53

I have pretty much every social media you can know. I'm so young, I use all of it. I mostly post on Facebook and TikTok about my racing. I have Instagram, Snapchat.

Melinda Russell 32:07

Is it not in your name, or how would we find you?

SPEAKER_00 32:10

Yeah, Shelby Thurman, pretty much. Okay, okay, so but yeah, Facebook is my biggest platform.

Melinda Russell 32:18

The people that are listening, they can get on there and and follow you and find out where you're gonna be racing, how you did, pictures, all that kind of stuff, right? Yep, yeah, okay. All right. Is there anything that we haven't talked about, Shelby? Now I'm gonna back that up. There's a lot of things we haven't talked about about your career because it's been so massive. Yeah, but is there anything big that we've left out or something that you want to share that maybe I didn't ask the right question?

SPEAKER_00 32:50

Not that I can really think of. I think we went over all like the big basics that I'd like people to know about me, especially that weekend in Montgomery. That's just something I'll never not talk about.

Melinda Russell 33:05

And I think it makes me wonder if anybody's ever done that besides you on all those races in that weekend.

SPEAKER_00 33:13

Yeah, it definitely like added the cherry on top when I wanted the junior.

Melinda Russell 33:18

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:20

That's that really wasn't oh no, it was not. Just woke up and decided to race the junior. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Melinda Russell 33:29

That's pretty cool. Well, Shelby, this has been a a real joy to talk to you today.

SPEAKER_00 33:35

I loved being here.

Melinda Russell 33:37

I uh I knew of you some, but I didn't know everything that you shared today, and um really enjoyed hearing your stories and and the passion for racing comes through in your voice. Um it's it's easy to tell that you love racing, and yeah, you're gonna be involved for a long time ahead, so we can follow you for sure. Um, any last any last words of anything at all that you'd like to share?

SPEAKER_00 34:07

I don't believe so. I do know we have a bunch of stuff planned for this season, which I'm very excited. It kicks off the beginning of March. Added a whole lot of stuff to my truck, so nothing too beach bin. They have their 10k that weekend, so okay, okay. I am I am really excited.

Melinda Russell 34:30

I've actually been there, I've been to Beach Ben.

SPEAKER_00 34:35

Yeah, I love that truck.

Melinda Russell 34:37

It just so happened that my husband and I were traveling and I happened to see that there was gonna be a big it was a big race weekend, it was in the summer, I can't remember what it was for. But we ended up parking our motor home at a campground close by so that I could go to the race. I went to the race that weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So that was kind of fun. So that's one track that I have been to, but yeah, it'll be it'll be starting here quick.

SPEAKER_00 35:08

And oh yes, I'm so excited.

Melinda Russell 35:12

You're ready for it.

SPEAKER_00 35:13

So I am, yes.

Melinda Russell 35:15

Well, Shelby, thanks for being on with me today, and I hope you have a great season. I want you to have a double weekend where you just win everything and and clean house and show everybody.

SPEAKER_00 35:27

Yeah, it'd definitely be a blessing.

Community, Mentors, And Giving Back

Note: Adjusted For Topic Flow

Melinda Russell 35:30

Well, thanks for being on. If you want to hold on just a minute while we finish up. 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 motorsport. 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.