Alana Carter, a rising star in Canadian motorsports, shares her journey from karting at age 7 to competing in road racing. Hosts Ryan Eversly and Sean Heckman discuss her unique background in a racing family and her determination to market herself effectively in the sport. Alana highlights her experiences in various racing series, including her recent podium finishes and the importance of networking and sponsorships. The episode showcases her infectious personality and the hustle it takes to succeed in motorsports, making it an inspiring listen for anyone interested in the racing world.
The latest in AE Victory Racing’s roster of empowering women in motorsport, Alana Carter is taking every opportunity she can. Born in rural Canada to a racing family, Alana’s career started at a young age on the local short track scene, where she eventually conned her way into a road racing career by lying about […]
"...opportunities everywhere she can. We've seen her do some stuff in SRO. We've seen a lot of stuff in the WRL."
SRO is a company that runs car racing events. They organize races for sports cars, where both professional and amateur drivers can compete.
SRO stands for Stéphane Ratel Organisation, which is known for organizing various sports car racing series around the world, including the GT World Challenge. It features a mix of professional and amateur drivers competing in GT cars.
"...We've seen her do some stuff in SRO. We've seen a lot of stuff in the WRL. She's really just taking every opportunity that she can get."
WRL is a racing series where teams compete in longer races. It's designed for amateur drivers and is more accessible than some professional racing leagues.
WRL stands for World Racing League, which is an endurance racing series that allows teams to race a variety of cars over longer distances. It emphasizes accessibility for amateur racers and teams.
"He's done ice racing. I think he did a little bit of rally at one point..."
Ice racing is when cars race on ice instead of on regular roads or tracks. They use special tires to help them grip the slippery surface.
Ice racing is a motorsport that involves racing vehicles on a frozen surface, typically a lake or a specially prepared track. It requires specialized tires and techniques to handle the slippery conditions.
"I think he did a little bit of rally at one point, paved oval and then just really stuck it out..."
Rally racing is a type of car racing that takes place on different types of roads, including dirt and gravel. Drivers often have someone with them to help guide them during the race.
Rally racing is a form of motorsport where drivers navigate through a series of stages on various terrains, often with co-drivers providing instructions. It emphasizes speed, control, and precision on both paved and unpaved roads.
"The dirt late models are challenging and complicated enough that he's stayed there for a very long time..."
Dirt late models are special race cars made to drive fast on dirt tracks. They are built to be lightweight and powerful to handle the challenges of racing on dirt.
Dirt late models are a type of race car specifically designed for dirt track racing. They feature a lightweight chassis, high-powered engines, and are built for high-speed performance on loose surfaces.
"First car race, I did like one season of karting"
Karting is a type of racing that uses small go-kart-like vehicles. It's a popular way for new drivers to learn racing skills before moving on to bigger cars.
Karting is a form of motorsport where participants race small, open-wheel vehicles called karts. It's often considered a stepping stone for drivers aspiring to compete in higher levels of motorsport.
"...like I work at the Porsche Experience Center. I get to work in motor sports"
The Porsche Experience Center is a place where you can drive and learn about Porsche cars. They offer fun driving experiences and events for fans of the brand.
The Porsche Experience Center is a facility where enthusiasts can experience Porsche vehicles through driving experiences, training, and events. It's part of Porsche's efforts to engage with customers and provide immersive experiences with their cars.
"...it was really like a lucky dog endurance race. But it was very intimidating at the time."
An endurance race is a long car race where drivers take turns driving for many hours. The team that drives the farthest in that time wins the race.
An endurance race is a motorsport event where teams compete over a long duration, often lasting several hours or even days. The goal is to cover the most distance within the time limit, requiring strategy in driver changes and vehicle management.
"...if you can drive like a 600 horsepower late model,"
Horsepower measures how powerful an engine is. A car with 600 horsepower has a strong engine that can go really fast.
Horsepower is a unit of measurement for engine power. A car with 600 horsepower is considered very powerful and is typically capable of high performance, making it suitable for racing or high-speed driving.
The Subaru BRZ is a small sports car that is fun to drive. It's designed to be light and nimble, making it great for handling on the road or track.
The Subaru BRZ is a lightweight sports coupe known for its agile handling and rear-wheel-drive layout. It was developed in collaboration with Toyota, which produces a similar model called the Toyota 86.
"...we had a transmission problem. So then the second day they were like, okay,..."
A transmission problem means there's something wrong with the part of the car that helps it change gears and move. This can make it hard for the car to drive properly.
A transmission problem refers to any issue affecting the vehicle's transmission system, which is responsible for transferring power from the engine to the wheels. Common problems can include slipping gears, failure to shift, or fluid leaks.
"...they were like, okay, we'll double stint her so she can get her seat time. And it was like pouring torrential down pouring rain,..."
Double stinting means that a driver races for two rounds in a row without stopping. This is done to give them more practice time on the track.
Double stinting refers to the practice of a driver racing for two consecutive sessions without a break, often to maximize seat time or due to limited driver availability. This is common in endurance racing where teams have multiple drivers.
"My dad was the auto recycling company. And my mom was a doctor."
An auto recycling company takes apart old cars to sell their parts and recycle materials. This helps keep the environment clean by reusing what can be used and safely disposing of what can't.
An auto recycling company specializes in dismantling vehicles for parts and materials, allowing for the reuse of components and responsible disposal of hazardous materials. This industry plays a crucial role in sustainability by reducing waste and promoting recycling.
"...el like my life has been all of these little side quests that work so well together."
The Nissan Quest is a type of family car called a minivan, which is designed to hold a lot of people and their stuff. It's great for families because it has plenty of space and comfortable seating, making trips easier. People talk about it because it helps with everyday tasks like school runs and family outings.
The Nissan Quest is a minivan that was produced by Nissan from 1992 to 2017. It is known for its spacious interior and family-friendly features, making it a popular choice for those needing a reliable vehicle for transporting multiple passengers. The Quest is often discussed for its unique design and practicality in family-oriented contexts.
"...especially like, for example, the Porsche Sport School,..."
Porsche Sport School is a program where you can learn how to drive Porsche cars better. You get to practice on a track with help from experts, which makes it fun and educational.
Porsche Sport School is a driving experience program offered by Porsche, where participants can learn high-performance driving techniques in various Porsche models. It's designed to enhance driving skills in a controlled environment, often featuring track time and professional instruction.
"...that doesn't wanna hear griping about BOP or understeer, you know?"
BOP is a rule used in racing to make sure all cars have a fair chance to win by changing things like how heavy they are or how much power they can use.
BOP stands for Balance of Performance, a set of regulations used in motorsport to ensure that different cars compete fairly by adjusting performance parameters like weight and power output.
"...griping about BOP or understeer, you know? So yeah, hang on to that..."
Understeer happens when a car doesn't turn as much as you want it to, making it feel like it's sliding straight instead of going around a corner.
Understeer is a handling characteristic where a car turns less than the driver intends, often causing the front tires to lose grip and the car to continue straight instead of turning.
"...he went faster than me out of the corners cause the all-wheel drive can just kind of launch out."
All-wheel drive means that the car sends power to all four wheels instead of just two. This helps the car grip the road better and can make it faster when starting from a stop or going around corners.
All-wheel drive (AWD) is a drivetrain configuration that provides power to all four wheels of a vehicle simultaneously. This allows for better traction and stability, especially in slippery conditions or during acceleration out of corners.
"...and the Corolla absolutely took off in the rain. I had no chance anymore..."
The Toyota Corolla is a small car that many people drive because it's dependable and doesn't use too much gas. It's a good choice for everyday use.
The Toyota Corolla is a compact car known for its reliability and efficiency. It has been a popular choice for many drivers around the world due to its practicality and affordability.
"in the TC America class in SRO. And you getting to go over there in your first race out getting a podium is pretty remarkable."
TC America is a type of car racing where different brands of cars compete against each other. It's known for being exciting and competitive.
TC America is a racing series that features touring cars, focusing on competitive racing among various manufacturers. It is part of the SRO Motorsports Group, which organizes multiple racing events worldwide.
"and then you went to Indy where I just saw you last and you guys were like pack racing"
Pack racing is when a group of cars race very close to each other. It makes the race more thrilling because drivers have to be careful not to bump into each other while trying to go fast.
Pack racing refers to a style of racing where multiple cars race closely together, often in a tight formation. This can lead to exciting and strategic racing, as drivers must navigate around each other while maintaining speed.
"I didn't expect to enjoy the front wheel drive stuff as much as I do."
Front wheel drive means that the front wheels of the car are the ones that get the power from the engine. This helps the car handle better in bad weather and makes more room inside the car.
Front wheel drive (FWD) is a vehicle configuration where the engine's power is directed to the front wheels. This setup often provides better traction in slippery conditions and more interior space compared to rear wheel drive layouts.
"...what was your first car? I had a 2006 Mustang. What's funny about my relationship with street cars..."
The Ford Mustang is a popular sports car that many people love for its speed and style. The 2006 version is known for its powerful engine and classic look.
The Ford Mustang is a classic American muscle car known for its performance and iconic design. The 2006 model is part of the fifth generation, which was produced from 2005 to 2014, and features a retro styling that pays homage to earlier models.
"It had a blown oil pan so we were just gonna do a motor swap..."
An oil pan is a part of the engine that holds the oil. If it's damaged, it can cause oil to leak out, which is bad for the engine.
A blown oil pan refers to a damaged oil pan that can lead to oil leaks and engine failure. It is critical for containing the engine oil and maintaining proper lubrication.
"...we were just gonna do a motor swap and he was like, if you do the engine swap..."
An engine swap is when you take out the engine in a car and put in a different one. People do this to make the car faster or because the old engine is broken.
An engine swap involves replacing a vehicle's original engine with a different one, often for performance upgrades or to replace a failed engine. This process can significantly change a car's capabilities.
"Do you remember the conditions of the tires? They were rough. I remember my first winter with that car..."
Winter tires are special tires made for driving in cold weather, snow, and ice. They help your car grip the road better when it's really cold outside.
Winter tires are specifically designed to provide better traction and handling in cold weather conditions, particularly on snow and ice. They have a different rubber compound and tread pattern compared to summer tires, which helps them perform better in low temperatures.
"...I would like to start sliding through an intersection"
Sliding through an intersection means that the car is slipping and not stopping properly when going through a stop or turn. This can happen when the road is slippery, like in winter.
Sliding through an intersection typically refers to losing traction while driving, which can occur when a vehicle's tires cannot grip the road surface effectively. This can happen in icy or wet conditions, leading to a loss of control.
"like AE Victory Racing has been a major, major contributor to my career."
AE Victory Racing helps people who want to be professional race car drivers. They provide support and resources that can help someone succeed in racing.
AE Victory Racing is a company involved in motorsports, likely providing support or resources for racing careers. Their contributions can be crucial for drivers looking to advance in the competitive racing scene.
Select text to request an explanation
I went straight into cars when I was 11, yeah.
Actually, what's funny is I was supposed to be 12,
but I turned 12 in like June, so I started early.
And I remember when I got my first podium,
my dad told me not to say how old I actually am,
and they were like, oh, how old are you?
And I was like, oh, 12.
And now, Dinner Bites, a new spin-off
of Dinner with Racers, presented by-
Hot Nenil Tire.
With your hosts, Ryan Eversly and Sean Heckman.
Dinner Bites is back.
Oh, it's another Dinner Bites, yeah.
Hey, Ryan.
Dinner Bites is back.
I'm Ryan Eversly.
I'm Sean Heckman, and Ryan,
we've been focusing on young up-and-comers.
Our last episode was Henry Drury,
who's well on his way.
And this was a name that I was less familiar with,
but you're somebody who always recognizes hustlers.
And you immediately threw out a name.
There was like, once I heard her story,
it made a lot of sense.
Yeah, Alana Carter, young racer out of Canada,
who I met earlier this year.
Not only does she have the talent on track,
but like you said, Sean,
the thing that really stood out to me is that
she's really doing the effort to get her name out there.
She's really putting in an extra time on marketing herself
and finding new opportunities with driving
and without driving.
So when I met her briefly at Sebring this year,
I thought, what a cool kid.
Hopefully we can do something to feature her.
And then when we came up with this concept
through Continental Tire to feature some of the young
and up-and-comers of the sport,
she was one of the first names that came to mind.
So like we said, Alana Carter is probably
not a household name.
She technically does come from a racing family.
Her dad is basically one of those guys
who drives anything he can,
but all at a fun level
and he's not making a career out of it.
And that bit her early
and she's one of those people who she's driven
a bunch of late model stuff,
a bunch of short track stuff growing up as a kid.
Some of it lying about her age,
which you'll hear about all the way to
a lot of now road racing that she's doing.
She's picking up opportunities everywhere she can.
We've seen her do some stuff in SRO.
We've seen a lot of stuff in the WRL.
She's really just taking every opportunity that she can get.
Yeah, the one thing that you'll notice about Alana
is that her infectious smile and personality
is easy to hear through the audio.
And if you ever get a chance to meet her
or see her at the racetrack,
it's easy to see as well.
So excited to have her on our show
and be able to promote a young racer
who I think is gonna be a name we hear for a while to come.
And this is all because of one very specific sponsor
who really wanted us to do this Dinner Bites series,
to get you a little bit more content.
And what sponsor is that, Ryan?
Got Metal Tire, the smart joists and tires.
And stay tuned, by the way,
because now that this is coming out,
we're getting closer and closer to November.
And when November comes, what comes out, Ryan?
Oh, that brand new batch of those free podcasts,
courtesy of Got Metal Tire.
So stay tuned.
We'll have a few more of these Dinner Bites coming out,
but you know it, the big shows are coming.
So be ready.
And if you wanna know some of the behind the scenes stories,
get a little preview of the batch coming up.
We do have a Patreon.
If you go to patreon.com forward slash dwr show,
we're always inviting people
to sort of join the Dinner Club,
which for a small fee,
you can get a monthly report and podcast from us
where we tell you all the behind the scenes stories.
You can ask questions of some of our guests coming up
and it's just a lot of fun
and something that we've grown to really enjoy doing.
Check that out and take a listen to Alana Carter.
Shum, shum, shum, shum, shum, shum, shum, shum.
I'm finished.
So Alana Carter, we just met recently,
I'd say like six months ago at SeaBring.
Yeah.
After a buddy of ours, a mutual friend, Lee Kraus,
sent me a note and he said,
hey, there's this young racer named Alana Carter.
I think it'd be great if you guys connected sometime.
She's really working hard at this
and I think she's got a good personality
and a good fit for the sport.
Would you be willing to talk to her?
And I was like, sounds horrible, no chance.
Like no way.
But I think one of the things that we've done
both on this show and off is try to help people
get involved in the sport or learn their way.
And so anytime someone reaches out like that,
I'm like, yeah, no problem.
But it's not unsurprising how many people
never actually come and talk to you face to face.
I have been trying to make motor sports
my entire life, however I can.
So funny thing is that I totally thought
I was gonna do like corporate automotive.
Like when I was younger, my dream was to work like corporate
at like Honda or one of the big manufacturers.
And then out of university I actually ended up
working for a private car club, which was super cool.
I met some really well connected people
that really encouraged me to like actually take the leap
into road course racing.
Cause I had actually grown up racing oval track.
I did paved oval track
and then dirt oval and only switched over
to turning both ways in about 2021.
So I love to people there support me.
And they're like, yeah, you should give it a shot.
And kind of the rest is history.
It's been a pretty cool.
You come from a racing family.
It seems like everybody in your family currently is like,
you have nephews that are racing go-karts.
Is that right?
Yeah, yeah.
My little cousin is racing go-karts now.
My cousin, okay.
Yeah.
And he's got like, it looks like your dad
is like his factory mechanic.
He's got going here.
Yeah.
Yeah.
My dad loves it.
Like he has fully just gotten this kid into this world
and they love it so much.
Yeah.
So your dad, Terry Carter is a really well known
seemingly very successful in his neck of the woods
late model racer on dirt.
Correct.
Yeah.
Yeah.
He's kind of the legend out there.
It's awesome.
Yeah.
So he got you into the sport at really young age
and what I looked up is that he's been racing
since he was really young too.
So did your grandfather have anything to do with the sport?
No.
So my grandpa started a tractor salvage back.
That was the old family business
and my dad took it over and they turned it
into an auto salvage.
So now it's an auto recycling company.
But because of that my dad,
his motor sports journey started with demolition derbies
actually.
Yes.
Yeah.
He went and did demo derbies until he was like,
okay, I've had one too many cases of whiplash.
I need to go do something else.
Wait, and no, we're gonna go back for a second.
The Canadian demo derby scene,
I am mad, like Canadians are everybody's redneck
as Americans in some ways worse
because I feel like there's less legal stuff.
What is that scene like out there?
Oh gosh, I've only been to a couple.
The few demo derbies that I have been to
were hosted at rodeos.
They would have rodeos during the day
and then demo derbies at night
and it would be like in the rodeo arena.
The favorite one is, so I grew up in a,
like I lived in Fort Saskatchewan
but I spent all my time in a very small town
called Lamont, like 1700 people all farm country.
And every year they would have the rodeo
that turned into the car demo derby
and then they would have a combine demo derby
and it was so funny because they'd have these
like old massive combines
and basically they'd just smack into each other
until they fell over
and the ones that fell over, they were done.
Amazing, so like tractor wars basically.
Yes, it's amazing.
Yeah, yeah, my dad, he never did anything professionally
but just has done it for hobby his entire life.
He's done ice racing.
I think he did a little bit of rally at one point,
paved oval and then just really stuck it out
with the dirt late models.
The dirt late models are challenging and complicated enough
that he's stayed there for a very long time
and it continues to learn more and more
all the time with them.
Legend has it you did your first race
in a chord at 11?
First car race, I did like one season of karting
when I was seven and then our karting track moved
and a bunch of our stuff got stolen out of our trailer
so we kind of didn't come back
and then I went straight into cars when I was 11, yeah.
Actually, what's funny is I was supposed to be 12
but I turned 12 in like June, so I started early
and I remember when I got my first podium,
my dad told me not to say how old I actually am
and they were like, oh, how old are you?
And I was like, oh, 12.
I don't know if you've heard many of our shows
but there's a theme in every career.
It already started very young with you.
Every career starts with a con.
That's amazing.
Yeah, it's like very, very large amount of successful racers
have started their career with some sort of lie or con
or way to get something that they probably shouldn't have had.
And in this case, I'm guessing it was a license
or approval to race at the age of 12
which is already crazy.
Yeah, right.
So I think you're gonna make it.
Like you're on a good path to motorsports success.
You've been taught to lie early, you'll be fine.
Yeah, right.
What was fun about the oval track stuff
which is kind of crazy.
Now that I switched over to the road racing world
and like there's so much structure and testing and data.
What we did was very-
Everything you've been talking about
to this point has been oval stuff
like the karting, the Accordia.
The oval stuff, at least at the level that we did it
cause it was very small like regional racing.
We never did any practice.
We never did any testing.
It was like get in the car and figure out how to race.
So like at 11 years old,
there's all of us like small children
going to the green flag with no clue what we're doing
and we're all just kind of trying to survive.
Because you've made the switch over to road racing now,
what was your like understanding of road racing
as you're coming up and doing oval stuff
and doing dirt stuff?
Like was it something you guys watched
or really cared about or knew anything about?
Not really, honestly.
We were such a loyal oval family.
We were super...
The biggest thing that we followed along with
was like world about laws, late models.
We were super, super loyal to the dirt world.
And then the road racing world,
I kind of got a taste of it
and it just kind of consumed me.
Like I love it so much.
It's such a cool community and such a cool industry.
And the big reason why once I got like a little dabble
of it and then I wanted to go further
is because like there's so many more careers in it.
Like in oval track,
it's really a lot of people just spending their own money,
but in, which is also kind of the same thing
in road racing to be fair.
But there is people like making adjacent careers out of it.
You know, like I work at the Porsche Experience Center.
I get to work in motor sports
in all sorts of different ways
where like I found that didn't really exist
as much in the oval track world, at least where I was.
But yeah, it was so funny.
I did my first ever like road course race at Calabogi.
I don't know if you know where Calabogi is.
It's a really fun track.
It's designed by the same track,
because I use Barbara.
Yeah.
And I, one of my friends who I met like doing auto show
was like, hey, we had a driver back out
and it was really like a lucky dog endurance race.
But it was very intimidating at the time.
He was like, we've got a driver to back down.
Like, do you want to fly in?
I was like, I've literally never turned right.
Like I don't, I don't know if this is a good idea.
And he was like, if you can drive
like a 600 horsepower late model,
you can handle a BRZ.
You're going to be fine.
But I short of, and at the time that team
would like doing a program
where they would take drivers from sim racing to real life.
So they're like, oh, we'll just put you on a sim.
I had never driven on a sim before.
And I think that you're probably well aware
of the fact that like race car drivers
who have raced in real life their whole lives
trying to get on the sim is never good.
Like we, this is so embarrassing.
It goes the other way pretty well.
It doesn't come back the other way.
Like if you already have real experience
and something to pull from,
you can still get something from it,
but it's never as easy.
Like some of my best friends
because they're about 10 years older than me
miss that sim world altogether.
And you put one of them on there and they're horrendous.
Yeah.
Yeah, it was like super humbling,
but it's been like six hours straight.
I was like, I'm not going to stop until I get this right.
And I remember the team owner actually took my friend aside
and was like, are you sure about this girl?
Like, because I like so many times
like I just like send it into the woods.
I couldn't figure out how fast I was going.
And then the next day,
I ended up not racing the first day
because we had a transmission problem.
So then the second day they were like, okay,
we'll double stint her so she can get her seat time.
And it was like pouring torrential down pouring rain,
but everyone was like, you're fine.
Like you grew up dirt racing.
Like you'll be fine.
And I just like went and I just went and like sent it.
And I think during my stint moved up
from like fifth to second place
and just ended up on the podium.
And I was like, I have no idea what I did.
Like I don't know how I got here.
Yeah.
So after that, yeah.
After that, that team owner was like, okay,
no, you should really pursue this.
Like keep going.
So that was it.
So this whole time, so your dad,
your dad is obviously a redneck of his own type,
but what I'm not hearing is,
is being able to create your own financial opportunities.
In other words, like, I don't, what is your dad,
what do your parents do for a living?
My dad was the auto recycling company.
And my mom was a doctor.
She retired now and she's just chilling.
The funny thing about my parents is like,
they've helped me a little bit with racing.
It's definitely, I'm not one of those like blank check children,
but they're so busy spending their own money
on their own hobbies that like, I gotta fend for myself.
Cause my mom rides horses
and my dad's still wasting cars.
And they're like, we're still too cool.
We're not spending all the money on you yet.
Yeah, understood.
So a lot of this you had to sort of pave your own way.
Yes, yeah.
They've helped me out here and there
when it was like a really big opportunity
that I was like, please, this is gonna open doors for me.
But for the most part I really am on my own
and figuring it out and trying to find sponsors
and living off my life savings, but it's fine.
I'm having fun.
Now you've been able to do quite a bit off track
that I've recognized.
Like I saw you did, and I think when you were doing this
I saw you posted about it,
but you did the like the F1 expert hosting
at the Canadian Grand Prix.
And I've had other friends that have done that.
And the common theme I've noticed is like,
obviously racing background,
but more importantly,
presentable to people that are of interest.
And that is a skill set that is hard
for some people to learn, sometimes impossible.
Cause we both know, all three of us know racers
that are super talented,
but cannot keep a conversation going.
Yeah, that's true.
Yeah, the funny thing for me is,
I feel like my life has been all of these little side quests
that work so well together.
Cause when I was younger, I was a huge drama nerd.
And I like, I loved acting, I loved all of that stuff.
And then I had a few years
where I was doing some international modeling.
So I'm like, I'm comfortable on stage.
I'm comfortable in front of a camera.
And then that's like what race car drivers
need to be these days.
So I was like, oh, this is like,
this is all stuff that I genuinely enjoy.
So yeah, I love it.
I love interacting with people.
And one of the cool things about working in motorsports
is like most of the time
you're giving that person the best day of their life.
It's a normal day to up,
but that is like something they're gonna remember
for the rest of their life.
And I just think it's like super cool and super fun
that I get to be that person
and basically getting paid to have fun.
Yeah, hold on to that.
Hold on to that spirit.
Yeah, cause that's very, very important.
And it's easy to misplace that
when you're doing it all the time
or you're grinding it out.
But that's a very good thing to remember
because like, especially like,
for example, the Porsche Sport School,
those are like some people's vacation.
You know, like they've saved all year
and they're gonna go do this one experience.
And then you get to kind of add to it
by being a great host, you know?
And that's something that's very, very important.
I think most successful racers,
all of them have a little bit of that somewhere
because if you lose sight of that,
no matter how talented you are,
you're still gonna have to be friendly
in front of a sponsor or a team owner
or a team owner's family
that doesn't wanna hear griping about BOP
or understeer, you know?
So yeah, hang on to that
cause that's gonna go a long way for in your career.
I'd say you're on my radar most likely
because of the AE program
that you won the shootout for.
And so can you talk us through what that program is?
I'm very familiar with everybody involved
but I kinda wanted to hear your pitch.
Yeah, they have been honestly a lifeline for me.
I don't know, like at the time that I won the shootout,
I don't know if I would have been racing this year otherwise
just cause I didn't have the funding together.
I didn't really have what I needed together
to have a good season.
And being involved with them has been phenomenal
cause it was also like the first time in my career
that I had guaranteed racing
and didn't have to stress about it
and got to just focus on performing really well.
Where like last season I was so focused
on finding the funding that I'd find the funding
and then, oh my God, I'm not ready for the race
because I pulled everything together a week before.
So they've been amazing to me.
Like I don't have enough good things to say about them.
They've helped me out so much.
I found it was really valuable for me,
especially at the beginning
when we were sorting out the car a lot
to drive the car, the same car that Ashley and Sarah
or Aaron were driving, hear their feedback
and hear what they were saying to the engineers
so that I could start to really get involved
cause that's really the next step for me.
Like sure I can drive fast
but how valuable can I be to an engineer?
So that has been the side that was super, super valuable
for me is really learning how to develop a car
and being involved in that conversation.
And obviously again, of all of these cool new tracks
but they have just been amazing.
Aaron also gave like covers for my career
and mindset coaching.
So I've got a coach that works with the team
and works with me personally, which has been,
that's Claudia, she's amazing.
She's been in God's end for me this year too
because I've just been like my career took off this year
and I feel like it's growing faster
than I can keep up with it.
So having all of these resources
has been super, super valuable for me.
And yeah, WRL is also just like a riot of a series.
It is so much fun to race them.
Yeah, let's say effectively Aaron Vogel
who used to race in the SRO series
formerly raced with real-time racing
teammates with a buddy of mine, Michael Cooper
for a long time.
Her and her partner Aaron have started AE Victory
which is a women's initiative program
that's not only just driving
but it's also bringing in engineering, marketing
and just crew people in general to have this opportunity
to bolster women's participation in motorsports.
And so you were able to win a shootout
which brings you in and your teammates
which is kind of like it seems like a revolving door
of really talented women include Ashley Freiberg
who's a very, very experienced sports car racer
and Sarah Montgomery who also very experienced
and probably one of the most friendly people you can meet
most notably and for our listeners
why it would matter the most,
Sarah Montgomery is related to Bill Riley
who is almost a mascot of this show.
And so, but many, many notable engineers
that are working on that program
that are also doing TCR and IMSA
and other sports car programs.
And so seeing that program at the WRL race
that you and I both did at Rotolana
I was really, really excited to see
not only that you guys got a podium
but how many people I recognize under that awning
that are talented and that are moving their way up
in the sport.
Yeah, and I think that's the coolest thing about like
I've seen a lot of women's initiatives
and obviously like I'm really grateful
for all of the initiatives that have helped me out
and what we're trying to do
but Erin is really doing it right, you know
like she's got the right talent
she's got the right reasoning for it.
I've seen people before where they're like
oh, this is a great idea
because it's gonna be so marketable
and it'll be easier to bring in sponsors
and that's just unfortunately not true at all
but like it is marketable
but it's, I don't think sponsorship is ever easy
whether you're a man or a woman
or wherever you come from.
But yeah, Erin really, really does it right.
She does it for all of the right reasons.
She's incredibly selfless with it
and it's cool to see that she's just trying to
not just develop drivers
but develop engineers
and give more than one a role in motorsports
and our engineer is super cool.
Janae is like very young
like just graduated her degree this year
and stepped up into race engineer very quickly
but like the first weekend that she was race engineer
without any support was our first win
so she's doing something right.
But then you made a pro debut
in touring car this year at Barber in Birmingham
I happened to be there.
How'd that go?
It went very well.
It went better than I expected.
I didn't have the opportunity to get any testing
before the race weekend
because just obviously tight budgets were making it work
with what we've not.
So I showed up on the Thursday
and it was my first time ever driving the car
figured it out quite quickly.
Like Thursday morning practice
I had gotten down to like two seconds off pole.
Yeah, second practice got down to one second off pole
and then hopped straight into Kuali
and was five tenths off pole.
And I was like, oh, okay.
Maybe I like this from driving.
And just had, I just had such a great weekend.
I really like Barber.
I like flowy technical tracks.
And even like in race, so race one
I got second place overall
and first in the Hyundai and Trophy Cup
which was super cool.
Race two, I had a little bit of a tougher go.
I got hit like on the opening lap
and just fell back through the field
and had to claw my way back up.
And then race three, even though I got fourth place
was probably my most on race of the weekend
just because I spent the whole race
like really putting pressure on Jonathan Newdorf
and I was like, he went faster than me out of the corners
cause the all wheel drive can just kind of launch out.
But it was just really fun.
Like I was trying all of the different moves.
I was kind of tiring them out
and then it started raining
and the Corolla absolutely took off in the rain.
I had no chance anymore
but that was actually my favorite race of the weekend
even though I didn't get a podium.
Yeah, that Ricca Autosport program
has been very, very successful
in the TC America class in SRO.
And you getting to go over there
in your first race out getting a podium is pretty remarkable.
There's been several women
that have raced full time in that class
and haven't had that much success that quickly.
So to see you show up at that track was pretty cool
because the TC cars, that's a pretty tight knit battle.
And then you went to Indy where I just saw you last
and you guys were like pack racing
even though it was a road course.
It's so funny cause like, you know,
Barbara had such a great weekend
and I was like, ah, Indy, no problem.
It's an easy track, won't be a problem.
And I had such a challenging weekend.
As you said, it's so tight.
So I had some mechanical issues in practice one
and practice two.
So I just didn't get as much track time
as everyone else did.
And like, when you only get two 25 minute practices
missing any track time really sets you on the back foot.
So I went into quality with pretty minimal track time
and was still like, you know, six tenths
off the fastest Hyundai, like nothing terrible,
all things considered, but it was the difference
between like fourth or 10th place.
So then I was starting at the back of the pack
and none of us could like make a move stick
in the dry there.
Like we, we've not old four of us the whole race.
And I was trying everything.
Like I was trying every move
and it was just so hard to make a pass stick
but it was really fun.
That was definitely a newer experience for me.
What do you think the future looks like for you
with the, with SRO stuff?
I think I would definitely like to do more TC stuff.
I didn't expect to enjoy the front wheel drive stuff
as much as I do.
And I'm really loving running the Hyundai.
I love that team so much.
So, you know, it's October.
It's that time of year
where you've got a million conversations on the go
and not totally sure what's going to work out.
But I would, if it was up to me
I'd love to do another season of TC America
because I, it's good to know that like
it's a series I'm competitive in
but I obviously have so much to learn in that series still.
So I definitely want to come back and give another shot.
So the racing part obviously is where you want to go
but it seems like you're there
because you're finding every opportunity just to work.
And that doesn't always involve driving.
And you're literally sitting in a cabin in the woods
right now in Canada
because you need to get away for a week
which I think we can both understand.
So paint me the picture of 2025
because I want to understand just a general racer
that is a lot of like on any given month
you're going from weekend to weekend to weekend.
What are you, what are you doing right now
to make this all work?
The reality is that every week looks different.
Full time like independent contractor.
So right before I left for Andy
I worked the Volvo gig
where I was just driving people through a tourist thing
and with Volvo.
So over the winter it's gonna look like-
Like a parking lot experience kind of thing.
That one was actually really fun
because it was more like a nice road trip
through like the lakesides and-
Yeah proper street drive.
Yeah that one was really nice.
So yeah, lots of gig work for me.
Last year I got lucky
and I landed a few like stunt driving
in commercial positions.
So hopefully I'll do more of that
because that was really fun.
But just hustling.
Gonna do the women with drives
and what again, PRI, all of that stuff.
Trying to make things work.
What are some of the out of the car things you're doing?
Because to me it seems like
you need to just take opportunities
even if it's not related to getting behind the wheel
even of a street car.
So what are some of the non-driving things
you've had to do this year?
Working at the Porsche Experience Center
if I need to all sorts of random contract work.
I started getting into a little bit more private coaching
which I've had a lot of fun with.
I was just recently coaching a young girl in a radical.
So I love doing the private coaching.
I've started leaning more
into like the influencer side of things.
So I've got some social media collaborations coming up.
I'm just doing a little bit of everything.
Lately I find stuff finds me
and unless that's a really bad idea
I usually say yes.
Yeah, a good friend of mine has a career advice
of always say yes to everything
and then turn it down later if you can't make it work.
Yeah, that's a good one.
That's, I like that.
Yeah, people don't like hearing no the first time
but if you come back later
like cause you know you absolutely can't
and also the amount of things
that are gonna be given to you that'll later disappear
and you're like, I should have said yes to this
and no to that, you know?
And so I've followed that advice to it too.
Works pretty well.
Yeah, and it's cool.
Like a lot of the stuff that has come to me
I never would have been able to find on my own
or I never would have thought that it even existed
but it's so cool.
Like I love all this crazy stuff.
So Continental Tire, our sponsor
would like to know what was your first car?
I had a 2006 Mustang.
What's funny about my relationship with street cars
is because of my dad's auto recycling company
I've never gone out and purchased a car.
It's always been like whatever was an easy rebuild.
So the Mustang, my dad had a good deal for me.
I was like 16 years old at the time.
It had a blown oil pan
so we were just gonna do a motor swap
and he was like, if you do the engine swap
and you do all the labor, I'll pay for the car.
And I was like, that's a great deal.
So my very first cry I did the engine swap
and then I had a cool Mustang that I felt
like a baller in.
And you had like a connection to it
cause you actually had to work on it.
Yeah, yeah, so it was really fun.
Do you remember the conditions of the tires?
They were rough.
I remember my first winter with that car
like and I grew up in Alberta
where it goes like negative 40 every winter.
Like we get really, really harsh winters.
And my first year with the car
I just left the summers on all year
and I would like to start sliding through an intersection
and just like slam it into a drift
so I could make it turn.
I don't recommend it.
I don't recommend it even do that.
But I lived in a small town.
Yeah, I lived in a small town
and I got away with it.
Do you have any nicknames for your dad?
Okay, he doesn't love this one.
But my dad kind of,
it was Bill Nye an American thing too.
Bill Nye the science guy.
So my dad kind of looks like Bill Nye the science guy
and we would call him Bill Nye.
Okay.
I'm on board with.
So what's the trajectory?
Where do you want to go?
Honestly, like I just want to go as far
it sounds silly to say
but I want to go as far as I can go
because I've already made it so much further
than I ever thought I could have.
So I'm just kind of like put one foot in front
of the other, keep working my butt off
and see where this stuff takes me
because I keep finding more and more success
so it keeps setting my sights higher.
But I had to like sit myself down
and recognize that like me four years ago
never would have thought
I was going to be podiuming in SRO.
So yeah, I don't know if I could make
a full-time career out of racing
obviously that's the dream.
I love it so much
but I kind of feel like I already am
living the dream right now
so I'm just trying not to get too ahead of myself.
But so for you that success
would just be a full-time working driver.
Not so much, you must be a prototype driver
or a Indy car driver, nothing like that.
You just want to make a living.
I just, if I could do this every day
for the rest of my life, I'd be happy
and I don't even care what kind of motorsports.
Like I just love all motorsports.
I think if I could ever go back
to something purely just for fun
I would love to go back to Duralval
because it is just so much fun
but like I said it's harder to make a career in.
All right, yeah, I'd say before we get going
partner-wise specific people
that are helping to move you forward
anyone you want to put out there.
I mean we kind of already talked about them
like AE Victory Racing has been
a major, major contributor to my career.
Hannei has also been a fantastic partner for me
and I really, really enjoyed racing with them this year
and hope to do it again in the future.
Yeah, and also like just a lot of the female
and where women in motorsport organizations
have been super helpful.
Like I love working with Shift Up Now
and women in motorsport in North America
has helped create opportunities wherever they can.
So yeah, I've been very lucky to have lots of partners
and supporters help me out.
Yeah, you won the Gear Up program with Wimna.
Yeah.
Can you explain what that is real quick?
Cause when I read about it
I thought that was pretty neat
and one of the partners I liked quite a bit.
Yeah, so the Gear Up program was a program
with Bell and LMP and women with motorsports
in North America.
They selected three of us drivers last year
at the Women With Drives Summit
to get full sponsored kit,
which was really huge for me at the time.
Like it was full custom racing suit, brand new helmet,
balaclava, fireproof shoes, everything,
which like if you're not in a position
where teams are paying for that for you, that's huge.
So I got to do my first like fully custom suit
in all my own branding
and one of my good friends is a graphics designer
and he designed the suit for me
and I was like, dude, go crazy, like do whatever you want.
And it was like the coolest suit I've ever had.
I love it.
Yeah, I've been wearing OMP
for the last couple of years on the Nomex side of stuff
and they do a really great job.
So when I saw that they partnered with that,
I was like, okay, we got to mention that.
But also it's a reminder to companies
that are involved in the sport
that you can do something like that
with a little bit of product.
It can go a long way for a racer
who's trying to make a difference.
Yeah, absolutely.
That one was huge for me
because it's a lot of money to buy that stuff yourself
and to have the company support you for that.
And you know, I got to buy,
I got to get nicer stuff.
I probably would have cheaped out a little bit more
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