Women's Motorsports Network Podcast & Let's Talk Racing LIVE
Melinda Russell
378 episodes
2 weeks ago
Send us a text One national win, one scary flip, and one giant leap forward. We sit down with Paiten Burnham, a 16-year-old quarter midget racer from Connecticut, to unpack a season defined by consistency, courage, and the bold move to test a midget in Indianapolis right after her final national in Topeka. From the bright lights of Las Vegas to the sweet payoff at Richmond, Paiten shares how travel, track time, and tight teamwork with her dad shaped a year that pushed her racecraft and mindse...
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Send us a text One national win, one scary flip, and one giant leap forward. We sit down with Paiten Burnham, a 16-year-old quarter midget racer from Connecticut, to unpack a season defined by consistency, courage, and the bold move to test a midget in Indianapolis right after her final national in Topeka. From the bright lights of Las Vegas to the sweet payoff at Richmond, Paiten shares how travel, track time, and tight teamwork with her dad shaped a year that pushed her racecraft and mindse...
Send us a text One national win, one scary flip, and one giant leap forward. We sit down with Paiten Burnham, a 16-year-old quarter midget racer from Connecticut, to unpack a season defined by consistency, courage, and the bold move to test a midget in Indianapolis right after her final national in Topeka. From the bright lights of Las Vegas to the sweet payoff at Richmond, Paiten shares how travel, track time, and tight teamwork with her dad shaped a year that pushed her racecraft and mindse...
Send us a text Faith finds its place in the fast lane through the quiet, consistent ministry of racing chaplains. In this heartfelt conversation, Lori Cutter reveals her journey from pit crew member to Racers for Christ chaplain, sharing how divine timing led her to discover her true calling after years in various motorsports roles. "I never felt 100 percent like the Lord had me exactly where he wanted me," Lori confesses, describing the moment everything changed when a fellow crew member ch...
Send us a text At age nine, Veronica McCann received racing gear for her birthday. Now, decades later, this Perth, Western Australia native is still pursuing her passion across two continents. Nicknamed "Red Hot Ronnie" for her distinctive auburn hair, Veronica brings a refreshing perspective to dirt track racing that bridges Australian and American motorsports cultures. From winning a track championship at Perth Motorplex at just 19 to placing third in prestigious Australian series for thre...
Send us a text Meet the extraordinary Sadie Parsons, a 10-year-old racing phenom who's already collecting championships like most kids collect toys. From the moment her father introduced her to go-kart racing at age five, Sadie has been on an unstoppable journey through the motorsports world. Born into racing royalty—both her parents met on the go-kart circuit—Sadie has quickly advanced through multiple racing classes with remarkable skill. She confidently discusses the nuances between drivi...
Send us a text From street racing at age four to making history as the first driver to break the seven-second barrier in a front-wheel drive car, Lisa Kubo's motorsports journey embodies the revolutionary spirit that transformed import racing from underground gatherings to professional competition. Lisa's story begins with motorsports in her blood – her baby book even documents her two-week-old self watching her father win street races. That early exposure blossomed into a pioneering career ...
Send us a text Passion fuels Ava Weil's racing journey across dirt and asphalt, creating a remarkable story of perseverance and growth. This high school senior from Plymouth, Indiana doesn't just race – she lives and breathes motorsports with dreams of turning her passion into a career through motorsports management. Ava's racing roots run deep, beginning at age four when she climbed into her brother's quarter midget for the first time. Though she stepped away from quarter midgets after two ...
Send us a text What happens when your entire identity becomes wrapped up in someone else's spotlight? Eileen Noyes knows this journey intimately. From college strength coach to NFL wife overnight, she experienced firsthand how quickly women can lose themselves in the shadows of their relationships. Eileen's story takes us behind the curtain of professional sports families, revealing the intense pressures, identity crises, and impossible standards that come with being "the wife of" someone fa...
Send us a text What happens when you finally say "yes" to the thing you've been avoiding? For Caylee Kjos, one reluctant agreement to race "just once" completely transformed her life trajectory. Caylee never imagined herself as a race car driver. In fact, she actively resisted her stepdad Quinn's persistent encouragement, dismissing racing as "boring" and claiming cars "just go in circles." Her only interest at the track was watching one particular driver compete. Everything changed during t...
Send us a text Passion burns brightest when tested by fire—both figurative and literal—as sprint car driver Angelique Bell reveals in this powerful conversation about perseverance in motorsports. From the moment 12-year-old Angelique first sat in a quarter midget race car, she was hooked. Now at 31, this Sacramento-based IT professional has built a remarkable racing career piloting 410 sprint cars on dirt tracks throughout California, Oregon, and Washington in the NARC King of the West serie...
Send us a text 20 Ways Women in Motorsports can demonstrate value to sponsors on social media. Support the show FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/womensmotorsportsnetworkandpodcast INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/womensmotorsportsnetwork/ LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindarussell/ TIKTOK: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindarussell/ X: https://x.com/IWMANation FACEBOOK Personal Page: https://www.facebook.com/melinda.ann.russell
Send us a text What drives a 14-year-old girl to spend scorching summer days at racetracks instead of swimming pools? For Chloe Mazzagatti, racing isn't just a hobby—it's in her blood. From her pink #87 Supra late model to her remarkable story of determination, Chloe represents the changing face of motorsports. Traveling from New Franklin, Ohio to compete in the prestigious Kalamazoo Clash, this young racer shares her journey from Bandolero cars to late models in just five years. Her accompl...
Send us a text Ever wonder what it's like to hurtle down a drag strip at 780 mph before you can even drive legally on the street? Meet Mckenzee Hogan, a 15-year-old drag racing phenom who's been behind the wheel for over half her life. Mckenzee's journey began at age seven when she sat in a dragster at Charlotte's 4Wide event. Within months, she was making test passes in her neighborhood driveway, much to her racing father's delight. Fast forward eight years, and this homeschooled tenth-grad...
Send us a text Delaney Dunn's racing journey is one of perseverance, breaking barriers, and finding strength in what makes her unique. Racing for 11 years since age 15, this 26-year-old driver from Otis, Maine has transformed from an uncertain rookie into the newly-crowned "Queen of the Oval" in the Ladies Acceleration Tour. The path to Victory Lane wasn't straightforward for Delaney. After eight years without a feature win, she finally broke through at Oxford Plains in a rental race car - a...
Send us a text Kennedy Swan shares her journey from go-kart racing at age 5 to becoming the only female driver in her modified dirt track division as she builds her racing career while balancing college, work, and maintaining her self-discipline. • Started in motorsports at age 5 when her father chose to invest his sponsor money in her go-kart instead of his own racing • Races dirt track modified cars as the only female among 300 competitors in her sanction • Made history as the younge...
Send us a text From sleeping peacefully under loudspeakers at dirt tracks as a baby to witnessing Richard Petty's historic 200th victory with President Reagan in attendance, Deb Williams has lived and breathed motorsports her entire life. Now in her fourth decade as a motorsports journalist, Williams takes us on a captivating journey from her humble beginnings in a North Carolina mill town to becoming the first female to cover NASCAR for an international wire service. The passion that drove ...
Send us a text Racing isn't just a weekend hobby for 17-year-old Dominique Champlin—it's a family legacy that's "wedged its way into her life routine." From the moment she climbed into an alcohol-powered go-kart at age six, motorsports has been her driving passion, leading to her first championship at just seven years old. What makes Dominique's story remarkable goes beyond her three championships or her current late model racing career. It's her unwavering commitment despite a schedule that...
Send us a text Tatiana Calderón takes us on a high-speed journey through her remarkable racing career that spans continents, championships, and countless barriers broken. The Colombian driver opens up about discovering her passion at just nine years old, when a five-minute ticket at a rental go-kart track sparked a lifelong love affair with speed and adrenaline. What unfolds is a story of extraordinary determination as Tatiana left her homeland at 17 to chase her Formula 1 dreams, first in t...
Send us a text From a two-year-old denied a plastic toy car to racing alongside Travis Pastrana in Saudi Arabia, Gray Leadbetter's journey through motorsports defies all expectations. With no family racing background whatsoever, Gray carved her own path through sheer determination and a natural talent that was evident from the moment she first climbed onto a four-wheeler. Gray's story is remarkable not just for her racing accomplishments—which include winning a championship in her first year...
Send us a text The roar of engines returns with "Let's Talk Racing Wise," where host Melinda Russell reignites her passion project dedicated to shining a spotlight on overlooked local racetracks across Michigan and Indiana. This premiere episode arrives just in time for the Fourth of July racing festivities that promise excitement, fireworks, and fierce competition at every venue. Racing communities face a troubling reality – many local residents don't even realize there's a racetrack in the...
Send us a text Racing isn't just what Tyler Roering does—it's who he is. From his earliest memories of causing ruckus in his dad's race shop to becoming a multi-discipline champion, Tyler's life revolves entirely around motorsports. As a third-generation racer from Plymouth, Indiana, his racing lineage stretches back to the 1960s, creating a family tradition that continues to shape his identity and career. What separates Tyler from many competitors is his comprehensive approach to racing. Hi...
Women's Motorsports Network Podcast & Let's Talk Racing LIVE
Send us a text One national win, one scary flip, and one giant leap forward. We sit down with Paiten Burnham, a 16-year-old quarter midget racer from Connecticut, to unpack a season defined by consistency, courage, and the bold move to test a midget in Indianapolis right after her final national in Topeka. From the bright lights of Las Vegas to the sweet payoff at Richmond, Paiten shares how travel, track time, and tight teamwork with her dad shaped a year that pushed her racecraft and mindse...
