"Sprint Car Spotlight: Jessica Anderson"

Jessica Anderson is a 22 year old from Berwick, PA. She is currently a student at the University Of North Carolina at Charlotte, studying Mechanical Engineering with her focus on motorsports.

Jessica began her racing career in 2006 in the 270 Junior Micro Division where she was awarded Most Improved Driver at her home track, Selinsgrove Raceway Park. 2007 saw Jessica move up to 270 Regular Micros,  where she earned Rookie Of The Year at Selinsgrove Raceway Park. Natural progression saw Jessica move up to the 358 sprint car class, where she earned Rookie Of The Year, and became the first woman to do so.

Jessica currently competes in her family-owned #71 Maxim in all three of Pennsylvania’s sprint car classes- 358s, 360s and 410s. Away from the race track, she enjoys snowboarding, swimming and running. She also credits her speed secret to her favorite foods-ice cream and pizza.

Her Supporters Include:

 

A.J. Walters Trucking

Anderson Ice and Oil

CMC Powder Coating

Episota Electric

Jensen Engine Technology

S&S Racing Fuels
Whitebread Enterprises
Zemco Speed Shop

"Sprint Car Spotlight: Shayle Bade"

 For this week’s “Sprint Car Spotlight”, we are going to introduce you to Lincoln, Nebraska’s Shayle Bade! Keepig with the recent theme, we are going to let Shayle tell you about herself!

I have been racing since i was 8 years old. I started in Go-Karts, in 2007 I had my most prestigious win. Being the first female to win a Jr. Kahuna leading all 50 laps. A few years after mastering Go-Karts around the mid-west my dad and I decided it was time to move up to something more. In 2009 we made the jump to Micro sprints where we raced all over the mid-west competing in some of the biggest shows we could find. We took rookie of the year, was voted crowd favorite and picking up multiple wins and competing with the best of best in micro sprints for 4 years i wanted to keep moving up and living my dream. This year for 2013 we made the huge jump to a 305 Sprint car. We have a great team for this year and can't wait to see what this year will bring.

Her Supporters Include:

 

American Drywall

Awlin

Butch Bade

MDR Racing & Customs

Onyx Wrap

Real Nebraska Girls

Rown Web Design

Special thanks to: My Grandma Smokey, and everyone who has made my dreams come true.

"Future Of The Sport: Brianna Mahon"

We are going to take a bit of a different approach with this “Future Of The Sport” feature. Brianna Mahon is a little older than most “Future Of The Sport” type drivers, but we feel everyone would enjoy her story and introduce a side of things not many see. She is a true rookie of the 600 cc micro division, even though her career path has been an unconventional one. 

Brianna Mahon hails from east Central Illinois. She is 23 and has a business degree, while currently in cosmetology school. She is also a personal trainer and works with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as an instructor for their motocross camps. Brianna has been instructing for 7 years now and I love every minute of it. She began racing motocross in 1999 and moved her way up through the amateur ranks and eventually up to the pro ranks. Brianna has broken over 12 bones throughout the years with many other injuries along the way.

She holds two national titles from her amateur days and was able to complete one full year as a pro. In 2011 while training for her second year racing pro, Brianna was landed on by an out of control rider on a very big jump and he shattered the joints in her wrist and thumb. She had two reconstructive surgeries and was in casts for about a year and a half. She’s lost a lot of her movement, which has hindered her from returning to racing motocross. She still rides and trains kids but can never compete at the level she once did, which leads her to the world of micros.

Brianna grew up watching car races and micros, and never really thought that it was something she wanted to do. However, when she got hurt and could no longer ride, she needed an outlet, something to get her back in the racing world. So last fall her family went out, bought a car, borrowed gear and Brianna jumped on the track. Her first time ever in a car she won everything she raced. It was history from there. Brianna knew she wanted to pursue this sport and see where she could make it.

Brianna has raced every weekend since then and has been very consistent, always finishing either on the podium or in the top 5. Brianna has jumped out there with some of the fastest guys and POWRi champs and held her own and ran with them. She says, “Its such a learning experience and everything is so different from Motocross that it is a lot to take in, but I am just taking it weekend by weekend and all the advice that everyone is giving me and trying to put it to use.” Brianna hope to move up to POWRi by the fall and start doing a little more traveling to new tracks. 

Her Supporters Include:

C& F Industrial Enterprises 

Dust & Sons of Sullivan 

FCA Motocross 

GoPole 

Handlin's School of Cosmetology 

Jeff Mahon Equipment Services Inc 

MotoFab 

R&B Powdercoating 

Sign-A-Rama 

Supertrapp 

YS Designs

"Sprint Car Spotlight: Morgan Turpen"

We are going to do something a little different and let Morgan tell you about herself! In light of the recent events within the group, we can’t have a better featured driver right now. Morgan had to overcome a serious injury a few years ago, and I hope it will show Alysha anything is possible! So, here is Morgan Turpen!

My name is Morgan Turpen. I am 20 years old from Cordova, Tennessee. I started racing go-karts in 2003 when I was ten years old. I won 2 championships and had 20+ wins. In 2008, I started racing 305 wingless sprints. I had one win and 10 top 5's. I only did that for a year and moved on up to 360's in 2009.

Unfortunately, that didn't last long when I had a bad wreck and busted the main carotid artery in my neck, which required a stent. In 2010, I started racing for Terry Gray Racing. I was national rookie of the year, midsouth rookie of the year, southern rookie of the year, and runner up in points on the USCS circuit.

In 2011, I won 2 USCS races. Made history with Erin Crocker by being the first ever females to finish 1-2 in a sprint car race. I also finished in the runner up spot in points again. In 2012, I won another race with USCS and had 25 top 5 finishes.

At the beginning of 2013, I was out of a ride, and then had Something Inked Motorsports help out in order to get me a part time ride with TGR.

 I race against names Terry Gray and Tim Crawley every weekend; so I am racing with the best in the business. Over the winter, I was ranked top female sprint car driver in America.

I am a full time student at the University of Memphis while working at Outback Steakhouse and racing most weekends.

“Future Of The Sport: Bailey Goldesberry”

For  our very first “Future Of The Sport” feature, we are going to introduce you to Springfield, Illinois’ Bailey Goldesberry!

Photo Courtesy Tim's Racing Photos

Bailey Goldesberry began her racing in the quarter midget ranks at age 4 1/2 years old. She was inspired to race by her cousin Jordan Goldesberry, who currently competes with the Interstate Racing Association 410 winged sprint car series. After seven years racing quarter midgets and winning two regional championships, at age eleven, Bailey was ready to pilot a micro. Bailey made her micro debut in 2012, with the POWRi Racing Series, with her father Merle as crew chief. Her first year was a success, making it into multiple features. 2013 has seen Bailey make big gains and having top ten finishes. Bailey races very smart and cleanly. She is very popular around her home tracks here in Illinois, and many fans praise her abilities at such a young age. She isn’t scared to mix it up with the boys and is quickly becoming a contender in the class.  More information can be found at www.baileygoldesberry.com!

Her Supporters Include:

BoondocksCollision Concepts Inc.

DriverWebsites.com

Engler Machine & Tool

GPC Race Products

Goodridge USA

Rock Solid Lawn & Landscape

SBS Shocks

Team Simpson

Ultra Shield

"Meet The Girls: Brittany Tresch"

For this "Meet The Girls" feature we will introduce you to Brittany Tresch!

Brittany Tresch has been racing on dirt tracks since she was five years old. She watched her father take turns around the track, but couldn't stand not being out there racing side by side with her father. Initially, Brittany started off racing go-karts at Oakland Valley dirt track in 2000.

For the 2005 racing season, Brittany moved up to the Slingshot by Tobias Division. She competed in the Junior Slingshot Division from 2005-2008.


In 2009, Brittany made the jump into open wheel racing. She captured her first 600 Wingless Micro Sprint feature win in her rookie season at Hamlin Speedway. She placed 3rd in overall points and was named the 2009 Open Wheel Rookie of the Year.


In 2010, Brittany contended every week in the wingless micro sprint division capturing 2 wins and finishing 2nd in points. Half way through the season Brittany got the chance to strap into a full size sprint car at I-88 Speedway. She made five other starts in 2010. 


2011 was a big year for Brittany. She won her first 305 sprint car feature event at Bridgeport Speedway. It was only the day before the race she was granted permission to race in Jersey by the state police. Brittany is the first female to win a feature event with TSRS. She also was the most improved driver with CRSA.


2012 was Brittany’s breakout year. She skipped her high school graduation to race Penn Can’s Regional 305 Sprint car challenge race. She became the first female to win a feature event with the CRSA. She finished 2nd in points only 23 points out of the championship! 


The 2013 season has been a struggle for Brittany. She blew up her motor the first race of the year, which put her on the sideline for a few weeks. An opportunity came along with a motor to run Orange County Fair Speedway, Brittany’s home track. She won the feature event making a last lap pass, which made her the first female to win a sprint car feature event at the legendary hard clay!

The team is excited to finish off the year on a good note with a few more wins!

"Sprint Car Spotlight: Brandie Jass"

There are many things that a person would think about, when it comes to trying to figure out what makes these race car drivers tick these days. When you watch them lay it on the line every week, and you see some of the crazy things that go on at the track, during the heat of competition. You see cars driving on the ragged edge, nearly out of control at every turn. What it can be that drives these people to do what they do, and what is it, that makes up the “Heart of a Racer”.

From the first time she crawled in a go kart, and took to the dirt tracks of East Texas, she’s run fast against boys and girls older and more experienced than her, and eventually grown men that had been racing longer than she’d been alive. The first thing on her mind was to gain their respect, and then take home their check. Win big and win often. There are a lot of them still scratching their heads, wondering what just happened, and who was in the number twenty-four kart that just blew by them.

Soon Brandie had to take the next step and get into something faster, and Mini-Sprints were just the ticket. Her Dad sold the kart operation and put in enough overtime at the power plant, and with the help of another old sprint car racer, Nolan Wren, he was able to get her in her first Mini-Sprinter, and the race was on. She got out there and mixed it up with grown men racing every weekend, and she barely being a teenager, there were some hard knocks she had to learn, because she was traveling a lot more, and further, also she was now driving cars that were twice as fast, and have a staggering weight to horsepower ratio. But being the racer she is, she just got up on the wheel, elbows out, and earned her stripes. The first time she flipped end over end, she thought, her dad was going to have a heart attack, but she jumped out of that car, and was just mad that she’d torn her car up, and was upset that she’d scared everyone, taking no time to think about herself, and what she’d just gone through. That’s just Brandie, always worried about the other persons first.

Two short years later, she was holding the championship trophy over her head, and the laughing was gone and it wasn’t very funny anymore. Then came the opportunities that came with winning. Lyn St. James “Women in the Winners Circle.” The Bob Bondurant driving school. And one of her biggest accomplishments to date, being selected into the Project Podium Program, where a lot of avenues were opened up for her, and she was then exposed to professionals, that helped her get to the next level, consistency. The trophies stacked up, and it looked like it may be time for that next move……………Full size Sprint Cars oh boy!

In 2009, Brandie took a shot and applied for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Combine in North Carolina. She knew it would be a long shot getting selected, seeing as there are thousands of tough applicants each year. However, a few weeks late she got a phone call from the President of D4D Max Segal offering her a chance to try for The Driver for Diversity program and to be on the reality T.V. show Changing Lanes on BET. Even though Brandie did not make the top 5 drivers she still had an amazing experience. She made a bunch of new friends including Alissa Geving, Natalie Sather, Ryan Gifford, Darrel Wallace Jr, and Sergio Pena.

Brandie decided asphalt wasn’t where she wanted to be, her heart was in sprint car racing. So once again, the race cars were sold, to buy newer, bigger and faster equipment. And sponsorship came around to ease the pain of growth. Barnes Motorsports joined forces with her father, to put together a sponsorship with Tiremax of North America, along with several others, to help field a fast car that not only looked good, it ran good, and with time, the wins will start coming like before. With only a few races into the season, she is already catching the eye of the other drivers that are amazed at how well she’s been doing. Several top fives that year were the norm, after a rough start of the season, with some engine woes to get through.

Brandie didn’t start a full season of sprint car racing until 2012 were she stepped up to run with The American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region. She knew she had a lot of information to learn but she was ready. At the end of 2012 she finished 11th in ASCS points which was a huge accomplishment to be racing which such top notch guys. Brandie also came out 5th in ASCS Gulf South’s hard charger award, and most importantly she received the ASCS Gulf South’s Most Improved Driver award.

This year Brandie is half way through her 2nd full season of sprint car racing and she is currently 10th in ASCS Gulf South Points. Our team is confident we can have a top 10 finish this year, if we work hard enough. We’ve had tons of help from other teams we race with and couldn’t be happier with how much the team has learned. They’re hoping the last half of the season goes as well as the beginning.

For more information, please check out www.brandiejass.com or find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BrandieJassRacing! Sprint Car Girls is very happy to feature Brandie!

"Meet The Girls: April Wilson"

We introduce April Wilson for this "Meet The Girls" feature!

April Wilson is 22 years old. April’s racing career started back in early 2005. She told her father she wanted to try out his 360 sprint car, so she jumped in and has been hooked ever since. Her parents had purchased a 360 sprint car that Christmas not far from her 15th birthday. April turned 15 and she was gone 360 racing full time from March until October, racing almost every weekend. April hauls from Joyceville, Ontario, Canada to various tracks in Canada, central New York and a few times a year in Pennsylvania. April currently runs a 2010 Triple X 360ci sprint car full time and 410ci a few times a year, bouncing from group to group such as Southern Ontario Sprints (SOS), Empire Super Sprints (ESS), Patriot Sprint Tour (PST) and a few World of Outlaw shows a year (WoO). April also won a vintage modified feature backing 2012 at Brighton Speedway, not knowing to even how to start the car, she jumped in, started at the back of the heat race and won it, started on the pole of the feature and won that. April’s best finish in her sprint car career is a 2nd in a wingless show back in 2011. April’s goals for this year are to race as much as she can, have fun and get some wins. April’s goals for her future in racing are to run some more WoO shows, as April wants to be on the WoO tour by the time she is 25.       

"Sprint Car Girls First Month"

The Sprint Car Girls turned a month old today. Wow what a feeling! It’s hard to believe we have come so far in a month.

When I came up with the plan, I thought maybe we would have 5 drivers participate and get about 500 likes total. I never believed we would surpass 500 within the first week! The girls want to give me most of the credit, but that is just not the case. Each driver works equally as hard to make the group what it is. Without them, we truly wouldn’t have a page!

We have had a lot of accomplishments since we got going as well. Brittany Tresch picked up the groups first feature win shortly after we got started. Lexi Adgate and Tiffany Wyzard have both picked up heat wins, while Lexi came oh so close to a feature win past week. Miranda Throckmorton probably became the biggest newsmaker, becoming the first lady to qualify for and finish the Hoosier Hundred Silver Crown race at the Indy Mile. Some of our other girls have been on the receiving end of the bad luck train. Jordan Weaver’s team has been fighting manufacturer related issues through no fault of their own. Ashley Cappetta has had an abysmal month with nothing but issues and hard crashes.  Ashley Lewellen, Sarena Paul and Alysha Ruggles have also taken pretty hard hits in recent weeks. April Wilson has had to fight Mother Nature just to get to race recently, but I know all of these girls will bounce back and find success.

Groups like this can’t flourish without great supporters either! We want to thank Maria Melillo with FK Rod Ends for coming on board with the group and taking a chance on us! They have been a huge help to everyone! Two of our members have been a help as well-Ashley Cappetta with her Up To Speed Graphics and Miranda Throckmorton’s MT’s Race Parts.

Most of all, we want to thank all of our fans for making this happen! Without you guys, we have no one to present the page to. We do this for you guys and we truly appreciate the support! All of the girls and myself truly enjoy interacting with everyone and it makes this whole deal fun, having such a great group of members and fans to share it with us.

We have no plans of stopping anytime soon. We only aim to grow and bring more new developments along. Eventually, we hope to add a few more members, but those we add have to be willing to participate and interact, within the group and on the page. I wish people could see some of our behind the scenes conversations! We truly have fun with this group!

The one thing I hope everyone takes away from this is- these ten members are not girl sprint car drivers, but rather amazing sprint car personalities and talents who happen to be girls!

I just want to thank everyone again for believing in the Sprint Car Girls idea!

Justin Stephenson

Sprint Car Girls

"Meet The Girl: Tiffany Wyzard"

For this "Meet The Girls" feature, here's Tiffany Wyzard!

Tiffany Wyzard began her racing career in 1995 at the age of 8, racing quarter midgets. After several successful seasons natural progression took her to the mini sprint class where she and her sister raced together enjoying more success. After several years in the 600cc mini sprint class, a decision was made. Thus the Tiffany Wyzard Motorsports Sprint Car team was formed for 2005. Mid-season engine woes slowed her rookie campaign. Tiffany did enjoy success at St. François Co. Raceway, being named the 2005 Rookie Of the Year at the track. 2006 proved to be a break out season for Tiffany, becoming the first female to score victories at Jacksonville Raceway in Jacksonville, Illinois, winning several heat races and trophy dashes. July 30 was a monumental evening for Tiffany as she became the first and only female to score a feature win at Lincoln Speedway in Lincoln, Illinois, picking up the first of her career. Tiffany also competed in select World Of Outlaws shows and traveled to the famous Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa during the 2006 season. 2007 found Tiffany hitting the road to follow the Midwest All Star Sprint Series, where she enjoyed success and gained valuable experience. Soon thereafter, weekly sprint car racing in central Illinois began to die out, as the class was dropped from the Jacksonville schedule altogether in 2008. Tiffany continued to race some, before ultimately taking a 2-year hiatus from the cockpit. However, 2011 marked a return to racing for Tiffany, focusing on weekly racing at the reformed Jacksonville Speedway. Focus was also directed to competing with the newly formed M.O.W.A. Monster Energy Sprint Car Series, racing with the likes of Brian Brown, Danny Lasoski and Terry McCarl. As the season progressed, Tiffany ran well, going wheel to wheel with the best of the series.  Her most impressive night was at the Jacksonville Speedway, where she charged from the 14th spot on the grid to finish 4th in the A-Feature. 2012 saw the team sit out to regroup and rebuild after breaking an engine late in the 2011 season. However, plans are in place to come out with a full campaign for the 2013 season. Tiffany has already picked up a heat race win in her first start of the year at the 34 Raceway in Burlington, Iowa.

"Meet The Girls: Miranda Throckmorton"

For this installment of "Meet The Girls", we are going to introduce you to Miranda Throckmorton!

Miranda Throckmorton is a 21 year old from Avon, IN. She currently races her family owned 410 winged sprint car as much as possible. She primarily competes at Attica and Fremont. She’s a full time student in downtown Indy at IUPUI studying Fitness Management & Personal Training. 2005 saw Miranda racing a 600cc micro midget, picking up a feature win and multiple top-5 finishes. She also competed in a USAC Kenyon midget, with multiple top-3 finishes, as well as finishing 5^th in the overall points. She was also awarded with the Hoosier Auto Racing Fans (HARF) First Year Driver Award. 2007 was a monumental year for Miranda, winning her first ever 410 non-wing sprint car feature, and becoming the first female ever to do so. She also finished 5^th in the Paragon Speedway points.  Miranda was also a recipient of the Lyn St. James Project Podium Grant and a graduate of the Lyn St. James Driver Development Program. Miranda also won back-to-back PitFit Training Scholarships in 2007 and 2008. 2008 also saw Miranda hitting the road with the Midwest All Star Sprint series, where she finished 3^rd in year end points and was honored with Rookie Of The Year. 2009 saw Miranda compete with the Midwest All Stars again where she finished 4^th in year end points. Since then, 2013 has been another monumental year for Miranda. She became the first woman ever to qualify for the Hoosier Hundred USAC Silver Crown series event at the Indy Mile, recording a 9^th place finish. She will be finishing out the remainder of the USAC Silver Crown dirt races in the Team 6R Racing, Toyota-powered #33.

"Meet The Girls: Sarena Paul"

• 

  
  For this "Meet The Girls" feature, we are going to get to know Sarena Paul!

  
  

  Sarena Paul hails from Monroe Iowa. She races a 305 sprint car at the Knoxville Raceway and Bloomfield Speedway. Sarena graduated from Iowa School of Beauty in 2010 in Cosmetology and Esthetics, and works at Shear Designs in Knoxville Iowa.started racing karts at age 19 in the open class at English Creek Speedway. She competed for four years with 15 + top 5 finishes with a best finish of 2nd.. She placed 10th in overall points at ECS 2007, while placing, 2nd and 4th respectively in her first two races at the Newton Kart Klub. 2009 saw Sarena place 6th in overall points at ECS. 
2011 was a building year for the 305 sprint car. She raced a limited schedule in 2012, with a best finish of 9th. 2013 finds her racing weekly at the Knoxville Raceway.

"The Sprint Car Girls"

What's all the hubbub about this new Sprint Car Girls site you might ask? 

The Sprint Car Girls concept was established to help a group of ladies promote themselves and their racing to s broader range of audience, as well as attract potential sponsorship opportunities for their individual programs. Many of the them lacked the exposure they truly need to excel in motorsports and marketing.  

The intent of the group was never to include or showcase every female in the world of sprint car racing, but rather focus on several drivers from a given demographic or class. We have members spread all across the country, including eight states and Canada! There is a mix of 305, 358, 360 and 410 drivers throughout the group, as well as an up and coming 600cc mini sprint driver. Many of the ladies run multiple divisions, with some even taking the wings off on occasion. 

We got our start through social media, as it has become a mainstream fixture in society today. Our group is 100% member driven with no paid employees, membership fees or financial gain for the creator.  The ladies are very active with our Facebook page, doing all of the updating and fan interaction as a group. Every member has equal access and rights to administrate the page, with the ability to post their plans, results, photos and links to their pages, sponsors or YouTube channels. Everyone works together as a team to make things work, which is the goal. Everything centers around the group as opposed to one individual. 

Groups like these cannot flourish without the support of our fans and supporters. Thankfully FK Rod Ends has come on board as a title sponsor for the group, and has been a tremendous help providing assistance to all of our eligible girls! FK makes terrific products and we are very thankful for having them as a marketing partner. We also have support from MT's Race Parts and Up To Speed Graphics!

Our members include Lexi Adgate, Ashley Cappetta, Ashley Lewellen, Sarena Paul, Alysha Ruggles, Miranda Throckmorton, Brittany Tresch, Jordan Weaver, April Wilson and Tiffany Wyzard, representing Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New York,and Washington, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario. By having members spread across the nation, we are able to provide excellent exposure to our members, without being over-concentrated in one area of the country. 

So far, in the short life of Sprint Car Girls, our ladies have shown they are very capable taking on the men. Brittany Tresch recently picked up the group's first feature win, while Lexi Adgate and Tiffany Wyzard have heat race wins through the first two weeks in June.