Ariel Bayarski Explains How She Balances School Work And National Racing

Sponsor And Quick Welcome

Melinda Russell 0:48

This episode is sponsored by Snyder's Lawn Care and Property Maintenance. Businesses across Kalamazoo rely on their professional mowing, landscaping, and property maintenance services to keep their properties looking sharp with Snyder's Lawn Care and Property Maintenance. Reach out to Bob or Andrew at 269-775-1275. Again, that's 269-775-1275. Or look them up at Snyder'slawn Care.com. Hello

Ariel’s Background And Career Goals

Melinda Russell 1:26

everyone. This is Melinda Russell with the Women's Motorsports Network Podcast. And my guest today is Ariel Bayarski. Did I say that right, Ariel? You got it. What a pretty name. I love Ariel. Was your mom a Disney fan? Is that how you got the name Ariel?

SPEAKER_00 1:43

She claims she named me after a motivational speaker. Um, but she does love the Little Mermaid, so I kind of have a feeling it came from that.

Melinda Russell 1:52

Okay. All right. Well, there's nothing wrong with Disney. My my daughter's a travel agent, one of my daughters, and she's a huge Disney fan. Well, not a fan. She knows everything. And so she specializes kind of in Disney trips, but now she's also specializing in like cruises and stuff. So she can book anything, anywhere, anytime. But um, she loves Disney, that's her favorite. So it doesn't matter how old you are, you can love Disney, right? Yes, yes, for sure. So, Ariel, tell me a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

So I am 20 years old, and I was raised in Ohio. So I was I'm up north by the lake. I'm a northerner. Um, that's never gonna change. It's in my blood. Um, but right now I'm currently enrolled at Oklahoma State University. I'm going for my bachelor's in professional sales and marketing management. I'm actually expected to graduate next year, which is fabulous. I'll be a year early. And then I plan on going back for my master's degree in material science and engineering. Um when I was oh, sorry. No, no, go ahead.

Melinda Russell 3:06

So, what kind of job would that be? Like where where would you what would you work in with that kind of a degree?

SPEAKER_00 3:13

So, my main goal is to go into the technical sales field. Um, there's a company in Bedford, Ohio, right around where I live. Um, my dad's been there for about 20 years. They purchase scrap metal from around the world, they clean it, melt it um into like 20-pound ingots. It kind of looks like a gold bar. Um, and they are the main supplier for like beer bottle molds, water meters. They do um the metal for like the propellers on the submarines and stuff. So that's my goal is to do technical sales for them when I graduate.

Melinda Russell 3:47

Awesome. So you've got a definite plan moving forward. That's great. Yep, I hope it's I love hearing that. So sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to ask you that before I forget. So, do you have siblings, pets? Tell me about all that.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

I'm an only child. Um, I have my dad is a dog lover. I think throughout my childhood, we've had easily like eight or nine dogs. Um, right now we have two Rhodesian ridgebacks. We have a mixed breed that my mom rescued, and then my dog, his name's Edward. He's a little basset hound, and he's like my mascot at the racetrack.

Melinda Russell 4:27

Oh, I bet he's cute as can be.

SPEAKER_00 4:29

He is a little shirt and stuff that has my name and number on it.

Melinda Russell 4:34

So I have a shih tzu. Oh so anybody that listens to this knows I have a shih tzu, and he's about 15 pounds. And my, you know, there's times that I'll say to my husband, I love him more than I love you. But we he knows I'm kidding. But we both just adore that dog, I'm telling you. So, anyway, he's so cute because he's little and he just loves to snuggle. And so I get, you know, your dog has a shirt and all that. All right.

SPEAKER_00 5:02

Everyone at the racetrack who knows me knows Edward.

Melinda Russell 5:04

I think Edward's actually more popular than me, but yeah, well, that's that's what happens. Everybody loves our dogs, don't they? Yeah, for sure. So, Ariel, sounds like you've got a good plan moving forward. You also are

Getting Hooked On Off Road Racing

Melinda Russell 5:20

involved in racing. Tell me how did that all start?

SPEAKER_00 5:24

So, ever since I was a kid, um, my family, like some of family friends and stuff, my dad was always into like motorsports and he loves tinkering with things, always would try to make something as fast as he possibly could. Um, so we would go on like trips with friends and stuff, like just little riding trips. And when I was in, I'd say like elementary school, going into middle school, I got really into like competitive volleyball and gymnastics, all the girly stuff. So my dad started racing just to stay in it with like friends, and my mom actually had to go on vacation. I was too young to stay home alone. I think it's because I was an only child, they just didn't fully trust me yet. Um, so I got stuck going to one of my dad's races and I got like sucked in. Like I fell in love with it. And um, two weeks later, he got me a four-wheeler. I was at the next race, and my career just took off from there.

Melinda Russell 6:23

Wow, yeah, you know what we always say if you can just get somebody to racetrack one time, they'll be a fan forever. And not not necessarily driving, but some kind of a fan, and that's what happened to you. So, what are you? So, what year was that? You would have been like maybe 13, 14 years old, somewhere in there.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Well, I was like five, four or five when I got my first four-wheeler. We were at one of our family friends' weddings, and I guess this guy was like selling one, and next thing I know, my four-year-old self is ripping through the yard.

Melinda Russell 7:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:04

Four wheeler in the middle of the wedding. Um, the wedding was over, like it was an appropriate. But so it started on a quad, and then my dad, he the Can Am got released um in like 2014, something like that. And I started driving it, I got hooked, and then my first race that I ever competed in, I want to say it was 2020, like right around it was when COVID was in. Yep.

Melinda Russell 7:35

Mm-hmm. Yeah. So you've been racing a few years, and what are you racing right now?

SPEAKER_00 7:42

So right now I race a Can Am X3, and I just moved up to the national level last year. So this will be my second full season um with Champ Off-Road. I'm in the pro side-by-side class, and then we also follow Outlaw Series Central in the pro side-by-side class. And whenever we have time, we hit Durhamtown off-road park down in Georgia, also in the pro side-by-side class. But we're busy, busy.

Melinda Russell 8:09

Sounds like you are. Because yeah, Oklahoma. Well, so you probably go home in the summer, do you?

SPEAKER_00 8:16

I do not. So I do live down here, I work down here, everything.

Melinda Russell 8:20

Um, but because Georgia is a lot closer to Ohio than it is Oklahoma.

SPEAKER_00 8:27

Surprisingly, drive time is exactly the same.

Melinda Russell 8:31

Maybe, yeah, really. 15 hours from both. It's a long ways. Yeah, it's a long ways. Awesome. So do you race in Oklahoma at all?

SPEAKER_00 8:41

So I used to back when I lived in Ohio, of course, not very convenient. Um, Mid-America Outdoors, when that was still a big race series. Um, I started there July of 2022 or June of 2022. It was Visions Off-Road. And at that time, I was still competitive in the woods racing because that's where I started on a four-wheeler and eventually transitioned to a side-by-side. Um, so my first full year down in Oklahoma at Mid-America was 2023. Did that full season and then did two races in 2022, same facility, but under Heartland, and then the season did not continue.

Melinda Russell 9:24

Okay. All right. Interesting. So summer's coming up. Is race season already started for you? Are you going to be racing this year? What's what's your plan?

SPEAKER_00 9:35

Yeah, so actually, my race season started last weekend. I got back Sunday night from Lucas Oil Speedway with Outlaw Series Central. So I placed first on Sunday and second on Saturday.

unknown 9:50

Great.

Melinda Russell 9:51

Well, this is perfect day to interview you, then, isn't it? Yes, it is. Yeah. Awesome. So you got first on one day and second on the other. Now, is that a normal weekend for you? Do you win a lot, Ariel? You can be honest.

SPEAKER_00 10:06

I try. Well, I know you try, but I will say some weekends are better than others. Every racer has their highs, has their lows. Um at Durhamtown and Outlaw Central, um, I would say I'm more consistent with my podium finishes and my race wins, um, just because it's not not to sound like this at all, but it's not the best of the best. Champ off-road is definitely where the it's a different caliber of drivers. Um, so at Champ, I'm happy with the top five.

Melinda Russell 10:41

Okay. Yeah. All right. But you're realistic about, you know, what you're doing. And and, you know, it's it is about winning, but it's also about having fun and learning and making friends, too. So um, yeah, that's that sounds awesome. So, what are you gonna what's your schedule look like then for the summer?

Current Series Travel And New Go Kart

SPEAKER_00 11:00

Oh, I could pull it up. All right, it's a busy schedule. So I did leave this out. My dad got me a go-kart this summer, or not this summer, this spring, like two months ago. Um so one of our really close friends that we race with, um, the Hills, Carson, Terry, and Julie Hill. Carson does go-karts, they live out in eastern Oklahoma. Um, so Carson has a go-kart, and his dad convinced my dad to get me a go-kart. So we're gonna race go-karts together in the summer.

Melinda Russell 11:32

Okay, and where will you have to go to do that? I believe it's just in Tulsa. So not too far. No, not too far at all. So you're gonna be racing the go-kart, and you're gonna be racing the Can Am as well. And how far do you go away from Oklahoma? Like, do you go like all over the country or stay mostly kind of in the middle of the country? Where do you go?

SPEAKER_00 11:57

I'm all over the country. I go Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and California.

Melinda Russell 12:09

So, where do you come in Michigan to race?

SPEAKER_00 12:12

Bark River. It's uh it's on the upper peninsula, kind of by Wisconsin.

Melinda Russell 12:19

Okay. All right. I haven't heard of Bark River, but you know, I live in Michigan, but that's that's a trip up there, but you never know. Um, yeah. Bark River, Michigan. And what kind of a what kind of a trail track, whatever, is that?

SPEAKER_00 12:35

It's a short course track, so it's basically it's a larger scale um motocross track.

Melinda Russell 12:41

Okay, all right. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:43

All the racing that I do is short course. I've recently moved away from the woods racing side of things. Oh, yeah, so all the tracks are short course.

Melinda Russell 12:53

Okay. So what's your favorite thing about racing in the summer? Or anytime, racing period.

SPEAKER_00 13:02

I love that the like the adrenaline rush that it gives me. And I also love like the relationships and friendships that I've made along the way. The people, I stand by this. The people you meet at the racetrack are some of the truest people ever. Like this one girl, her name's Katrina. We were technically we were competitors um back when I very first started racing five, six years ago. We are still best friends to this day. She lives all the way in Pennsylvania. I have friends across the country that I've met racing, and it's just the best thing in the world. It is.

Melinda Russell 13:39

Yeah. And it doesn't matter, of course, social media really helps stay in touch for one thing, but it doesn't, it doesn't seem possible when you think back maybe even 10 years ago, that you could have some of your best friends that you maybe even call family that live hours away from you. Yeah. And yet you feel like they're family, and then as soon as you get back together, it feels like you haven't been apart. Exactly. Yeah. And racing, as far as I know, is the only sport that gives you those opportunities. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:19

Yeah, it is. That's pretty cool. Friends in Texas, California, Minnesota, New Hampshire, everywhere.

Melinda Russell 14:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:28

Georgia.

unknown 14:29

Yeah.

Melinda Russell 14:30

Right. So that's that's that's just the best part for me about motorsports. Because Ariel, I would have never met you hadn't it been had it not been for motorsports.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

Yes.

Melinda Russell 14:39

And and so my my friend circle has just grown so much since I started doing uh doing this because I just meet some of the most wonderful young women and it's a lot of fun.

Mindset Mistakes And Track Day Routines

Melinda Russell 14:54

So what has been what was the hardest thing for you to learn when you started actually racing?

SPEAKER_00 15:03

Oh boy, I could probably give you a couple. I'm a very competitive person, and for me, I'm also kind of a perfectionist. I could tell you about a race I had three years ago when I accidentally over-rotated the car a little bit in the woods and slammed into a tree and ripped off my front end, and it still eats at me.

Melinda Russell 15:28

So Ariel, you have to let that go.

SPEAKER_00 15:31

It's so bad. Um, but one of the things that does like that I have learned is to not beat myself up. We have our good days, we have our bad days. Um, nobody's perfect, we're human, right? Right.

Melinda Russell 15:48

So when you have a bad day, how do you handle that? I stress eat really, really bad. Okay. What do you eat when you stress eat? Anything. Anything, anything that your mom has in the camper.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

So, fun fact about my mom, she is vegan. So she's meat-free, dairy-free, oil-free, nut free. If she watches this, she might kill me for telling you that. No, that's okay. So I kind of have to like fend for myself, bring my own snacks, rely on my dad to like grocery shop and get the good stuff. Um so I mean, my parents make dinner every night at the track, but right before I go out for a race, I'm digging through like the grapes or the pretzels or a thing of ramen noodles. Like, I'm really just finding something to kind of put me at ease.

Melinda Russell 16:42

Okay. Or you eat track food, I'm sure. That's that's definitely not as much as you'd think I would, honestly. Okay. Yeah. Okay. All right. What's your favorite go-to snack if you went to the store and you had anything to take to the racetrack? What would be your go-to snack?

SPEAKER_00 17:02

That's a good one.

Melinda Russell 17:05

There's so many.

SPEAKER_00 17:07

Literally. Okay, I can't think of a snack right now, but like food, I would definitely get like a thick, juicy steak.

Melinda Russell 17:17

Okay. You love steak. Okay, that's a good answer. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:21

At the track though, like in the summer, I love like a watermelon. Like that hits the spot.

Melinda Russell 17:27

It does for sure. A really, really cold watermelon on a hot summer day. Nothing better. Yeah. One of my favorite snacks, um, that's really hard because I can't really get them anymore, is I love sturzing potato chips. And they are made in Iowa, and you have to get them kind of in that area. And I used to live in Illinois, right across the river from Iowa, and I didn't appreciate all those tips that were available. So whenever somebody comes through Iowa and they're coming to Michigan, like my sister or somebody, oh yeah, they'll bring me like 10 bags of stir zings. I love stir zings, they're a little on the greasy side, but just a little, but they're just different. And so we all have our thing that we love, you know. Our snacks. Yeah, you'll have to find some stir zing potato chips.

Advice For Girls Plus Support System

Melinda Russell 18:22

So if you had uh a family come up to you and they said, our daughter wants to get into racing, what would you say to them? What advice would you have?

SPEAKER_00 18:35

I would probably first and foremost tell them like my experiences, experiences, and like some of the things that I've I personally have struggled with to see if that's something they're able to avoid. Um, but at the track, there are always like a couple little girls that come up to me, ask me how I got into it, say they want to get started. And I'd just be honest, I'd be like, you gotta be brave. First of all, you're gonna have people telling you that either A, you don't belong here, or why are you doing this? Just kind of questioning you. But if it's something you want to do, you go and do it.

Melinda Russell 19:10

Good advice. Yeah, don't let somebody crush your dreams, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_00 19:14

Nope. Instead, you crush them on the track.

Melinda Russell 19:17

Yeah, absolutely for sure. So, who would you consider your support system? Who helps you on and off the track to make sure everything's ready to go and and in good shape?

SPEAKER_00 19:31

Um, I give all the credit to my dad, actually. He builds the cars, gets me to the track. If something's broken, he's on the phone ordering the parts or checking his inventory to see if he has it. Um, we there has never knock on wood. I need to find some wood after this. Oh, this is wood. Hold on. Okay, knock on wood. We have never had an issue at the track that he wasn't able to fix and get me out there either later that day or the next day. Um, he is just 110% on top of his game. And sometimes I think he focuses more on my racing than he does his job. He'll be on a work call trying to reprogram my steering, and someone's talking to him, and he'll be like, hey, let me call you back in like 15 minutes. I gotta fix this.

Melinda Russell 20:20

Yeah. But yeah, that's a that's good. That's a that's a good dad. He's concentrating on the daughter, so that's a good thing for sure. He is, yeah. So do you help at all like with the maintenance and things uh of your of your do you what do you call it?

SPEAKER_00 20:39

Like maintenance and just overall.

Melinda Russell 20:41

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:42

Do you help with all that? Think of it. I do as much as I can. Um, obviously, when I lived in Ohio with them, it was a lot easier because the shop was a thousand feet away, not even. Um, I mean, after the after like my races and stuff, um, typically there's like wash bays and stuff. I'll try and like get it pretty clean. I always keep my gear ready, make sure I'm ready. Um, so it's like the little things I do try and help out with. But overall, like swapping a motor or something like that, I'm not your girl.

Melinda Russell 21:18

So does it stay in Ohio and then your dad meets you at the race?

SPEAKER_00 21:22

Yeah. So the hauler, trailer, all the cars, they stay in Ohio. Um, okay. And depending on where we're going, I just ask him what time he's gonna be there and I meet him there.

Melinda Russell 21:32

Okay. All right. Yeah, it sounds like you've got it worked out pretty well for what you need to do. We try. So, Ariel, if you live away from your parents, then you're doing laundry and grocery shopping and school and and all this. How do you manage everything on your own without your parents hanging out to help you?

SPEAKER_00 21:52

It's hard. Um, luckily, I am enrolled in online college for this year just because I knew with my racing. I think I have like 20 some race weekends. And a race weekend is not just one or two days. It's like minimum three to five days. And I would have missed like over a hundred days of class time. I'm not going to be passing my classes if I'm never there. So luckily my school's online. I can bring it with me, do it at my own pace. But grocery shopping and stuff, Whole Foods pickup is very helpful. Occasionally like Walmart delivery. My work hours, though, are very nice. I work six o'clock in the morning to one or two o'clock in the afternoon. So when I come home, I have pretty much like eight hours to get everything done. Yeah.

Melinda Russell 22:42

Yeah. And what do you do for work?

SPEAKER_00 22:45

So I work at a red light therapy studio. Like medical grade red light therapy. We have like Pilates stuff, um, power plate, sauna.

Melinda Russell 22:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:58

A little girly pops job.

Melinda Russell 22:59

Yeah, that sounds like an interesting job, though. I've heard of the red light therapy. So that's that's nothing new. I I've seen seen about it on television, I think for sure. So what about your car number? What number are you? Did you choose it? The colors of your of your I I don't want to say car, it's really not a car, but we'll call it a car. We'll call it a can am. So um tell me about it. What's it look like? What number is it?

SPEAKER_00 23:30

So when I first started racing, I used my dad's old number, which was 124. That he just was randomly given. There was no thought that went into it. Um, but when I got to pick my own number, my lucky numbers are seven and five. So I didn't want to be number 75 because I was like, eh, I feel like someone else is probably number 75. I don't want to be someone else. So I took both the numbers and I put them next to each other, and I was like, what number looks good in between that? So I was 735 for about four years. That just stuck. And then when I transitioned into champ off-road, you're only allowed to have two digits. So my number is now 05, because five is my favorite over seven.

Melinda Russell 24:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 24:20

That's how I got it. But um yeah, my colors are black, red, white, and like a gunmetal gray. I just can't get away from the red. I really love red.

Melinda Russell 24:32

Yeah, I do too. Red's one of my favorite colors. Yeah, absolutely. So

Social Media Sponsors And Relationship Building

Melinda Russell 24:38

let's talk about social media for a minute. Um, how do you use it to like promote yourself and your racing? Is that how you got sponsors or or what? So tell me about how you use social media.

SPEAKER_00 24:52

Yeah, so I have Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat. My Snapchat is a little more personal. I don't really put too much racing stuff on there. Um, it's mostly Instagram and Facebook, but um, I always get the pictures at the racetrack, post updates. Um, one of my good friends, Avery Sands, she actually used to race as well. She just quit last year. Um, she does media at the track. So this past weekend she put a really cool video together for me. So I just keep people up to date um with how I'm doing, where we're going, shout out my sponsors, that kind of thing. Yeah.

Melinda Russell 25:31

So let's talk about your sponsors. Tell me who they are.

SPEAKER_00 25:35

I got quite a few. Okay, that's good. So I have Rival Motorsports. Um, they're based out of Ohio. He's one of our more local dealers, Scotty Lawrence. I'm sure you've probably heard the name. Um, he is such a big help if it comes to any sort of technical knowledge whatsoever. My dad could call him at eight o'clock at night and be like, hey, the car's doing this. I've tried this, this, and this. And he will give some sort of suggestion. Um, and then I also have 9-11 Fab. He's also based out of Ohio. Um, he actually became one of our really close friends. He's kind of like my cool uncle, I feel like. Um, he does all my fab work. So chassis, um, if I break something, like frame-wise, anything that needs to be welded, Tim takes care of it. Um, and then I have Josh from Freedom Raceless. He's such a great group of people to work with. Like I said, I hung out with them at PRI this past year. Uh-huh. And they're just so personable and they make things fun. They're just genuine people. Um, I could talk about them all day, I swear. Yeah. And then yeah. Hoosier Tire, Mid-Atlantic, grateful for their support. Gary Hinkle at G Force Racing, he does my suspensions, like my shocks and stuff. Also, my dad could send him a video and say, Hey, cars doing this. What what do I need to tweak? I've tried this. He'll respond in like five minutes. Um, I will say truthfully, everyone we work with is just like they care. They genuinely care about what they're doing and they try to help us as much as they can. Yeah. Um, and then some friends that we have, Jack Lilly, he has a metallurgical consulting business, kind of like the metallurgical field that I'm going into with my sales. Um, so he supported me the past few years. And then Dog on Investments, they do a similar thing as well. Am I talking too much?

Melinda Russell 27:40

Because I'm No, absolutely not. Keep going, girl.

SPEAKER_00 27:43

And then I have Northern Crankshafts. They are based out of Minnesota, I believe. I could be so wrong. It's Minnesota or Wisconsin. Um, but my dad, when he was a kid, a little backtrack, he used to drag race snowmobiles. So northern crankshafts made snowmobile parts and they became really close. I started racing. We were able to obtain their support with my racing, and they actually stopped at a few of my champ races this year because it was up in their direction. Really good. Um, Evolution Power Sports, Can Am Raceline Wheels. I also have summit racing equipment. Um, one of their big headquarters is probably like 40 minutes from my house. So gotten to know them really well. Also talked with them at PRI, did the whole connections thing. Another really great, great great, great group of people. It's like jumble. And then um rugged radios, Simpson, race products for like my helmet, all that fun stuff. Ultimax belts, they are the one of the most supportive groups that I also work with. They're always on my Facebook pages, being like, hey, congrats, good luck, checking in, seeing how we're doing. Um, and then blaster products. So I actually went to school with someone that is related to the people that own it.

Melinda Russell 29:08

Okay, what are blaster products?

SPEAKER_00 29:10

Like PB Blaster? Oh, okay. Yeah.

Melinda Russell 29:14

Okay. So we're working our way in there too. All right. So what I keep hearing over and over with your sponsors is relationships. And I think that's one of the things that isn't talked about enough. Um every every driver needs sponsors, pretty much, right? Yes. But a lot of a lot of people who drive don't get the relationship building part. They have to make you can't just go in and ask for thousands of dollars and think somebody's just gonna hand you a check. You've got to build a relationship and it might start small, it might start with a hundred dollars. And then you do well, you stay in touch, you promote their products. Next year it's 500. Next year it's a thousand, whatever it might be. But you're building the relationships, whatever they do, you're thankful for. And when they realize that one, you're thankful, you appreciate it, and and you're a good partner because you're promoting their business right along with your racing, it's a win-win for everybody.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

Yeah.

Melinda Russell 30:22

And and that's what I heard when you were giving me that list about what wonderful people they are, how nice they are, how how they care about you as the driver. And and I love that aerial. I think that's an important part of what we've talked about today for sure.

SPEAKER_00 30:39

Yeah, there was there was one race, I want to say it was like two years ago, uh Met America Outdoors. Um, Scotty from Rival Motorsports, he saw that I totaled my car. And my dad called him three hours later on the way home, and he was like, Hey, I need a frame. And Scott was like, I got one in stock. When you want to come pick it up, like it's really like that. Yes, that may have been like a coincidence, but still it's just the amount of support you you can't replace that with anything. And just being able to have a good, solid group of people that you know have your best interests and want you to succeed is the best feeling in the world.

Melinda Russell 31:16

Oh, absolutely, yeah. And as young as you are to have figured out that it's about relationships is just gonna benefit you, you know, the rest of your life for sure. Yeah, yeah. So um, do you try like are you turning Ariel into a brand or or you haven't got, you know, you're not really concentrating on that? Do you know what I mean when I say, like, are you do you have t-shirts? Do you focus a lot on on branding yourself on social media and that? Or you know, you have a lot going on. Is that something that you think about or try to do?

SPEAKER_00 31:58

Yeah, so to an extent, um, I do have like you can't really see it, but I do have like stuff. Um, I have like the hero cards, the business cards. Okay. I don't have one on. Is that one over there? No, it's not like the little wristbands, yeah, color changing cups. I got all the merch and stuff. Okay, okay. Um right now my head is at trying to make a name for myself at this national level, and then moving forward from there.

Melinda Russell 32:27

Yeah. So that is part of it. The branding is making a name for yourself and and putting yourself out there. You know, a lot of times, and it isn't just girls, um, drivers don't always think about how they can put their put themselves out there in a good way, um, to where they catch attention of maybe um new sponsors or new people, you know, or or even just fans that be like, oh, I've kind of followed you, Ariel, and I see you're gonna be racing in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Well, I live in Kalamazoo, I'm gonna come and watch you race. So that's part of the branding too, is letting people know where you're gonna be and always be welcoming and and uh it all works together. And that along with all those relationships you're you're building is gonna take you a long way, I know for sure.

SPEAKER_00 33:20

1,000.

Melinda Russell 33:21

So uh yeah.

Biggest Wins Next Race And Farewell

Melinda Russell 33:23

So uh what has been your proudest uh moment in racing?

SPEAKER_00 33:31

I can give you two.

Melinda Russell 33:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 33:33

So in 2022, I was 16 years old, 17 years old, one of the two. Um back when I was woods racing, Red Bull, my little trophies right over there.

Melinda Russell 33:50

I see.

SPEAKER_00 33:51

They hosted they hosted uh a mountain scramble at Seven Springs, Pennsylvania. And this was like my prime woods racing. Um, I was in, it was me and Katrina, my bestie from Pennsylvania, and it was me and her. There was one other girl team there out of a hundred, there were over a hundred drivers. All like the factory Red Bull drivers were there, a bunch of like top-notch name drivers, and we picked our starting spot because they do dead engine starts, so we four throwback, it goes off of time, but still, when you're behind like 60 cars, yeah, some carnage and some stuff in the way. So I was in the sportsman class, I wasn't even in pro. And we ended up at 16 and 17 years old, we ended up winning our class by over two and a half minutes, and then we took eighth overall for the entire race, which is insane. There's a picture of me and Katrina standing in the middle of the top box, and these two men next to us looked so irritated. I'm sure. Like a funny irritated though. Um, but from that, I got like a little segment on the news. I had some interviews, um, some newspaper articles. So that's probably like my number one.

SPEAKER_04 35:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:19

Um, I always see photos of it pop up, and I'm like, take me back. Like that was the best weekend ever.

Melinda Russell 35:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:26

But my second one was September of last year. Um, my little medals back there too. I got third place at uh Glen Helen. So my first full year at the national level in the pro class, I made a podium at the last race of the year. So that was really exciting. I got the tracker flag, was about to pull off the track. So in my class, there's a number five and there's a number oh five. I'm oh five. So my dad's like screaming at me on the radio. He's like, oh five to podium, oh five to podium. And I'm like, are you sure they didn't say five? Because I was really not, I just didn't think I podiumed. And they were like, no, no, no, five and oh five to podium. So I drove my car over there, got out, everyone's screaming. I was like shaking in my fire suit. I was like, did I seriously just podium?

Melinda Russell 36:19

But how exciting! Yeah, how exciting. That's so fun. So, Ariel, what have we not talked about that you want to share? About your racing, yourself, anything at all? Have we left anything important out? And if so, what is it? Tell me. Oh gosh, I don't know. So where's your where's your next race?

SPEAKER_00 36:47

My next race is back at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, and it is May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd for the season opener of Champ Off Road.

Melinda Russell 36:57

Okay, all right. So, Champ Off Road, if I Googled that, would that be a pretty good telling of your schedule for the summer? Or that's on and off. You're gonna do all of those?

SPEAKER_00 37:10

Champ off road, I'm 110% committed to. We're gonna take all those races.

Melinda Russell 37:15

Okay. Yeah, okay, good to know. All right, sounds good. You're gonna well I have really enjoyed talking to you. I've I had heard about you from someone, and so I'm glad that we had a chance to finally connect and and tell your story. And Ariel, you're gonna have a great summer. I just know you are, and you your bubbly, friendly, outgoing personality is a lot, is a lot of why you have built those relationships. So keep that up and add me to the list of people that you know are proud of you and and what you're doing. And please stay in touch and keep me up to date on all the things that you're up to.

SPEAKER_00 38:01

I want to thank you truthfully so much for having me on here today. It was a good time, and I really appreciate it.

Melinda Russell 38:07

Oh, you're welcome. You're welcome. So hold on just for a second.

SPEAKER_04 38:15

Start your engines.