Fast Lane Futures: Baylea Kronseder's Racing Journey

Melinda Russell

00:02

Welcome to the Women's Motorsports Network podcast, the show that puts the spotlight on the incredible women who fuel the world of motorsports, from drivers to crew members, engineers to fans and everyone in between. We're here to celebrate the trailblazers, dreamers and doers shaping the sport we love. Each episode we share inspiring stories of females of all ages, from every corner of the motorsports universe past, present and future. It's a journey through the seasons of life filled with heartfelt moments, laughter and a whole lot of horsepower. So, whether you're a lifelong fan, a racer yourself or simply curious about the extraordinary women behind the wheel, settle in, relax and enjoy a fun and uplifting ride with us. This is the Women's Motorsports Network podcast, connecting and celebrating women in motorsports, one story at a time. Let's hit the track, gear up and show your support. 

01:03

Women's Motorsports Network t-shirts, sweatshirts and hats are now available online. Wrap your passion for women in racing with stylish apparel from Black Acid Racing Apparel. Shop now at wwwblackacidracingapparelcom. Wear it, share it, support it. Women's Motorsports Network Black Acid Racing Apparel. Promoting a track takes heart, and now showing appreciation can be just as easy With send-out cards. 

You can thank sponsors, volunteers, drivers and fans with personalized digital cards sent right from your phone or laptop, add a photo, write a message and hit send. It's that simple Unlimited sends for just $10 a month. Go to sendoutcardscom, forward, slash 53240. That's sendoutcardscom, forward, slash 53240. Because gratitude builds great tracks. Hello everyone, this is Melinda Russell with the Women's Motorsports Network podcast, and my guest today is Baylea. And Baylea, I am not going to try to pronounce your last name, I'm going to let you do that because I'm sure I would mess it up. But Baylea just asked me how I got started doing interviews and you know how I find all these new people to interview. And it's because on social media I follow a lot of pages and I happen to be on the NASCAR Youth Series page and I saw somebody had mentioned her or tagged her or something. 

So I reached out and I found her dad and we connected, and so we scheduled you to be on the show. So, Baylea, welcome to the show. Would you first start by telling us a little bit about yourself? 

Baylea Kronseder

Yes, so my name is Baylea Kronseder. I'm from Jackson, New Jersey. I have three older brothers and I have two dogs, two cats, I have a bunch of chickens and yeah. 

Melinda Russell

Do you love the chickens, or is that somebody else's or are they yours? 

Baylea Kronseder

No, they're mine we have. I love farm animals and like stuff like that. 

Melinda Russell

So, okay, all right, that's cool, I'm. I love that. You love chickens. I have. I have a gal that raises cattle and she's only in her, she's in her teens, but she says, oh, I just love cows, so you know you can do things besides drive a race car. So that's really cool. So so, um, before we get started on, you know how you got started in racing. The picture that I have up, that your dad sent, you've got an m&m's jacket on. Are you a kyle bush fan? 

Baylea Kronseder

yeah, I am I am too. 

Melinda Russell

so we're few and far between Baylea, but I think now that he's changed teams and he's not winning as much and I think because of his son racing and everything I think people like him a little better, because you don't hear the boos and things like you used to hear. So it's okay to admit that you like Kyle Busch, because I admit that too. So that's cool, we're Kyle Busch fans. That's awesome. So, Baylea, tell me, how did you get interested in motorsports? 

Baylea Kronseder

04:57

Okay, so, um, my grandpa and my grandma both um, drag race or drag raced when they were um like younger, so around like in their 20s um, and my dad kind of grew up around it and I started by racing these, or I had this, um, they're called Tamiya Mini Four-Wheel Drive Cars. They're just like these tiny little battery-powered like cars that I used to race for, I would say, about a year. Then I started racing dirt RC cars, which I love that. I did that for a little bit longer and then so, like my brother, my oldest brother, I have that. I did that for a little bit longer and then so, like my brother, my oldest brother, I have three. 

05:49

So my oldest brother, he's now 27. He, when he was younger, he raced quarter midgets too, for a year and then a junior dragster for another year. So my dad knew like about it other year. So my dad knew like about it and my dad decided to bring me to a arrive and drive and I did that and I just fell in love with it and how old were you then? 

Melinda Russell

06:14

do you know? 

Baylea Kronseder

06:15

then I was, I think, nine 

Melinda Russell

06:22

so at nine years old said I'm going to let you try this out, and that was the end of the story. Did you go home with a quarter midget that day? 

Baylea Kronseder

06:31

Not that day. So, um, we met these people and um it was around Christmas time, so we got the car. We got the car. It was three years ago, yeah. 

Melinda Russell

06:45

Okay, okay, that's cool. So are you still racing Ford Remedios? Yes, I am Okay. And what classes do you race in? 

Baylea Kronseder

06:56

So I am racing a senior Honda but since I'm a little bit over the like average weight of most of those kids, I'm going to be moving into a heavy Honda. And then I had a which is going to be a heavy 160 car that it's not fully built yet, but I'll be racing that later in the season. 

Melinda Russell

07:21

Okay. So are you going to help build the car, or is somebody building it for you? 

Baylea Kronseder

07:26

So my dad, like he is the one who builds our cars. We have some people that help to like set them up and stuff. But also when my dad's at the shop building the cars, he'll show me how. My dad's at the shop building the cars, he'll show me how, and I even do some of that. 

Melinda Russell

07:48

Okay, that's good. It's good for you to know how the car works, so I'm glad to hear that for sure. Yeah, so, Baylea, do you play any other sports, or is it farm animals and racing? 

Baylea Kronseder

08:00

So I do. It's not like they're, it's for school, so they don't have an official like sport, like a team yet. But I um did the volleyball club, so yeah okay, all right, yeah, because you're. 

Melinda Russell

08:19

What grade are you in? What grade will you be in? So my school year is about to end, so next september I'll be in seventh, but yeah okay, yeah, all right, very fun because you got to do something else when it's not race season, right yeah? 

08:37

yeah yeah, new jersey gets cold weather and snow, so you got to do something inside part of the time. So, um, what's your favorite thing about racing? So you know. Here's my question why do you go to the racetrack on the weekends and race when your friends are playing softball and doing other stuff? What makes you want to go to the racetrack? 

Baylea Kronseder

08:59

So I, when people ask me that question, like, why do you love racing so much, of course you have to say like, oh, like, oh, yeah, I love just the fact of like racing, going fast, all that stuff. But to me I feel like, um, it's mostly like I've gone to these events that like to help other kids get into the sport, because I love like talking about it to other people and like that type of stuff. So I would say that. But of course, yeah, I'm a race car driver. I love driving. 

Melinda Russell

09:39

Right, right, absolutely. But you love also being kind of like a promoter in a way. You're not promoting a track, but you're promoting racing, and so do you see very many little girls getting interested in racing. Are there very many girls where you race? 

Baylea Kronseder

09:58

so at um my, which it was my home track. Like last season, we don't really have a home track this season because we're racing mostly nationals. But um, at wall stadium, we have a good amount of girls. When I was a rookie I think we had six, so now I was looking at some photos of those people and there's, I would say, about 12 of them. 

Melinda Russell

10:26

There's a lot that's good, that's good. And so you know, they see you and other girls, older girls, racing, and that makes other little girls want to do it, because they think if Baylea can do it, I can do it, and that's that's how they get started for sure, yeah, so, um, do you have any sponsors on your car? Yeah, I have a few, okay. Okay, do you want to say anything about them? 

Baylea Kronseder

10:55

Do you want me to? 

Melinda Russell

10:57

like you can list them, or you can just tell me, or if you can't remember them all, you don't have to, that's okay too. 

Baylea Kronseder

11:04

Okay, so I have Tom Steffens Racing, jersey RC Racing Promotions, coffee Surf Living Like Outlaws. Monmouth Jet Center Blown Away, dustless, blasting. Seeinsertscom. Amsoil, five Star Racewear, race Choice, the Safety Bank, safety Bank Bass Girls, apparel Co, big Brook Farms, schwartz Racing and Joy Crown Center which is my grandma. 

Melinda Russell

11:43

You have a lot of people that are helping you out. Yeah, so are these people that like know you, know your family, or did you have go out and and kind of drum up some of this business? So some of my sponsors like jersey rc racing, promotions and coffee surf or my dad knew them but yeah, like that's awesome that you have that many sponsors, because you know a lot, of, a lot of kids are afraid to go out and do that or whatever, and so that's, that's good I'm glad to hear that, for sure? 

12:15

so um you're, are you 12 years old? I am 11, okay, so you're going to be 12 on your birthday. So you know, think about like, let's say, five or six years from now, when you graduate from high school, is racing something that you hope to keep doing even if you go to college, or what are your? What are you thinking about? 

Baylea Kronseder

12:37

so yeah, it definitely is. I really like I love racing. Yeah, I really want to. 

Melinda Russell

12:50

You want to do something? Keep going, yeah. And the older you get, the bigger the car you'll have to get Yep, yeah, for sure. So your racing national series and I heard you say you're part of Living Like Outlaws- when? 

Baylea Kronseder

13:09

like, where are you going to be going to race? Um, so, for the NASCAR youth, like national races, um, we had one, I think. Yeah, it was two weeks ago in Illinois. Um, in two weeks we have one in Pennsylvania, the next one is going to be in Maryland and another one in Illinois. 

Melinda Russell

13:31

Okay, and where in Illinois do you go? Do you remember? 

Baylea Kronseder

13:35

So the first one that I already went to was in Springfield, Illinois. I don't know where the last one is. 

Melinda Russell

13:44

Okay, all right, because I live in Michigan, so Illinois is not too awfully far to go, and Illinois is where I was born and raised, so I know a lot about Illinois, yeah for sure. So when you get to the racetrack, let's say it's race day. Tell me, what does your day look like? What do you do when you get up? Do you eat breakfast? No, I don't eat breakfast up. 

Baylea Kronseder

14:11

Do you eat breakfast? 

No, I don't eat breakfast. This is my what my day looks like on race day, okay. So usually I, my dad, picks me up and then um, it depends sometimes, or most of the time we go to wawa to get gas. We normally get those like wawa bacon, egg and cheese, sizzly things, uh-huh, um, and then we drive to the track, unload all of our stuff, start sending the car up and yeah, that's really it go to the drivers meeting and then start racing okay do any of your brothers race. 

so yeah, my, yeah, my or not anymore. My oldest brother, like I said earlier, he raced when he was, he started when he was nine and then he raced quarter midgets for, I think, only a year. 

Melinda Russell

It might have been two, two, and then he also started junior dragster racing, but that only lasted a year yeah, that's a lot different than quarter midgets or what you know totally different animal to to do drag racing for sure. So, Baylea, every day is not a good day at the racetrack, unfortunately. We have bad, have bad days, bad things that happen. Have you ever thought? That you wanted to quit after a bad day, or you're just like nope, I'm just, this is what I want to do. 

Baylea Kronseder

Yeah, I don't think that has ever happened to me. I have definitely gone kind of annoyed after a race if, like, things don't really go my way, but stuff happens right, I just like we'll get it next time yeah, yeah, because that's a life lesson. 

Melinda Russell

You know, I I don't know if you have heard that term, but I I used to be a cheerleading coach and and there was times when I'd say to the girls we're going to have some life lessons today, instead of practicing our jumps and our tears, because sometimes they needed to learn how to get along and and deal with adversity and all that, because those are things you have to do all the rest of your life and and I think racing is a really good sport for teaching teaching all of us, that for sure. So what's your favorite thing about motor sports? If you could pick one or two things, what are they? 

Baylea Kronseder

My favorite thing I would, yeah, I would probably say, is obviously racing, the fact of racing, like being at the track, all that stuff, and then, yeah, like introducing the sport to other, like people. 

Melinda Russell

Yeah, that's good and sharing what you love with other people for sure. So now when you're racing nationals, are there a lot of girls in that series that you race against? 

Baylea Kronseder

So I have only ever done one national race, which was a couple weeks ago, um, but there wasn't too many girls there, I think there's only two more that I saw that like raced okay. 

Melinda Russell

Maybe it depends on where the race is, how many show up or who shows up for sure. So when you, you know you share racing with other people, if you had a mom come up to you or a dad and they said my little girl wants to drive a race car just like you, what would you tell them? Is it a good sport for girls to be involved? 

Baylea Kronseder

in yeah, definitely, I would like. I would just tell them kind of like I don't know how to explain it like just obviously information on the thing. But yeah, it's definitely a great sport for even anybody to just yeah and just like in general what are some things that you've learned since you've been involved in motorsports? I've um definitely learned to like just wait also again, I don't know how to explain it wait, so um like to um sometimes, sometimes girls, and I'm not. 

Melinda Russell

18:49

I don't want to put words in your mouth, but sometimes I have people say that before they started racing they really weren't very outgoing and it's taught them to be more outgoing. I don't know about you. You're you're very good communicator with me, so maybe that's not you or you know confidence, like when you get on the racetrack you feel confident that you can do this, some things like that. Is there anything like that that comes to mind that you think you've learned because of being involved in motorsports? 

Baylea Kronseder

So, yeah, definitely, Like I used to be super duper shy, that is definitely something that I've learned. Duper shy, that is definitely something that I've learned. Now I could just talk to, like I could go up to somebody and just start having a conversation before I would not be able to do that. 

Melinda Russell

Yeah, yeah, that's that's one thing that I hear a lot, I and, like I said, I didn't want to put words in your mouth, but I had a feeling that maybe that was your story as well, you know. So, um, is there anybody that's been involved in racing that you kind of look up to, or you have a favorite driver, anything like that? 

Baylea Kronseder

okay, so this, there's this one racer that I met. Her name is Natalie Decker. 

Melinda Russell

She raced I know her very well. 

Baylea Kronseder

Yeah, so I met her. She's an amazing driver, amazing person, I would definitely say her. 

Melinda Russell

Yeah, I love her. I've known her about seven years I guess. I knew her when she was just a young kid and now she's a mom with a little boy, but she's a great person to look up to. I think that's a good choice, Baylea, for sure. So what advice would you give to or maybe you do, what advice do you give to any of those younger kids that are racing, you know, do you kind of like watch them race and then say, hey, you need to take this line or that line? Do you do anything like that? What do you do? What do you talk to them about? 

Baylea Kronseder

So I would definitely like just if I know the track really well, of course, I would show them some things if they like, here and there. If they don't have like perfect, I show them that I actually did it. I was talking to this one little kid. I met him at New Egypt last weekend. I wasn't racing, um, but I was there cuz like it's right down the road and all my friends were racing, we were helping out with them, and there's this one little kid that was like oh yeah, no, I'm not a good driver, blah, blah, blah. And I was like no, wait, come here. 

And I started talking to him. I was like how long have you been racing? And like that stuff. And I was like no, you are um. And he was like, because he like spun out and hit the wall, and I was like it's okay, because I did literally that like same thing, or same thing a couple weekends ago at ago at um the track in Illinois, because I, my car was super loose. Yeah, I was coming up, because it's also a really bank track. I was coming up to the wall, I spun out and hit it and I was like no, it's okay, I've. I literally did that the other day, Like it's fine. 

Melinda Russell

But like it's hard for little kids and that's kind of where confidence comes in. You know, and a lot of times too, Baylea, we don't know what the parents are saying and I hate to say that, but there are parents that are quick to criticize their child. I've seen it and it breaks my heart, and it's not just motor sports, it's softball and all sports. You know the parents in the stands yelling and stuff and that gives the kid no confidence. But where you took the time to sit, you know, you heard him and you and you sat down with him and you said no, no, it happens to all of us. We all do this and that's a wonderful thing to do. 

And if you never get in another race car, if you can keep doing that, that's impressive, because you're going to help a lot of other kids by doing that. For sure. Yeah, yeah, for sure. So your mom and dad had three boys and then they finally got their girl and she's the one that's racing, yes. So how did your mom feel about that when you first started racing? About that when you first started racing? 

Baylea Kronseder

So she like she didn't really want me to like very much, but she knows how much I love it. 

Melinda Russell

And then she was like, hey, it's fine, like yeah, because and you have a lot of safety equipment, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean it is dangerous, but so is walking across the street. I mean you know you can get hurt doing a lot of other things besides racing, for sure, yeah. So what's your favorite memory so far of racing like a win, or you flipped the car or what? What's your favorite memory? 

Baylea Kronseder

so it wasn't. It was definitely not a great memory, but my favorite memory so far was I was I think it was two years ago, or am I? No? Yeah, it was two years ago or two seasons it was my Turkey Derby race. So it was like the last race of the season, biggest race, and it was the last lap. I was leading the race the whole time and because I didn't have a great line, it was my first season of racing. First season of racing I this kid went to pass me um, going into the turn and I accidentally and I promise this was not on purpose, but I accidentally like spun him out into the infield. They called it on me and then I had to go back. 

Melinda Russell

Oh, that's too bad. Well, and you know what? 

Baylea Kronseder

Oh, that's too bad. Well, and you know what? Here's what I'm going to tell you. A lot of people have done it. Definitely not a great thing that happened, but I still obviously learned a lot from that to not do that again. 

Melinda Russell

Yeah, exactly but yeah yeah, so are you superstitious. Do you wear the same socks or the same shirt or anything every time you? 

Baylea Kronseder

race. Not really, but um the wawa sizzly. I have that before almost every single race, so it's not good you should get them to sponsor you that's a good idea yeah, that's, that's what you should do. 

Melinda Russell

You should go to the manager at that store where you go and say you know what? I get one of these every time I race. You should be on my race car. Yeah, there you go, there you go. So what about social media? So you're 12 years old. Do you have a social media page? Does your mom run it? Does she let you take care of it? How does that work? 

Baylea Kronseder

So I have a tiktok that I don't really post on for racing. I have a facebook and instagram. Okay, dad runs um both of those. Okay, because obviously it's not just me but I'm aware of, like everything that's happening on it and all that stuff okay, all right. 

Melinda Russell

What do your friends think about you racing? Like the kids that you go to school with, do any of them race? And and if not, what do they think about you racing? 

Baylea Kronseder

so I have this one friend um christina. She lives right down the street from me, actually, but she also races. She races champ karts, um. So she does that. We're really close um everybody else, just like. They kind of like we don't really talk about it that much. So like, obviously they know I race. When I told them at first they were like, oh, that's so cool, but I don't really talk about it okay, because they really don't get it, do they? 

Melinda Russell

yeah yeah, I hear that a lot too, that you know, um, a lot of a lot of the kids at school I hear different things. Oh, they make fun of me. They they say, oh, that's not even a sport, all these different things. Oh, they make fun of me, they tell. They say, oh, that's not even a sport, all these different things. Or they just don't understand really how it works, unless they go to a race. And so you know, my advice is always invite them to come out and watch your race, and then they'll understand better what you do. But but yeah, so that's, that's kind of cool. But you make friends at the track, don't you? 

Baylea Kronseder

ussell

Yeah, those are going to be your lifelong racing friends anyway, more so than the school friends. I hate to tell you that, but that's how it works for sure. So, Baylea, have you won any races? What's your goal for this year? 

Baylea Kronseder

goal for this year. So I haven't ever really had any big wins, but definitely my goal for this year is to win one of my um yeah national races good. 

Melinda Russell

So, yeah, that's a good goal to have and to work towards, for sure, yeah, so, um, I forgot to add when we're talking about social media, what is the page? Is it your your name? What's the name of your facebook page? 

Baylea Kronseder

yeah, it's just Baylea Kronseder racing okay, all right. 

Melinda Russell

So that's easy to find for sure. Is there anything that we haven't talked about that you would like to make sure that we talk about? Where it's about you, your racing, anything at all? I don't think. So, okay, all right. Well, we had a little trouble getting connected, but now that we did, we had a nice conversation and I'm I'm glad I got to talk to you tonight, Baylea, and I'm glad I got to know more about you and your racing and and whenever you tell your dad, whenever he posts on his on your social media, to tag women's motorsports network, and that way I can follow you easier and and see what you're up to okay okay, yeah, I will okay, sounds good. 

Well, I'm gonna say thanks for being on the show and if you just hold on a second after I disconnect, I've got a little follow-up for you. Yeah, okay, thank you. Yeah, you're welcome. If you're looking to buy, sell or trade the stuff that strokes your engine anything from truck parts to classic and muscle cars, rvs to hot rods and everything in between then check out our official classifieds at RacingJunkcom. Racingjunkcom is the world's number one online racing and performance marketplace, the ultimate one-stop shop where you'll find what you need to rock your ride. If it belongs in your garage, it's for sale on racingjunkcom. Log on to racingjunkcom to find the gear you're looking for. Sell your extra stuff, keep up on racing news and tech tips and more. Again, that's racingjunkcom. Tech tips and more. Again, that's racingjunkcom. 

That's it for this episode of the Women's Motorsports Network podcast. We hope you've been inspired by the stories I shared today and feel more connected to the amazing community of women in motorsports. Remember, whether you're behind the wheel in the pits or cheering from the stands, your story matters and together we're driving change and celebrating every milestone. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, leave us a review and share it with someone who loves motorsports as much as you do, and don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates, behind the scenes content and more incredible stories. So until next time, stay inspired, stay connected and keep racing through life. This is the Women's Motorsports Network podcast, where every woman's story is worth celebrating.