July 28, 2026

Olivia Grimes on Family, Racing, and Never Giving Up

Show Notes
Transcript

Olivia Grimes shares how a family racing tradition turned into a growing dirt-track career, from quarter midgets to winged outlaw karts and sprint cars. At just 15, she’s already learning the speed, skill, and resilience it takes to keep improving while traveling across multiple states to race.

This conversation highlights the realities of girls in motorsports: long travel days, working on the car as a family, finding support, handling bad race days, and staying motivated when progress takes time. Olivia also opens up about the joy of the racing community, the pressure and excitement of competition, and her dream of eventually moving into bigger sprint cars and a top team.

Listeners will hear what it’s like to balance racing, homeschooling, family life, and competition while building confidence one lap at a time.

Key Topics

[00:02:13] - Intro to guest Olivia Grimes and her racing background
[00:04:13] - How Olivia got started in racing through her dad’s motorsports journey
[00:05:20] - Biggest learning curve: pavement vs. dirt racing
[00:06:10] - What Olivia loves about winged sprint cars
[00:06:31] - Car details: number 2G, colors, and outlaw kart setup
[00:07:16] - Home track, long-distance travel, and racing in Illinois from Alabama
[00:10:23] - First strong result in the outlaw car and growing confidence
[00:11:39] - Family involvement in car maintenance and race-day prep
[00:12:36] - Why the racing community means so much to her
[00:13:16] - Social media and following Grimes Motorsports
[00:16:36] - Sponsorship challenges and fundraising as a family team
[00:18:27] - How racing has brought Olivia’s family closer together
[00:19:54] - Why motorsports keeps her focused and motivated
[00:21:36] - Handling bad race days and bouncing back mentally
[00:22:55] - Favorite track, first heat-race win, and future goals
[00:26:10] - Big-picture dreams: moving up to larger sprint cars
[00:27:01] - Olivia’s inspiration from Kaylee Bryson
[00:28:34] - Racing season timeline and upcoming events

Relevant Links

Freedom Race Lifts: https://freedomracelifts.com
SendOutCards: https://www.sendoutcards.com/5324zero
Pit Crew Creations: https://piccrewcreationsshop.etsy.com
Pit Crew Creations on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/

Olivia’s story is a great reminder that motorsports is built on persistence, teamwork, and belief. Whether the day ends in a win or a lesson, she approaches it with the mindset that every race is a chance to grow.

Her journey also shows how racing can become a family mission, bringing parents, siblings, and grandparents into the same garage, the same trailer, and the same dream. With more laps, more learning, and more support, Olivia is clearly building toward something bigger.

WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:19.000
Start your engines. This is the Women's Motorsports Network. From dirt track nights to the bright race lights from the garage to victory lane. Women are rising chasing the dream with horsepower running through their veins. Women's motorsports hit work.

00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:32.000
Hear those engines roar. Hey. Hey. Stories of courage, speed, and heart like you never heard before. Her future, fuel her dreams.

00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:45.000
Every lap we celebrate Women's Motorsports Network. Let's hit the track. Let's hit the track. Women's Motorsports Network. Connecting and celebrating women in motorsports.

00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:48.000
One story at a time.

00:00:48.000 --> 00:01:06.000
You know what racers need? Equipment that keeps up. Freedom Race Lifts has created the first ever line of battery operated vehicle lifts for race cars. Their patented system auto locks at any height. They are portable, easy to use, and trusted by champions.

00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:34.000
Designed with racers in mind, they deliver professional grade equipment to your own garage. Built tough, built smart, and built for you. Visit freedomracelifts.com to see the growing list of options. And use code Melinda to receive a special discount. Race weekends move fast, but showing appreciation doesn't have to be hard.

00:01:34.000 --> 00:02:13.000
With SendOutCards, you can send a digital thank you with a photo and a message in seconds right from your phone. Thank your crew, your fans, even your competitors because good sportsmanship looks good on and off the track. Unlimited card sends for just $10 a month. So start sharing the love at sendoutcards.com/5324zero. That's sendoutcards.com/5324zero.

00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:26.000
Hello, everyone. This is Melinda Russell with the Women's Motorsports Network, and my guest today is Olivia Grimes. Olivia, I wanna welcome you to the show. And would you start by sharing a little bit about yourself?

00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:38.000
Yeah. My name is Olivia Grimes. I live in Grant, Alabama. I just had a birthday. I turned 15 this year.

00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:52.000
Started racing when my dad started man. Fishing and Fishing and Okay. Dirt bike riding and all that stuff. And

00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:54.000
Do you have any pets?

00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:58.000
Yeah. I have three pets. I have a cat and two dogs.

00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:03.000
Okay. Alright. Do you like dogs or cats better? Cats. Do you?

00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:09.000
Okay. Alright. And then how about any siblings? Do you have brothers or sisters?

00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:11.000
I have one sister.

00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:14.000
Okay. Are you the oldest or the youngest?

00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:15.000
The oldest.

00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:19.000
Okay. Alright. And how old is your sister?

00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:23.000
Nine. Nine. Alright. So, she's a little bit younger. Does she

00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:24.000
race to who?

00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:26.000
No. She plays hockey.

00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:44.000
Oh, wow. She plays hockey. Yikes. I I'm surprised that it always surprises me when kids play hockey in states that are typically warmer. You know, because I know then they have to do it indoor.

00:03:44.000 --> 00:04:05.000
In Michigan, where I live, of course, they play indoor, but they play outdoors too in the winter. So that's that's cool. Your mom's a busy woman then if she's running you guys all over the place. Yeah. So, Olivia, will you tell me a little bit about how you got interested in racing?

00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:13.000
Because not every kid goes down that path. So who in your family raced? I bet somebody did.

00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:35.000
My dad started out racing micros, and then he moved up to to quarter he went from quarter midgets to micros, and then he went to three sixty sprint cars with the USCS series. And that kinda got me into it. He woke up one day and was like, hey. You wanna go to try out for the quarter midgets? I was like, yeah.

00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:46.000
So we started from quarter midgets and went on up to micros, and now we're we're in a class in winged outlaw. So it's going pretty good this year.

00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:53.000
Yeah. Sounds like it. So how old were you when you first started racing? Seven. Seven.

00:04:53.000 --> 00:05:12.000
So you've been racing eight years. This will be your eighth year probably. Yeah. So, you've had a lot of experience you know, driving and learning and whatever. What was the hardest thing for you to learn either when you first started or as you transitioned between those things?

00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:20.000
You always had to learn something new, I'm guessing, because they all drive differently. Right? So what was the hardest thing for you to learn?

00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:33.000
I think the difference between pavement and dirt racing was the big difference for me because you can't drive it like a pavement car on the dirt because it's a lot harder than the quarter midgets to drive.

00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:38.000
Yeah. Okay. And and so do you like the dirt though?

00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:40.000
Yeah. Yeah.

00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:58.000
Yeah. I anybody I talk to that has gone from pavement to dirt typically really likes the dirt, so that's not a surprise. So you're doing winged, you said winged sprint? Yeah. Okay, so is this your first year to do that?

00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:02.000
No, I think it's my third year, second year maybe.

00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:10.000
Okay. Alright. So what do you love most about driving a winged sprint car?

00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:22.000
I think it's, like, the people around us and the way the car feels doing them the straightaway, the speed and the way the car turns into the corner, it feels really feels really amazing. You like that?

00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:31.000
Yeah. So tell me about your car. You know, the number, the colors, all the things about your cart.

00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:45.000
So my car number is 2G, and the colors are pink, white, and blue. K. And that's my a class car. The outlaw car is neon yellow, blue, and black, and it's card number 2 g.

00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:55.000
So you'd you'd take me back. I was trying to write that down so I can remember. So you drive a winged Yes. Sprint car?

00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:57.000
Yes.

00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:07.000
And then what was oh, the outlaw kart. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So when you race, do you race both of them on the same weekends usually?

00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:08.000
Months. Sometimes.

00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:10.000
Yeah. At the same track?

00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:11.000
Yeah.

00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:16.000
Yeah. So what track is what would you consider your home track?

00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:21.000
SAR in Marion County, Illinois. Really? Mhmm.

00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:28.000
So you go from Alabama to Illinois to race? Mhmm. Yeah. Olivia, that's a long way to go.

00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:30.000
Yeah. She's here.

00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:38.000
So Marion County, Illinois, what town would that be?

00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:39.000
It's Marion.

00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:40.000
Yeah. I think it's in

00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:45.000
Illinois? Mhmm. Is is it down by Saint Louis down in that area somewhere?

00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:47.000
No. No.

00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:57.000
No? No. Okay. So I grew up in Illinois. So I'm a I'm an Illini through and through.

00:07:57.000 --> 00:08:19.000
I grew up in West Central Illinois. So if you look on a map where Illinois, Iowa, Missouri meet on the map, that's where I grew up and lived until I was in my forties. Then I moved to Michigan with my with my first husband. But anyway, so why do you go so far to race?

00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:28.000
Well it's the closest track to us and the tracks in Alabama they don't race micros, they just race big sprint cars around us.

00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:37.000
Okay. Okay. So you must really be serious about it or you wouldn't be driving that far to go. Yeah. Yeah.

00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:44.000
Yeah. That's interesting. And how often do you travel to Illinois?

00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:46.000
Twice a month.

00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:53.000
Okay. So, you know that road pretty well, don't you? Yeah. How long does it take you to get there from your where you live?

00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:54.000
Six hours.

00:08:54.000 --> 00:09:08.000
Oh, six hours. So, I mean, that would be like me driving. I live in Kalamazoo, Michigan. That would be like me driving from here back to West Central Illinois where I was born and raised. So, not as far as I was thinking.

00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:28.000
I was thinking it would be a lot harder. So, that's not terrible but Olivia, I'm so spoiled because I have racetracks within twenty minutes of me every direction, north, south, east, west. Not sprint car tracks though. So see that's the difference. Yeah.

00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:45.000
You've got to go to dirt and where the sprint cars race. And I really don't have, I only have one track that's close to me that does that and it's an hour. So I wonder, I wonder why there's not as many of those kinds of tracks. That's a shame. Yeah.

00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:55.000
Yeah. I think more kids would get involved in it and then we'd see more girls in sprint car racing if there were more tracks.

00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:56.000
Yeah. Yeah.

00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:01.000
Yeah. Are there very many girls that you race against in Illinois?

00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:03.000
There's just Couple. There's a couple.

00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:05.000
Yeah. But it's mostly boys.

00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:06.000
Yeah.

00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:12.000
Yeah. And is it all ages? Is it like adults and and kids? Or is it

00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:15.000
Yeah. Pretty much. A mix of both.

00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:23.000
Yeah. A good mix of both. So how how successful have you been in your racing?

00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:37.000
I think the last race I did or not the last one. The one before that, I finished, second in my heat race in the Outlaw car. Mhmm. First time ever. This is my first time ever running the Outlaw car.

00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:37.000
So

00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:44.000
Wow. That's impressive. Yeah. Yeah. So you I I bet you're looking forward to running that again.

00:10:44.000 --> 00:11:01.000
Mhmm. Because sounds like you're pretty you know you're pretty comfortable and you like running that if you finish second. Yeah. That's cool. Now, is there is there you know, when you go that far away, none of those kids go to your school.

00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:08.000
They, you didn't know any of them before you went there. Have you made friends? Is it easy to make friends when you travel that far away?

00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:19.000
Mhmm. Yeah. So we I have a friend. His name is River Cone, and they live in Kentucky, and we meet up with them almost every time we go to SAR. Okay.

00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:23.000
We met in quarter midgets and we kinda went from there.

00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:30.000
Okay. That's cool. So you do have friends there and then you've made new ones, I'm sure too.

00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:31.000
Mhmm.

00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:31.000
Yeah.

00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:32.000
Yeah.

00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:39.000
Yeah. For sure. Now do you help work on the sprint car? Who who does the maintenance, the work, and and all that?

00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:51.000
So my dad and I do a lot of mechanical work on the car, and my grandpa does all the electrical work, but we all kinda help on the car, and my little sister does the tires and stuff. So

00:11:51.000 --> 00:12:07.000
because she wants to be part of it too, doesn't she? Yeah. And what does your mom your mom make sure all of you are doing your jobs. I'm sure she's taking care of everything. And she probably make sure that you're eating right and drinking enough water especially when it's this hot.

00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:10.000
So, it's a family. It's a family deal, isn't it?

00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:11.000
Yeah.

00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:29.000
Yeah. Not every sport does the family get as involved. So like if you were playing basketball unless your dad was the coach, it'd be you and they would just watch. But racing is different. Families are all pitching in to help.

00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:36.000
Like you said your grandpa helps and your mom's helping and your sister's helping. And I love that part of racing.

00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:56.000
What's your favorite part of the racing? I think that just the people around us that help us, they'll drop everything that they're doing and come help us. And it's the yeah. And we do the same, and it's the community that helps all this stuff.

00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:11.000
Oh, yeah. Absolutely. I hear that over and over and over again. If if you couldn't race tomorrow, you would still be friends with those people. And social media lets us, you know, continue those friendships for sure.

00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:16.000
So, Olivia, do you have social media pages where people can follow you?

00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:24.000
Yes. I think we have Grimes Motorsports on TikTok and and Facebook.

00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:32.000
Okay. Grimes Motorsports. And And and Instagram. And does your ma is your mom your social media person?

00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:34.000
Yes.

00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:53.000
That's that's a good role for mom because then she can make sure that everything that's on there is appropriate and that you know, we wanna know what you're up to and that's a good way to keep track when I'm in Michigan and you're in Alabama, Illinois, whatever. Now do you ever travel anywhere else to race?

00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:59.000
Yes. So last week, we went to Oklahoma, and I did some stuff with Frank Flood.

00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:00.000
And Okay.

00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:06.000
We raced up there for two, one day. It was supposed to be two days, but it rained out. So

00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:10.000
Yeah. That's a frustrating part when you've gotta deal with the weather for sure.

00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:14.000
Yeah. And then we traveled to Doe Run-in Miami County.

00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:18.000
And where's that at? What state is that?

00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:23.000
The run is in Missouri and Miami Counties in Indiana.

00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:53.000
Okay so you come up in the Midwest quite a bit to do your racing. Yeah I'm a Midwest girl through and through Illinois now I'm Michigan so. So when you first started racing, you know, always say racing's the one sport that you lose more than you win. And sometimes that's hard to think about. You know, that it's not like, you know, you could be an undefeated baseball team because racing, that's just not gonna happen.

00:14:53.000 --> 00:15:06.000
Let's be real here, you know? Yeah. So, when you first started racing though, who was your biggest supporters? Who who was the person or persons that said, Olivia, I know you can do this. Do this or this.

00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:08.000
Who was your biggest helper?

00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:11.000
My parents and my grandparents.

00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:26.000
Yeah. And your dad had raced. So he probably was really good help for sure. Yeah and you know for you to be able to race, did your dad still race when you were racing? No.

00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:47.000
No? So that was that's what I would call a sacrifice. So sometimes parents sacrifice their own career, racing career. Obviously it's it's cost money and the travel and everything. So, your parents sacrifice things for you to be able to race.

00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:54.000
What do you, you know, that's something that's different than most sports because we know it's expensive.

00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:55.000
Mhmm.

00:15:55.000 --> 00:16:03.000
Who else helps you? Do you have sponsors or anybody that that, you know, pitches in so that you can race?

00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:15.000
Yeah. A one auto, of course, they're really helpful. They help with all the motors and stuff, and they're really good. Okay. And they were they were really good, and we met them in quarter midgets.

00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:15.000
We

00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:36.000
kinda Okay. So Okay. Awesome. And and so, you know, when you when you work on like if you went out and tried to get sponsorship or whatever, is that something you try to do or you do it with your parents? How do you get a sponsor?

00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:40.000
Yeah. So I'll hop on for this one.

00:16:40.000 --> 00:17:08.000
It's really hard for us since we are here in Alabama, to try and get sponsors. So mainly we're, you know, family owned and operated. The a one auto course, like I said, we met them in quarter midgets, and kinda got them onto selling motors and course for MicroSprints. So they've been very helpful with us, but it it's really hard. You know, we kinda do some fundraising stuff online on Facebook.

00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:12.000
But as far as true sponsorships, we haven't made it that far yet. Yeah.

00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:33.000
Well, it would be hard. That's what I was kinda thinking that, you know, you're in Alabama, and if you were racing right there close, it'd be easier because those businesses would be there. Whereas, you're coming to Illinois, you need to find sponsors in Illinois but you're not there all week. That would be hard. Yeah.

00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:56.000
It, you know, I struggle with that a little bit myself because not that I being where I'm located has nothing to do with it. But I cover such a big area of people all over The United States, you know, Canada, Australia, all over the place that, it's hard. You you almost have to have a bigger name. Yeah. That gets help.

00:17:56.000 --> 00:18:06.000
And that's what you struggle with some too because you're not, you're not right there. Yeah. So, keep working at it though. Don't give up on it. That's it'll happen.

00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:25.000
Somebody will see you, Olivia, and they'll be like, oh, I like how she races. I wanna sponsor her. Yeah. So being, you know, you're traveling, your family's together, obviously, during the week and on the weekend. Has that made your family closer together?

00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:27.000
How has it impacted your family?

00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:49.000
I feel like before, we were kinda, like, far apart, and now I feel like we're both together because we're traveling every week or so together. And I feel like it's our time together. Every time we travel, it's our family get together time, and it's really fun, and it's enjoyable.

00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:49.000
We celebrate

00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:56.000
birthdays on the road. Yep. And We celebrate birthdays on the road. And Yeah. So all those kinds

00:18:56.000 --> 00:19:35.000
of things fourth of July all the holidays whatever right yeah because you know sometimes you know we'll go back to any other sport or let's say you were in dancing or whatever you know dads aren't always into that as much and so dad's kind of doing his thing and then mom's kind of doing her thing she likes to bake or whatever but when it comes to racing it takes all of you doesn't it? And so it brings the family together. I love that part about racing because that that happens so so often. So, you know, you're you're doing all this traveling. I'm sure you're practicing.

00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:45.000
You're working on the car. There's a lot of things your family could be doing besides racing. You know, you're in Alabama. You could be going to Florida. You could be going to the beach.

00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:54.000
You could be golfing. You could be doing a lot of different things. What is it about motor sports that keeps you going to the track on the weekends?

00:19:54.000 --> 00:20:10.000
Well, when I get in the car and we get there, it's like it kinda spaces out the noise, and it kinda gets me focused, and it's really enjoyable. Yeah. It can zone everything out and. Yeah. It's really really good.

00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:21.000
School. Yeah. You know, other people, all the things. You can just focus on your racing and kind of let all the other things slide away. Yeah.

00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:25.000
So what do your friends think about you racing?

00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:30.000
I think they really like seeing us there and it's really enjoyable.

00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:37.000
What about your friends at school? Do they understand anything about your racing?

00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:38.000
Yeah.

00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:43.000
So I'm homeschooled, but my church friends think it's awesome. And

00:20:43.000 --> 00:21:06.000
Okay. Okay. Homeschooling works so well for kids at race. It's just such a blessing that we're able to do that and you know, I think COVID did a lot of bad things but there were some good things that came out of it and to realize that you could homeschool and and do a lot of other fun things besides you just go to school. I love that for kids.

00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:13.000
I think that's that's awesome. So, does your mom homeschool you or do you have one of those online schools?

00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:16.000
I have an online program. Okay

00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:36.000
yeah that's what a lot of kids do and like I said I just love that and it gives your family more flexibility and yeah that's great. So everybody has a bad day at the track. We kinda talked about that. When you have a bad day, how do you take you know, how do you handle that? Do you do you get upset?

00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:41.000
Do you throw your helmet? Do you cry? What do you do when you have a bad day?

00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:58.000
Well, sometimes I'll get upset. I'll throw the steering wheel, but then I'll go in the RV, and I'll sit and just let it fade away. And then I'll go back out, and I'll ask, hey. Is there anything I can help with to make the car do anything better or

00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:24.000
Good. Yeah. You have sometimes you you have to process it, right? You have to let it kind of let it follow go through and and your head and your tension and all the things and then it's just one race. I had somebody say to me, and she was a little girl, little younger than you, and she said to me, well, it's just one race, and I know tomorrow there's gonna be another one.

00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:43.000
And I thought, what? A smart little girl that is. That is just one race and you're gonna have lot more and so, try to do better, try to figure out what you did wrong, if you, you know, if it was your fault and then move on and just try to get better. So that sounds like that's what you're doing too.

00:22:43.000 --> 00:22:44.000
Yeah. Yeah.

00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:55.000
Do you have a favorite race that you you can go back to and say my favorite race or maybe my favorite place to race? Do you have a favorite at all?

00:22:55.000 --> 00:23:08.000
So my favorite track is Wayne County, but they they closed down. So and then my favorite race that I've ever done is when I won my first heat race.

00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:09.000
Yeah. That

00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:11.000
was that was my favorite.

00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:18.000
That's a big deal. Yeah. For sure. And do you run for points or you're just running

00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:20.000
Yeah. For I just run for myself.

00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:32.000
Yeah. Yeah. So if somebody came up to you at a racetrack, a parent, and said, Olivia, my little girl's been watching you. She wants to drive a race car just like you. What would you say to her?

00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:35.000
Is is motor sports a good sport to be involved in?

00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:43.000
Yeah. Yeah. Just encourage her to keep doing that and say, yeah. Yeah. Go ahead.

00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:45.000
You can do whatever you want. Just

00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:49.000
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.

00:23:49.000 --> 00:24:09.000
We have to encourage each other even if they're older than us. Encourage each other and and help bring new new kids into the sport too. I think that's important that they they see what you're doing and a little girl sees another girl out on that track and she thinks, well if she can do it, I can do it too. Right? Yeah.

00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:27.000
Yeah. So have you ever, like, come off the track and thought, I'm just not good enough. I just can't do this. Yeah. So how do how do you get out of that kind of a funk?

00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:40.000
Kinda sit in RV and my mom or my grandma or my dad will come in and we'll talk for a while and be like, yeah, it's okay. You can still do it. I know you can and it's really encouraging.

00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:52.000
Yeah. Because everybody has those kind of things. Even just in life Olivia. You know? The car breaks down or their conditioner quits and it's 100 degrees outside.

00:24:52.000 --> 00:25:12.000
All those kind of things, right? And so, through motor sports, I think we learn about adversity, how to overcome those things. What are some things you think that maybe you've learned through being involved in motor sports that maybe you wouldn't have learned at such a young age?

00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:24.000
That you have to actually work to get where you want and that you can't just sit around and expect it to do it by itself.

00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:33.000
Good advice. That's right. You have to work for what you want. Yep. It's not just gonna land in your lap for sure.

00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:45.000
Yeah. Do you ever have any issues when you've raced because you're a girl? Do the boys treat you any different or are you just one of the one of the racers?

00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:47.000
It's kinda in between.

00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:57.000
Okay. There's always there's always that one, isn't there? That thinks that they they know better or you don't belong there or whatever. Yeah. I know.

00:25:57.000 --> 00:26:10.000
That's that's so true. So you're 15. What does racing look like for you down the road? What do you wanna keep doing in racing?

00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:22.000
I wanna keep going and I keep trying dirt until I get to the big sprint cars and I wanna be on a big team someday. So.

00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:29.000
Oh, yeah. I'm hoping so. I watch a lot of flow racing. Do you watch flow? Yeah.

00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:48.000
Where are those girls out on the, like, the high limit series and the world of outlaws? Why aren't there women driving those cars? That's always frustrating to me that, you know, there's gotta be some good women out there. They just need sponsorship. That's one of the problems.

00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:56.000
But I would love to see some girls and women in those in those series. I watch I watch a lot of that for sure.

00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:56.000
Yeah.

00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:01.000
Yeah. So So Go ahead.

00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:09.000
So we watch Kaylee Bryson and Silver Crown Cars. The Silver Crown Cars we watch her and the midgets we watch her a lot so

00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:20.000
yeah she's really good isn't she yeah so you know you do have someone to look up to for sure have you ever met her

00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:24.000
Yes. We went to PRI one year and we met her and she was really nice.

00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:34.000
Oh, yeah. She's she's a really nice girl and have you ever gone to the Tulsa Shootout or the Chili Bowl?

00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:37.000
No, not yet. I think we're thinking about it next year.

00:27:37.000 --> 00:28:06.000
Yeah. I would love to go there. That's one of my bucket lists and not to race but I want to go there and talk to all the girls that I've interviewed because so many of those girls, a lot of a lot of girls I've interviewed go there and race and I just think that would be fun to go and then be able to watch em race, you know, in person. That would be, that would be cool. So, when is your next race, Olivia?

00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:07.000
Almost, do you know when?

00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:18.000
Probably next Yeah. Yeah. Couple weeks away. Do you post that on Facebook like where you're going to be racing? Yeah.

00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:28.000
Yeah. Okay. So we can follow you there. And then how long does do you continue to travel and race? I mean, when school's going on, do you still travel?

00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:34.000
I guess you're homeschooled, so that doesn't matter. In the fall? Or how long does it go?

00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:37.000
So it goes throughout through October.

00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:43.000
Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So you've got a few months yet that you get to race.

00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:53.000
Yeah. For sure. Well, Olivia, is there anything I haven't asked you about that you wanna share? No.

00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:54.000
No. I don't think that makes it.

00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:58.000
Oh, yeah. I wanna thank Frank Floyd for all his help.

00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:06.000
Okay. Alright. Very nice. That's good. We have to we have to thank the people that let us do what we love to do, don't we?

00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:06.000
Mhmm.

00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:22.000
Yeah. It takes a lot of time, effort, money, all those things in order to be, drive a race car. I don't care if you're five or, you know, 105. It still takes all those things. So, yeah, that's good.

00:29:22.000 --> 00:30:00.000
Well, Olivia, I've enjoyed meeting you today and having you on the show. I'll just ask if you and when you post on Facebook, if your mom will tag Women's Motorsports Network, it's easier for me to keep track of you that way. And if you ever want to be on again or something big happens and you want to share it, always reach out to me. I love sharing you know, what the girls are doing and and updates. So don't ever be afraid to reach out and and say, hey, I just won my first feature race or whatever it might be because I know you're going to do it.

00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:02.000
It's just a matter of time, right?

00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:03.000
Yeah. Yeah.

00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:12.000
Yeah, for sure. Well, Olivia, thank you again for being on. Like I said, any any last words that you wanna share before we hang up?

00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:14.000
No. Mm-mm. No.

00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:23.000
Alright. Well, thank you to you and your mom for being with me today, and I hope you have a great weekend, and make sure you stay in touch. Okay?

00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:32.000
Yep. Thank you for having me. Oh, you're welcome.

00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:59.000
Drivers, start your engines and bring the thrill of the track into your life with pit crew creations. We design unique custom motorsports inspired decor and accessories for fans who live life in the fast lane. From personalized mugs to stylish shirts, bags, and journals, every piece is crafted to match your love for racing. Whether it's for your home, your style, or the perfect gift, we've got you covered. Don't just cheer for the race.

00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:48.000
Live it. Visit pit crew creations today and shift into gear with designs as unique as your passion. You can find us on Facebook at pit crew creations or on Etsy at piccrewcreationsshop.etsy.com. Pic Crew Creations, fueled by passion crafted for you.

00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:53.000
To victory lane.

00:31:53.000 --> 00:32:03.000
Are rising, chasing the dream with us power running through the evergreen.

00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:33.000
Women's