April 21, 2026

Racing, College, and Life: How Chelsea Martin Balances It All

Send us Fan Mail Race nights look effortless from the grandstands, but the real story is what it takes to keep showing up week after week. I’m joined by Chelsea Martin, a 19-year-old Sport Compact racer from Shepherd, Michigan, and she brings the kind of grounded honesty that makes grassroots motorsports so relatable. We talk about the family thread that pulled her into racing, starting with her grandpa’s time in Street Stock and her earliest memories of being at the track at two years old, c...

Send us Fan Mail

Race nights look effortless from the grandstands, but the real story is what it takes to keep showing up week after week. I’m joined by Chelsea Martin, a 19-year-old Sport Compact racer from Shepherd, Michigan, and she brings the kind of grounded honesty that makes grassroots motorsports so relatable. We talk about the family thread that pulled her into racing, starting with her grandpa’s time in Street Stock and her earliest memories of being at the track at two years old, completely hooked on the noise and the speed.

Chelsea also shares what life looks like off the track. She works part-time at a local library, stays fully enrolled in college, and studies mortuary science with the goal of becoming a funeral director while also helping with removals for a local funeral home. That mix of responsibility and ambition is a big part of women in motorsports today, especially in local racing where you build your program with grit, family support, and long nights in the shop.

We get into the practical racing decisions that fans don’t always see: Crystal Motor Speedway changing its classes, the impact of losing a four-cylinder option, and why Chelsea is switching her season to I-96 Speedway in Ionia. She explains the learning curve of a bigger track, and the travel reality of hauling an hour and a half or more when your biggest pit crew is your dad. If you love Michigan dirt track racing, Sport Compact racing, or stories about how drivers adapt to keep chasing speed, this conversation is for you.

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00:51 - Sponsor Messages And Contacts

02:07 - Meet Chelsea Martin

02:45 - College Life And Mortuary Science

03:18 - Falling In Love With The Track

04:16 - Sport Compact Racing And New Tracks

Meet Chelsea Martin

Melinda Russell 0:51

This episode is sponsored by Snyder's Lawn Care and Property Maintenance in Kalamazoo, Michigan. If storms leave branches, debris, or damage in your yard, including down trees, their team offers reliable storm damage cleanup services. Reach out to Bob or Andrew at 269-775-1275 or their website is Snyder'slawncare.com. That's 269-775-1275. Today's episode is powered by Breakthrough Travel Company. Racers spend their weekends at the track, but when it's time for a vacation, Britney can help plan the perfect getaway. Enjoy expert travel planning without any added fees. Disney, cruises, or anywhere that's calling your name, Britney can help you plan the perfect getaway. Call 602-291-5144. Or find her at breakthrough travel on social media. Hello everyone, this is Melinda Russell with the Women's Motorsports Network Podcast. And my guest today is Chelsea Martin. So Chelsea, I want to welcome you to the show. And would you start by just sharing a little bit about yourself?

Chelsea Martin 2:22

Yeah, so my name is Chelsea Martin, as you said. I'm 19 years old. I have one older sister, and I have a pet cat. Her name is Chicken Nugget. Um and then I also have an English massive. His name is Ryder. He's a big baby. And I'm from Shepherd, Michigan.

Melinda Russell 2:45

Okay. And do you still you're 19, so you do you go to college and do you work? What do you do, Chelsea, in your spare time?

Chelsea Martin 2:53

Um, I work a part-time job at a local library, and I am fully enrolled as a college student. I'm going for mortuary science to become a funeral director. Okay. So I also do removals for a local funeral home.

Falling In Love With The Track

Melinda Russell 3:12

Okay. All right. So you're on the path to a career plus motorsports. So tell me, Chelsea, how how did you get involved in motorsports?

Chelsea Martin 3:22

So my grandpa used to race before I was born. So it's kind of been something that's always been in the family. He used to run street stock a little bit everywhere. And then my parents started taking me to the track to watch at two years old because my grandma couldn't watch me. And I fell in love with it. I was sitting in my dad's lap trying to turn my head like an owl all the way around, trying to watch the cars go around. I love the loud noises. They couldn't keep the headphones on me. Everything just it excited me. So after that, it just became a full-time thing. They started taking me every week, and I've been going pretty much every weekend since.

Sport Compact Racing And New Tracks

Melinda Russell 4:03

That's pretty cool. And you know, it's fun that it starts with your family and and it just it's in your blood, it carries right on. And so that's pretty cool. So, how are you involved in racing now?

Chelsea Martin 4:16

I race Sport Compact. I've been racing those since I was 14, and I'm going on this will be my fourth and a half, technically fifth season running.

Melinda Russell 4:30

Okay.

Chelsea Martin 4:30

And what track do you race at? I used to race at Crystal Motor Speedway, but this year they unfortunately cut four cylinders because of means to try out a new class, which is great for them. I hope that works out for them. I have the highest hopes. I will still be watching on Saturday nights. One of my favorite tracks to go to. But this year, running-wise, we're switching to I-96 Speedway in Ionia.

Melinda Russell 4:55

Okay. All right. That sounds fun. So a new track. So there'll be a learning curve, probably.

Chelsea Martin 5:02

I ran there once last year, and I really enjoyed their track. It's a little bit bigger than Crystal was, and so it was a different experience, but I still really enjoyed it.

Melinda Russell 5:13

Yeah. And how far is that for you to go to the it's about from home, it's about an hour and a half drive there, I believe. Okay. So, you know, I I always am amazed at the length that people will go to to drive to a track. It doesn't seem to matter if that's if that's what they want to do and that's where they want to go, they're gonna do it. Right?

Chelsea Martin 5:39

Yep. We thought about running over in Muskegon, which is about a two and a half, almost three hour haul for us. And in the end, we were gonna run a Friday night track over there and then run a Saturday night track over there, and then decided between me and my dad, who is my biggest pit crew. The beans just were not there to run two nights over three hours away from home if something goes wrong with car.

unknown 6:02

No.