March 25, 2026

Shelby Thurman’s Full-Throttle Journey

Shelby Thurman’s Full-Throttle Journey
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What happens when a racer grows up trackside and turns childhood laps into a signature streak that few ever touch? We invited 20-year-old bracket sensation Shelby Thurman to share the real story behind her rise—from a junior dragster at seven to a hard-hitting 1991 S10 tuned by a family that lives and breathes motorsports.

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00:00 - Welcome And Mission

01:16 - Meet Shelby: Roots And Family

03:20 - Early Start In Junior Dragsters

07:50 - Climbing Classes: 8.90 And 7.90

11:45 - Big Wins, Bristol Memories, And Milestones

16:10 - Transition To The S10 Truck

20:30 - The Montgomery Hot Streak Weekend

25:10 - Setbacks, Breaks, And Mental Reset

28:20 - Rituals, Calm, And Driving Mindset

31:20 - Truck Build, Upgrades, And Setup

35:40 - Community, Mentors, And Giving Back

36:20 - Note: Adjusted For Topic Flow

WEBVTT

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Welcome to the Women's Motorsports Network Podcast, the show that puts the spotlight on the incredible women who fuel the world of motorsports.

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From drivers to crew members, engineers to fans, and everyone in between, we're here to celebrate the trailbizers, dreamers, and doers shaping the sport we love.

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Each episode, we share inspiring stories of females of all ages from every corner of the motorsports universe, past, present, and future.

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It's a journey through the seasons of life filled with heartfelt moments, laughter, and a whole lot of horsepower.

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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.

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This is the Women's Motorsports Network podcast, connecting and celebrating women in motorsports one story at a time.

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Let's hit the track.

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Yeah, I appreciate you having me.

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I'm greatly appreciated for it.

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I'm Shelby.

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I've been racing for 14 years.

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I live in Portland, Tennessee.

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I work at Publix.

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My dad, he has his own transmission shops.

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That's how he works in all of our cars.

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I'm very deeply into racing.

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That is my passion.

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That is what I love the most.

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Wrap my whole world around it pretty much.

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My boyfriend as well, he races too.

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He uh is just rebuilding his whole car.

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So yeah, just pretty much the racing world is my world.

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Okay.

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And do you have any siblings?

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I do not.

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I'm the only child.

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No child.

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So you're a you're your daddy's spoiled daughter, right?

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Pretty much we can admit that it's okay.

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And and uh how about pets?

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Do you have any pets?

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I have two wiener dogs.

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Oh their names are Doug and Carl.

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Everyone who like really knows my family knows Wiener Dog because my dad posts about them like they're newborn babies.

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But yeah, we love them.

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I also have a cat, she just kind of chills, but yeah, I got two wiener dogs.

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Yeah, she tries to.

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Well, that's cute, very, very cute.

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So I'm gonna ask you if if somebody googled you, would they find out anything about you that most people don't know?

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Yes.

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A few years ago, I actually had like a little thing with Drag Champ where they did a thing about me.

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And I used to, I was really into beauty pageants and dancing when I was younger.

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So that's something that most people don't know about me.

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Is I did a lot of beauty pageants.

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The older I got, the more I got into racing.

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So I just kind of like didn't do that anymore.

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I wasn't really interested in it.

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Well, you and you kind of have to choose, don't you?

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A little bit.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Well, that's cool.

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I did not know that about you, so that's that's pretty cool.

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So um, so tell me, how did you get started in motorsports?

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So my grandpa, which is my dad's father, he he raced long ago, which got my dad into racing as well.

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And my mother always says when she was pregnant with me, every time my dad would do a burnout, I would start kicking.

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That's how they knew I was gonna be a racing baby.

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I was always at the racetrack with my dad, even when I was a newborn baby.

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That's how they revealed my gender as they went over the intercom and announced that they were having a girl and everything.

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So yeah, I was always by his side.

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There's actually like a little picture that my dad has on his bedstand, and I was like not even a year old, and I had a helmet on in his car just standing there.

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Then I fell out of the car and busted my head open.

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But that's that's okay.

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I I never really knew about junior dragsters until I got older, and back when I started the legal age to start was eight.

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Well, I was eight for like three years, so I just stayed at local tracks that I was like they were allowing me to race.

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I started when I was seven.

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I got a little junior dragster on my seventh birthday.

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It was like this was back when like Jegs made junior dragsters.

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It was called a Jagster, had a little 1390 Briggs Stratton motor.

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Wasn't nothing too crazy.

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I raced at Music City for a very long time until I turned eight.

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Then we were able to start traveling.

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And then that's when my dad realized he was like, okay, she's actually into it.

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So he got me a bigger junior, half skill.

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I had that junior up until I aged out because he got it for big enough for I could have it the rest of my junior career.

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I traveled at places like Memphis for when they had this like junior program going on.

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I think it was called the Southeastern Junior Dragster series.

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Can't really remember.

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It's so long ago.

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I did that a lot, as well as Music City and Bowling Green, those were three of my big tracks until I was finally able to go to Bristol.

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And oh my goodness, that just like changed everything.

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We only went for three days.

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I remember this.

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I mean, we went for three days, and we didn't even get to like experience half of it.

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So that's when we started going for like the full week and a half and everything.

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I did that for till I aged out, obviously.

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And then when I turned eight, he got me a bigger motor A90, whole new, whole new world.

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Like I thought I was flying.

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I thought 1290 was fast.

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No, 890, faster than the birds.

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I did really good in A90.

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I like to think.

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I won a bunch of things.

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I'm trying to remember.

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I feel like I haven't been in a junior for a long time, but it's been like three years, two years.

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The whole different game changer was 790.

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That's when it kind of developed 790.

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It was hard at first, didn't like it because the car was just so inconsistent, but bigger, bigger motor, bigger parts, more things that can be wrong.

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My dad finally figured it out.

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So 790 career.

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I remember this is when Chad Axford, he's a good racer, good friend of ours.

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He used to put on these races back in the day called the Mississippi Showdown, Throwdown, Mississippi Madness.

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That's the one.

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As well as Dream Team.

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I was I won Dream Team two years in a row, and then three years back to back to back in the finals.

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So that's a very good core memory of mine.

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And I was able to mark off 100 wins in a junior.

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So I don't remember when I did it, but I think I finalized at like 130 something when I aged out of a junior.

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My mother as well.

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She was always a she was always there for all my races.

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She was always a nervous wreck, but she is definitely my biggest supporter in the junior career.

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And that's when Drag Champ did like their little article about me talking about my wins and stuff.

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I won a bunch of Wally's Iron Man's.

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I had Best Appearing Junior at one time.

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I when I was back in like seventh grade, my dad told me if I won this one certain race, I think he wanted me to win more than I wanted to win.

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But he said if I would won it, he would let me get my car re-wrapped.

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And I won it.

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So I was in seventh grade and I was sitting in English class and I was just drawing it out how exactly how I wanted it.

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Even colored it, the color I wanted, and he surprised me with it.

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And that's a do that's another core memory I have.

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When I turned 16, I made it on to the FTI farm team.

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I think it was 16, 16, or 17.

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I loved it.

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They always treated us very well, sent us very good products for our junior as well as Wild Willy.

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They sent me some products for the junior as well, along with clots.

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Back in 2023, that was that was my last year in a junior, 2023.

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I won a good amount, and I'm glad I did.

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I started the year off kind of rough, so it's kind of I think because I was just so nervous.

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This is my last time in a junior.

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But I won like a teams race in a junior.

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It was me, Anthony Bradford, Braxton McGee.

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Yeah.

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And it was just a team that was thrown together, and we won.

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And it was just awesome.

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It was in Montgomery.

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And then I went back to Montgomery a few months later in September, and that's when I won all those races in one week.

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And it was like Friday night, we get there, and they have a 5k Gambers race, and I win that.

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Didn't even think I could win it, but I won.

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So I was just like, I was happy for the weekend.

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Woke up the next day and I told my dad, I was like, you know, I want to race the junior because they would do the junior class first and just get those out of the way, and then they would start doing big cars.

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So I was like, I'm just gonna run the junior.

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I won$500.

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I was like, oh my gosh, didn't know I still had it in me.

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And then later that day was the team race, and it was me, Dylan Kyle, and Cam Wheeler.

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Once again, it was just a team thrown together at last minute, and we won the team race that night with$7,500.

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And then Sunday I wake up, race again, won$10,000, and that was it.

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That's a weekend I still will never forget, and I still talk about it to this day.

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Just because I don't know, I just that's one of my biggest accomplishments in my life and racing career.

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And then I was able to, I was blessed enough to get into the Mike Smith race and the 500k, which was like a few, like a month or two after that.

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And I had a great time.

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I won some money, made a lot of good friends, and then um I as well won the sports and spectacular in my truck that season as well.

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I started racing in my truck back when I was 15.

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And that's I remember it was the last center mountain, and they had to cancel the race due to the weather, and they were able to drive the track off enough.

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And my dad was like, You want to hop in it?

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So I hopped in it and left, whole foot came off the pedal, couldn't reach the pedal.

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Still to this day, I can't reach the pedal, so I have a pillow behind me.

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Good friend Jody Davies made me a custom pillow that will that helps me reach the pedal, but that is definitely a core memory of mine.

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And then 2023 in Braydaton, that was the last go-around in the junior.

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It was definitely emotional.

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I was like, for the longest time, I was ready to get out of it until I did get out of it.

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And I try to tell people a lot who don't like to race the junior to just stay in it as long as you can because once you get out, you cannot go back.

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It is definitely just it's just a core memory.

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Like I just loved my friends in the racing world, especially Bristol.

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I wish I could go back to Bristol for that week and a half.

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I would do it all over again, honestly.

00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:36.159
But aging out of the junior made me and my dad focus more on the truck, which I was mostly excited about when we sold the junior.

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We were able to start building this motor 383, and we put it in there last season.

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Last season was last season was kind of rough.

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We were still getting like all the bugs and the everything out.

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We were whole new motor, whole new setup.

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We had new transmission, motor, converter.

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We had like just new everything, front end, everything you think of.

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So I'm hoping this season will be better, which I think it will.

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We finally got my truck figured out literally in November.

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That's when we finally got everything.

00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:19.120
Good buddy of ours, Trevor Wiggins, owner of Get Hem, he was definitely there for a lot of it to help us figure out because we put a gethem carburetor on there as well.

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Flawless.

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It's nasty.

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Like, but he's always a phone call away.

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You're like, you can call him at 2 a.m.

00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:27.519
and he'll answer.

00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:37.919
And then BTE, Brandon over at BTE, he we had some issues with the converter, and we sent it over there, it comes back flawless.

00:13:38.480 --> 00:13:45.120
At the I believe he got us, it's like an old converter, and he turned it into a 388-600, one of those hard-hit converters.

00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:55.440
So yeah, that's that's not even like half of my racing story, but with all these years, I can't even remember half of like I can remember the good stuff.

00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:58.080
But you do know there is a lot of bad things in racing.

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Luckily, in the junior, I never wrecked, never did that.

00:14:02.159 --> 00:14:05.519
My dad always preached to me to never slam on your brakes at the finish line.

00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:10.879
If you do, don't do it too aggressively, don't turn too hard when you're going fast.

00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:12.240
He always preached that to me.

00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:19.919
And then as well in the truck, he still says that on he watches at the finish line, and every time I hit the brakes, I come back to the trailer.

00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:23.039
And he's like, I saw you hit them brakes too hard.

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And so honestly, I think I just don't like slam on the brakes because I don't want to hear my dad talk to me about it.

00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:33.440
So yeah, that's pretty much that's my story for racing.

00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:35.200
Little little bit.

00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:38.320
We're gonna go back a little bit.

00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:41.360
That weekend that you won all those races.

00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:42.159
Yeah.

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Did you at the time understand how amazing that was?

00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:50.480
People just do that.

00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:53.440
They don't win all the in the same weekend.

00:14:53.840 --> 00:15:03.200
Yeah, I was so in shock, like honestly, like the rest of the month I was, because I was never, I never I don't know.

00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:06.639
I'm like, I take I don't take stuff for granted.

00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:10.159
I don't like when people do take it for granted, you know.

00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:11.360
So I don't know.

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I just it didn't hit me till like a month later.

00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:18.080
I was like, oh my goodness, dad, we did that.

00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:20.480
And my dad was like, no, we did it, you did it.

00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:23.759
I was like, my dad is my number one supporter as well.

00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:28.960
He works on all the cars, he makes sure my car is better than his.

00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:33.200
Mine's the number one priority, not his anymore.

00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:41.039
And so, like that weekend, after I won that 10K, it was just like I was just in tears.

00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:43.039
I couldn't, I couldn't believe it.

00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:47.279
And especially seeing my dad, he was in tears as well.

00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:58.559
That's just what put the cherry on top because I love knowing that he worked on this, and all the success is what makes him happy, mostly when it's my truck.

00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:10.480
It's like your hard work is the reason why I'm here, dad, because you made such a good truck and you turned me into a good driver to know what I'm kind of doing.

00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:14.720
Yeah, well, you obviously know what you're doing, or you wouldn't have won all those races.

00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:15.519
Yeah.

00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:20.720
You know, one of the questions that I normally ask is, What is your proudest moment?

00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:22.639
I don't even think you could pick one.

00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:25.120
There's so many that you've just shared with me.

00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:29.360
And I I just love I love hearing all of that.

00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:36.080
And I'm sure there are it are a lot more wins and races and things that you've won a lot along the way.

00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:44.559
Um was there ever, ever a time when things didn't go well and you came off the track and said, No, that's it, I'm done.

00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:46.799
I'm trying to think.

00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:52.399
I believe this was honestly last year.

00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:56.000
I just I could not catch a break at all.

00:16:56.159 --> 00:16:57.440
Could not catch a break.

00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:08.400
And I actually like I took a few months off just to refresh because I never want to quit, but I don't want to race and just make myself feel miserable.

00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:14.559
So I just took a few like a month or two off, and it really made me miss racing.

00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:17.279
So that's when I went back.

00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:23.599
But it's just my dad always kept telling me, don't give up, we will get this truck figured out.

00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:28.640
I think he was, I'm pretty sure last year made him go halfway bald because of that truck.

00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:31.279
It just made him, it made everybody crazy.

00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:37.279
But last year was definitely a very hard year for me with all this new stuff that we have trying to figure it out.

00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:45.039
But I never really wanted to quit because I don't really know what I would do without racing.

00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:54.799
But I definitely there are a few times where I'm just like, okay, I need a I need a break for a moment and just go do something else because I'm just getting too frustrated with this.

00:17:56.319 --> 00:17:59.599
So, Shelby, there's a lot going on when you're in the race car.

00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:05.440
What keeps you at ease when you're going down ready to go down the track super fast?

00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:08.160
You know, you may be going for a win.

00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:10.880
What keeps you calm and at ease?

00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:23.039
Um, definitely before I race, put my helmet on, I always say a prayer just to keep me safe, keep me calm, all that.

00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:26.480
I never I never pray to win.

00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:29.279
I just my grandpa actually taught me that.

00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:31.759
Never pray to win, just pray to do your best.

00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:33.920
So I always just pray to do my best.

00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:37.119
And my dad as well taught me take deep breaths.

00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:42.480
That helps a lot because in racing, get a high adrenaline, you can it's easy to mess up.

00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:44.720
So I just take a lot of deep breaths.

00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:51.920
And that's that's pretty much what I do to help keep me at ease, as well as my mother.

00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:56.880
She will like talk my ear off and just make me laugh and forget about the whole world.

00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:00.559
So uh that's why I keep her around, you know.

00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:02.480
That's cool.

00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:05.039
So, what's your race car number?

00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:07.119
211X.

00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:11.839
And did you are you able to choose that or do they choose it for you?

00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:13.519
They chose it for me.

00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:23.440
Actually, back before I started racing for like NHRA, IHRA, all that stuff, when I picked my number, it was 8211.

00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:34.079
My dad's two, my dad's number was H211, and so we made mine 8211 for because I was eight when I started racing, and then his 211.

00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:35.039
Okay.

00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:36.400
All right.

00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:40.319
And tell me what's your c what does your car look like now?

00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:48.319
Oh it's definitely a different looking car when my dad first bought it back when I was maybe like a year or two years old.

00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:51.279
All primer, random wheels.

00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:54.480
And when I first started racing it, it had these.

00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:07.599
But now it has RBZ.

00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:10.400
Luckily, like I don't know how they did it.

00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:12.000
They made my wheels look 10 times better.

00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:13.839
They put some V locks on it.

00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:20.799
Dad lowered the front end a little bit to add more travel and help me do wheelies, put a bed cover on it.

00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:23.599
Now I just got a new dialing board for it.

00:20:23.920 --> 00:20:26.400
RBZ steering wheel, new shifter.

00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:29.119
We painted the whole inside black.

00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:30.799
Got some new stickers.

00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:32.480
TJ Jordan made me.

00:20:32.640 --> 00:20:33.519
He's really good.

00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:35.680
He always makes all my stickers.

00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:40.240
It's definitely a different looking car from when I first saw it.

00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:49.759
It's like it's my design on a car now, pretty much, too, because I mean it's my truck and my dad helps me with it.

00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:52.720
So yeah, it's a truck, not a car, right?

00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:53.920
Yeah, it's 10.

00:20:54.160 --> 00:20:56.000
I meant to say I meant to say truck.

00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:57.920
I'm so used to saying car, but yeah.

00:20:58.079 --> 00:21:00.720
I like so what kind of truck is it?

00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:04.720
It is a 91 square body S10.

00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:07.680
I'm I'm in love with square bodies.

00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:11.839
I actually, if I had a short sleeve on, I have a tattoo of my truck on here.

00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:12.480
Okay.

00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:16.880
But yeah, my dad also has a 69 Mustang as well.

00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:18.480
He raced that.

00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:30.319
He it was his first car when he was 16, and then he just slowly throughout the years turned into a race car, and now it's runs like 580s, and that's pretty much all I know.

00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:32.000
I don't really know what kind of motor he has.

00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:33.599
I don't pay attention to him.

00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:36.880
You've got enough to take care of with yourself, right?

00:21:37.119 --> 00:21:37.680
Yeah.

00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:38.799
Yeah, for sure.

00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:46.079
So when you go to the racetrack, I mean, you've been so successful that you have to be fairly well known when you go to the track.

00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:49.519
Do you have a lot of people that come up and talk to you?

00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:54.960
A lot of little girls, little boys that come up and want to see your truck and want to talk to you?

00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:56.000
Mm hmm.

00:21:56.319 --> 00:22:03.519
Um one of I have a girl who As Rosie race with her.

00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:07.680
Her parents, I love, I just love her whole family.

00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:10.720
They actually let me run her junior most of the time.

00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:12.640
And I love it a couple of times.

00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:13.599
We've gone rounds.

00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:17.359
She's actually won once before when I ran her junior.

00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:24.559
But I do have like a lot of people that come up to me and ask me how I got into the racing world.

00:22:24.640 --> 00:22:33.039
And then I sometimes do have the younger people come up to me and ask me what to do this round or just saying hi to me.

00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:39.119
And I definitely love it when people come up to me just because I love talking about racing, especially to the younger people.

00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:45.200
I like giving them advice to help them proceed in the junior world and big car world.

00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:56.480
But I even like it when like older people come up to me that's been racing way longer than I have, and they tell me that I'm a good racer and all this stuff.

00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:01.119
It's definitely a good feeling to have knowing that people know me by my driving.

00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:08.079
Yeah, for sure.

00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:09.920
So what about partnerships?

00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:14.480
What kind of do you go and and try to get partners?

00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:16.079
You know, does your dad do that?

00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:17.680
Who who does that?

00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:18.880
How do you do it?

00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:22.400
Because that's a big deal when you're racing, your partnerships.

00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:30.559
My dad, most of the time, he sells a lot of stuff and he tries to pick up partnerships.

00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:32.400
I think he just picked up one.

00:23:33.039 --> 00:23:35.680
I don't know yet, still in the works.

00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:43.920
But with like Wild Willie, that's one of our partners, along with Clots, and then Phoenixes sponsor us.

00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:49.440
And we got Trevor to hop on board as well from Gethem.

00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:50.880
He sponsors my truck.

00:23:51.039 --> 00:23:52.960
My dad helps him out as well.

00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:58.480
And then BTE, they they jumped on board a couple seasons ago.

00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:02.000
Trying to think who else.

00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:05.920
Yeah, Clawts, Wild Willy, BTE.

00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:13.359
But yeah, my dad mostly does all of the partnerships just because he buys everything with his business and sells it through his business.

00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:17.119
And luckily they want to hump hump on board with me too.

00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:18.960
So yeah.

00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:20.960
That works out really good.

00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:23.680
So do you ever have any doubt?

00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:31.759
Like when you get when you let's say you're going to a big race, and do you ever doubt yourself before you go or when you're at the track?

00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:34.400
And and if so, how do you overcome that?

00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:37.359
And maybe you don't have that.

00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:43.519
And if so, how how do you keep that away from messing with your head?

00:24:44.960 --> 00:24:56.960
Sometimes sometimes there is a doubt, but that'll just be like through the week, knowing if I'm traveling somewhere and I have doubt, I just try to my best, just cut it out.

00:24:57.039 --> 00:25:02.480
Because if you roll in somewhere thinking you're not gonna do good, you're not gonna do good.

00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:18.880
And that is something I try to keep embedded in my my brain, in my head, to roll in somewhere, knowing you're gonna win, knowing you're going to good do good, so you can keep the positive vibes on track, as well as my dad.

00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:20.640
He really helps me with it.

00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:30.000
I talk to him a lot about my racing and my mother, and they they talk me through it all if I have any doubts, especially with like questions of my dad.

00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:31.359
I'm like, well, this happened last week.

00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:33.599
My dad's like, it's fixed, it's it's okay.

00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:35.839
I fixed it, it's not gonna happen again.

00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:45.039
So that is something that does happen pretty often, but luckily I have them two that just help me through it, as well as my boyfriend.

00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:47.680
He he knew me with all my success.

00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:52.000
He's knew me for a while, but he also talks me through it.

00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:56.960
So you've got a good support system for sure around you.

00:25:57.359 --> 00:25:58.000
Yeah.

00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:06.720
So, what is something that racing has taught you about yourself that maybe you wouldn't have learned had you not been involved in racing?

00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:11.519
Um trying to think.

00:26:13.200 --> 00:26:17.200
Definitely maybe patience.

00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:24.319
Um when I was like when I was younger, did not have the patience for nothing.

00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:28.720
Still, honestly, I really don't, but racing has definitely helped me with that.

00:26:28.960 --> 00:26:33.759
Just just slow down and everything will come.

00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:39.359
Like, you don't have to rush, you don't have to do this so you can become this type of person.

00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:43.119
Just slow down and everything will happen on its own.

00:26:43.519 --> 00:26:50.160
And Scotty Racerson once told me I was really close with Scotty, still one of my biggest idols to this day.

00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:53.599
He always told me when I would have a rough time.

00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:56.240
You have peaks and valleys.

00:26:56.559 --> 00:27:00.720
When you're at the peak, there's nowhere you can go other than to the valley.

00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:03.839
And then he's like, When you're in the valley, all you can do is go to the peak.

00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:07.680
So that is something I always keep in my mind as well, peaks and valleys.

00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:10.160
Because without that, I don't know.

00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:12.640
I probably would be like go crazy.

00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:17.279
No, that's really good advice, not just for racing, but for life.

00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:19.440
Isn't that just how life is?

00:27:19.839 --> 00:27:38.880
You know, you just one day you're at the peak, and the next day you're at the valley, and you just you know, or week after week, and that's really good advice to remember just in life, that there is no life that is just a solid, even keel that never has the peaks and valleys.

00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:41.519
So I I love that for sure.

00:27:42.079 --> 00:27:49.039
So, how has being involved in motorsport sports made you stronger, do you think?

00:27:50.960 --> 00:28:01.359
Definitely like when I was younger, I never really got myself out there, didn't really know much about like cars, I guess you can say.

00:28:01.599 --> 00:28:10.960
And the older I got, the more I want to be out there in the crowd and talk to more people and inspire more people if I can.

00:28:11.200 --> 00:28:18.000
As well as I have a few friends sometimes who might not know if something's wrong with their car, and I can help them out a little bit.

00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:20.960
I like to be there just to help people, you know.

00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:30.480
That's something that when I was younger, I never really understood until the older I got, the more I knew that my heart is like kind of bigger than my body.

00:28:30.640 --> 00:28:32.640
I went I went to help people.

00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:37.920
So what you know, I I assume you went to high school.

00:28:38.480 --> 00:28:42.079
What you weren't weren't homeschooled, or did you go to high school?

00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:43.680
Uh funny story.

00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:51.519
I went to high school for about a year and they did not like my racing, so I went homeschool.

00:28:53.440 --> 00:28:59.759
Just because they I would go racing and they would like not give me my work, so my parents were like, We're done.

00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:01.279
We are going to homeschool.

00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:04.640
So that's not very supportive of a kid.

00:29:04.880 --> 00:29:05.440
I know.

00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:08.960
If you were playing basketball or something, I bet they would have done it.

00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:11.119
So yeah, that's what we said.

00:29:11.440 --> 00:29:15.759
But I'm sure you had friends in school because you're a very likable person.

00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:18.079
What did your friends think about you racing?

00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:19.039
Did they understand?

00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:20.480
Did they go to watch?

00:29:21.279 --> 00:29:24.559
So I actually had a few teachers that came and watched me.

00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:25.680
I loved that.

00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:28.240
So this day they keep up with my racing.

00:29:28.480 --> 00:29:32.799
Even when my first grade teacher, I remember her when I first started racing.

00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:34.960
She still keeps up with it.

00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:45.680
Most of my friends didn't really understand racing, but I'd always like try to talk them through it, which they understood kind of like the basics.

00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:55.119
And where I work now as well, a couple people know a lot about racing because they came and watched me, and that's like that's really all I talk about.

00:29:55.440 --> 00:29:55.759
Yeah.

00:29:56.079 --> 00:30:06.559
But I I still have a few friends who don't really understand it, but they see what I post and they're like, Yay, good job, you won first round, you know.

00:30:07.839 --> 00:30:08.720
Well, that's good.

00:30:08.799 --> 00:30:11.680
At least even if they don't understand, they're supportive of it.

00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:16.000
So that that's so where do you see yourself down the road?

00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:17.119
What do you want to do?

00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:19.759
You know, what what are you 25 years old?

00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:20.880
I'm 20.

00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:22.720
Oh, yeah, that's right.

00:30:22.799 --> 00:30:23.920
You're 20 years old.

00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:29.279
So in the next five to ten years, where's Shelby gonna be in the racing?

00:30:29.680 --> 00:30:36.079
Well, I hope eventually I will get in my dad's car, race his car a few times.

00:30:36.319 --> 00:30:38.799
I really love my truck, like I really do.

00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:48.240
I for the longest time I wanted to be a pro stog racer because Erica is one of my biggest role models.

00:30:49.359 --> 00:30:52.319
But honestly, I just I love bracket racing.

00:30:52.559 --> 00:31:11.359
I love my S10 and being around my people, but I hope within like five to ten years I do have like a bigger development out there more, and I can maybe go like across the world somewhere and continue to just race at bigger races and race at some races.

00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:14.880
I've never thought I'd be there on that big stage.

00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:20.240
So is there a track that you would really love to race at?

00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:22.960
Trying to think.

00:31:23.599 --> 00:31:26.000
I've been to so many throughout my years.

00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:27.200
That's what I figured.

00:31:27.359 --> 00:31:28.880
You've been to a lot of them already.

00:31:29.279 --> 00:31:32.000
Yeah, Bristol.

00:31:32.559 --> 00:31:32.960
100%.

00:31:33.759 --> 00:31:36.799
Yeah, I would love to race at Bristol in my truck.

00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:39.200
I've been there for 10 years and only raced to junior.

00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:41.279
I'd love to go to Bristol in my truck.

00:31:41.519 --> 00:31:44.160
Okay, we're gonna put that on the bucket list that you won't go to.

00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:46.640
Yeah, for sure.

00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:48.799
So, what about social media?

00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:49.839
Do you use it?

00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:52.880
How could somebody follow you on social media?

00:31:53.359 --> 00:31:56.640
I have pretty much every social media you can know.

00:31:56.720 --> 00:31:58.720
I'm so young, I use all of it.

00:31:58.960 --> 00:32:03.759
I mostly post on Facebook and TikTok about my racing.

00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:06.880
I have Instagram, Snapchat.

00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:10.160
Is it not in your name, or how would we find you?

00:32:10.400 --> 00:32:12.319
Yeah, Shelby Thurman, pretty much.

00:32:12.720 --> 00:32:17.839
Okay, okay, so but yeah, Facebook is my biggest platform.

00:32:18.160 --> 00:32:27.279
The people that are listening, they can get on there and and follow you and find out where you're gonna be racing, how you did, pictures, all that kind of stuff, right?

00:32:27.440 --> 00:32:29.200
Yep, yeah, okay.

00:32:29.519 --> 00:32:30.160
All right.

00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:33.200
Is there anything that we haven't talked about, Shelby?

00:32:33.440 --> 00:32:35.119
Now I'm gonna back that up.

00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:41.039
There's a lot of things we haven't talked about about your career because it's been so massive.

00:32:41.200 --> 00:32:49.119
Yeah, but is there anything big that we've left out or something that you want to share that maybe I didn't ask the right question?

00:32:50.640 --> 00:32:52.799
Not that I can really think of.

00:32:52.880 --> 00:33:00.160
I think we went over all like the big basics that I'd like people to know about me, especially that weekend in Montgomery.

00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:04.000
That's just something I'll never not talk about.

00:33:05.440 --> 00:33:13.440
And I think it makes me wonder if anybody's ever done that besides you on all those races in that weekend.

00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:18.240
Yeah, it definitely like added the cherry on top when I wanted the junior.

00:33:18.720 --> 00:33:20.160
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:24.400
That's that really wasn't oh no, it was not.

00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:26.799
Just woke up and decided to race the junior.

00:33:27.119 --> 00:33:28.960
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:30.400
That's pretty cool.

00:33:30.640 --> 00:33:34.880
Well, Shelby, this has been a a real joy to talk to you today.

00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:36.799
I loved being here.

00:33:37.359 --> 00:33:50.880
I uh I knew of you some, but I didn't know everything that you shared today, and um really enjoyed hearing your stories and and the passion for racing comes through in your voice.

00:33:51.119 --> 00:34:01.200
Um it's it's easy to tell that you love racing, and yeah, you're gonna be involved for a long time ahead, so we can follow you for sure.

00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:06.720
Um, any last any last words of anything at all that you'd like to share?

00:34:07.359 --> 00:34:08.480
I don't believe so.

00:34:08.639 --> 00:34:13.920
I do know we have a bunch of stuff planned for this season, which I'm very excited.

00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:16.159
It kicks off the beginning of March.

00:34:16.400 --> 00:34:22.880
Added a whole lot of stuff to my truck, so nothing too beach bin.

00:34:23.119 --> 00:34:27.440
They have their 10k that weekend, so okay, okay.

00:34:27.760 --> 00:34:29.280
I am I am really excited.

00:34:30.320 --> 00:34:32.960
I've actually been there, I've been to Beach Ben.

00:34:35.119 --> 00:34:37.280
Yeah, I love that truck.

00:34:37.519 --> 00:34:49.519
It just so happened that my husband and I were traveling and I happened to see that there was gonna be a big it was a big race weekend, it was in the summer, I can't remember what it was for.

00:34:50.239 --> 00:34:57.039
But we ended up parking our motor home at a campground close by so that I could go to the race.

00:34:57.199 --> 00:35:00.159
I went to the race that weekend, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:01.599
So that was kind of fun.

00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:08.400
So that's one track that I have been to, but yeah, it'll be it'll be starting here quick.

00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:10.960
And oh yes, I'm so excited.

00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:13.039
You're ready for it.

00:35:13.119 --> 00:35:14.639
So I am, yes.

00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:20.800
Well, Shelby, thanks for being on with me today, and I hope you have a great season.

00:35:20.960 --> 00:35:26.960
I want you to have a double weekend where you just win everything and and clean house and show everybody.

00:35:27.599 --> 00:35:29.280
Yeah, it'd definitely be a blessing.

00:35:30.960 --> 00:35:32.320
Well, thanks for being on.

00:35:32.480 --> 00:35:35.519
If you want to hold on just a minute while we finish up.

00:35:40.239 --> 00:35:44.639
That's it for this episode of the Women's Motorsports Network Podcast.

00:35:44.800 --> 00:35:52.239
We hope you've been inspired by the stories I shared today and feel more connected to the amazing community of women in motorsport.

00:35:52.480 --> 00:35:59.199
Remember, whether you're behind the wheel, in the pits, or cheering from the stands, your story matters.

00:35:59.360 --> 00:36:03.760
And together we're driving change and celebrating every milestone.

00:36:04.079 --> 00:36:12.960
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.

00:36:13.119 --> 00:36:21.760
And don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates, behind the scenes content, and more incredible stories.

00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:27.519
So until next time, stay inspired, stay connected, and keep racing through life.

00:36:27.760 --> 00:36:34.239
This is the Women's Motorsports Network podcast, where every woman's story is worth celebrating.