Send us Fan Mail (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2350558/fan_mail/new)
She was nine years old, terrified on her first passes, and by the end of her first race day she was holding a win and wondering how she ever thought racing was “not cool.” Melinda Russell sits down with Autumn DeRossett, an NHRA drag racer who grew up in junior dragsters, moved into a Super Comp dragster, and built a motorsports life around the track community that keeps pulling her back every other weekend.
We get honest about the part of drag racing most people don’t post: the losses, the mistakes, and the emotional whiplash of being competitive. Autumn shares how she handles a bad run, why perspective matters when you lose more than you win, and what it takes to stay hungry without draining the fun out of motorsports. Along the way, we talk about the growing presence of women in racing and why seeing more female racers matters for the next kid who’s watching from the fence line.
Then we dive into the business she built as a teenager: Race Her fire suits. Autumn explains the real safety and performance problem behind gear that “technically fits” but limits movement, bunches up in the seat, and steals confidence. She walks through how her women-focused sizing, jacket-and-pants setup, adjustability, and practical details (yes, pockets) aim to make racing safety gear fit women the way it should. If you care about women in motorsports, NHRA drag racing, racing safety, or motorsports entrepreneurship, this one delivers. Subscribe, share it with a racer who needs better gear, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.
Support the show (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2350558/support)
FACEBOOK:
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/womensmotorsportsnetwork/
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindarussell/
TIKTOK: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindarussell/
https://www.patreon.com/posts/womens-network-144773298
FACEBOOK Personal Page: https://www.facebook.com/melinda.ann.russell