Send us Fan Mail (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2350558/fan_mail/new)
A dirt sprint car doesn’t reward you for playing it safe, it rewards you for understanding chaos. We’re joined by 17-year-old Florida racer Katlyn Calhoun, who’s making the leap from quarter midgets to a 600 micro sprint and a winged 360 sprint car, and she tells us the real skill that took the longest to learn: trusting the car when the rear starts to slide. If you’ve ever wondered what separates “holding the wheel” from actually driving, her explanation of dirt technique, throttle control, and confidence under pressure makes it click fast.
We also get into what fans don’t always see, the shop work and the family teamwork. Katlyn shares how she and her dad split responsibilities, why learning maintenance makes you a better driver, and how a scary flip turned into a lesson in resilience and preparation. Along the way, we talk race day routines, those butterflies while waiting on the grid, and how she thinks about starting position differently depending on class and experience level.
This conversation is also about representation and momentum. Katlyn explains why women in motorsports matter, not as a slogan, but because one young girl watching from the stands can decide to race when she sees someone who looks like her climb out of the car. We wrap with grounded, usable advice on budgeting for racing, approaching sponsorship, and using social media like TikTok and Instagram to build support without losing your voice. If you care about dirt racing, sprint cars, and driver development, hit subscribe, share this with a racing family, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the show.
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