Why A 10-Year-Old Has More Sponsors Than You-Laci Mitchell

Purses, Lifts, And Merch Sponsors

Melinda Russell 0:48

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Meet 10-Year-Old Lacey Mitchell

Melinda Russell 3:23

Hello everyone, this is Melinda Russell with the Women's Motorsports Network Podcast. And I have a young driver with me today. Her name is Lacey Mitchell. And Lacey, I'm excited for you to be on the show. I love talking to the kids. So your age is my favorite to talk to on my show. So welcome. And I want you to start by telling us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_05 3:47

Okay. I am 10 years old. I'm in year five. I live really close to the long in Victoria. I have a little sister who's seven years old. And yeah.

Melinda Russell 4:02

And do you go to school or are you homeschooled? Um, I go to school right next to the school. Okay. All right, but you're out for the summer or the winter? Is it winter there or summer? Um, it's winter. That's confusing for me because I'm having beautiful, sunny, warm days, and you're having winter. So you're having you're on winter break from school, so that's good. So um Lacey, I know you love motorsports. How did you get interested in motorsports?

Fourth-Generation Racing Family Roots

SPEAKER_05 4:37

Um I started I started no, that's the wrong bit. Um my family has always raced. I am the fourth generation racer in my family.

Melinda Russell 4:59

Wow.

SPEAKER_05 5:00

My mom and dad, my uncle, and my n grandpas both raced, and my great grandpa's wow.

Melinda Russell 5:13

So you have racing in your blood, don't you? Yeah, yeah, you do. So when you first started racing, how old were you? Um, I was five years old. Five years old. And what was the first kind of car that you drove? Um, a quarter midget. A quarter midget. And and are you still driving quarter midgets or are you dry racing something else?

SPEAKER_05 5:38

Um, I'm racing something else and racing a quarter midget.

Melinda Russell 5:42

Okay. So what else are you racing besides the quarter midget?

SPEAKER_05 5:47

Um, a junior sedan.

Melinda Russell 5:49

A junior. Okay. So for those of us that live in the United States, tell me what a junior, did you say sedan? Yeah, a junior sedan. What is a junior sedan? What does that look like? Um does it look like a regular car, only smaller? Is it a dragster? What kind of car is it? It's a mirage. Okay. All right. So which of those do you like racing the best?

SPEAKER_05 6:19

Um, my genie sitting because I can go a lot more faster.

Melinda Russell 6:22

Oh yeah, that's fun. So um, how much longer are you gonna race the quarter midget?

SPEAKER_05 6:30

Um I'm pretty sure till I'm 16, and then I'll be aged out.

Melinda Russell 6:36

Okay, all right. And then um, is there age limits for the junior sedan?

SPEAKER_05 6:43

Um, we have junior sedan new stars, and then when you win a lot of those races, you go up to top stars, which is still the same cars and that's the high so

Quarter Midgets Versus Junior Sedans

SPEAKER_05 6:55

you just race different people, would be the thing.

Melinda Russell 6:58

You'd race people that are that are better racers. Okay. So how have you just started in the junior or have you raced it before?

SPEAKER_05 7:08

Um, I started in January.

unknown 7:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 7:12

On January the 17th in my first race with that Wagania.

Melinda Russell 7:18

Okay, and how are you doing in it?

SPEAKER_05 7:21

Um, actually really well.

Melinda Russell 7:24

Good, good. And so do you have some uh goals, some things that you want to try to achieve this year? Like, do you do you race for points or like for a championship in that series? Yeah, we do. Okay, all right. So every time you do better and better, you make more points, so that's good for sure. Are there other little girls that race against you? Um, yeah, a couple, a couple, but mostly boys. Yeah, what about quarter midgets? Are there a lot of girls that race quarter midgets?

SPEAKER_05 7:58

Um, not really a lot in my class, but there's some in the other classes, okay.

Melinda Russell 8:06

All right, and what class do you run in the quarter midgets?

SPEAKER_05 8:10

Um 120 open.

Melinda Russell 8:12

Okay, all right. So, what was the hardest thing for you to learn when you first started racing your quarter midget?

SPEAKER_05 8:21

To gain enough confidence to pass cars on the outside.

Melinda Russell 8:26

Mm-hmm. That's hard, isn't it? Yeah, because you never know what that guy's gonna do, the one you're passing. You're hoping he's gonna stay out of your way so you don't wreck him, right? Yeah, yeah. So you've but you've obviously learned how to do that. What is that what is it that you like most about driving the quarter midget?

SPEAKER_05 8:49

Um I get to see like most of my friends in that at the track, and I get to like there's not many fast kids.

Melinda Russell 9:06

Okay, so you've made a lot of friends since you started racing?

SPEAKER_05 9:11

Um, yeah, a couple.

Melinda Russell 9:12

Yeah. So do any other kids that go to your school race or are you the only one?

SPEAKER_05 9:18

Um, I'm the only one, but a couple kids from my school, like will watch the racing and that okay, that's good.

Melinda Russell 9:26

So they at least understand about it. Sometimes kids don't understand what racing's all about, and it's hard for us to explain that to them. So that's good. Um, well tell me about your cars. Are they the same number?

SPEAKER_05 9:41

Um, yeah, they're the same number, A B11.

Melinda Russell 9:44

Okay, and did you choose that number?

SPEAKER_05 9:47

Um, me, mom, and dad will choose that number.

Melinda Russell 9:52

Okay, and does it have a special meaning?

SPEAKER_05 9:56

Um, it was my dad's number.

Melinda Russell 10:00

Okay, all right. So you're carrying on the tradition for your family, and does all your family come and watch your grandpa's and and everybody? Yeah, they do. I bet they're really proud of you for racing, aren't they? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 10:16

So who helps you? Go ahead, especially my mom's dad.

Melinda Russell 10:21

Yeah, and why is he why is he the most excited for you to race?

SPEAKER_05 10:26

Um, because he used to race when he was uh like 20 something, too.

Melinda Russell 10:35

Okay, all right. Did your mom ever race? Um, she used to race go-karts. Okay, all right. So you've got a lot of people that know all about racing. Who helps you with your cars, keeps them going, and makes repairs?

SPEAKER_05 10:53

Um, mom, dad, Pausco, and octane alley and all my sponsors, brand of X and Hard Rock College and all that.

Melinda Russell 11:07

Why don't you tell me? Do you know have a list of your sponsors that you want to mention?

SPEAKER_05 11:13

Um yeah.

Confidence, Passing, And Track Friends

SPEAKER_05 11:14

Okay. Hard Rock College, Octane Alley, Rat Race, Engineering, and Race Tarot, Clear Tarot, Hayden Race Cars, Brand FX, Hayden Fabrication and Mechanical and Timmy Flower Motorsport.

Melinda Russell 11:33

Wow, you have a lot of sponsors for a 10-year-old girl. So how did you get those? Did you and your parents go talk to people? Or are they people that already knew you? How do you get so many sponsors?

SPEAKER_05 11:47

Um, I asked them to help me with my car and be my sponsors.

Melinda Russell 11:54

That's good. I'm glad you said that. That's important that you're the one that goes to ask, even if mom and dad go with you. It's still good for you to be the one to ask. So that's good. So, why do you go to the racetrack on the weekends instead of going to the movie or to the beach or play softball or do all those other things? What is it about going to the racetrack that keeps you going back?

SPEAKER_05 12:20

Um, hanging out with friends and family there and watching the cars.

Melinda Russell 12:25

Yeah. And what racetrack do you normally go to? Um, I have a loan raceway. Okay. And is that the track you mostly race at, or do you travel?

SPEAKER_05 12:38

Um, we travel and race at that track too. Okay.

Melinda Russell 12:44

Okay. Do you like the traveling or do you like racing at the same track?

SPEAKER_05 12:50

Um, I like a bit of traveling sometimes.

Melinda Russell 12:54

Yeah, that's kind of fun, isn't it? I would think so. Yeah, that would be fun. What is the thing that is the been the hardest as far as um going back and forth between the quarter midget and the junior? What's the hardest about racing each one? You know, they're not they don't drive the same, I'm sure. So no, what's hard about going back and forth?

SPEAKER_05 13:23

Um normally

Building Sponsors By Asking Directly

SPEAKER_05 13:26

of the speed and how wide the track is and how long it is, and how wide my junior stand is compared to my um quarter midget.

Melinda Russell 13:36

Okay, all right. And are the races longer in the junior than in the quarter midget? Um, yeah, yeah, I figured so. Yeah. So when you um when your dad or grandpa, whoever's helping you with your cars, are you out in the garage helping too? Or um do you leave that to the men?

SPEAKER_05 14:00

Leave that to the men.

Melinda Russell 14:02

Good idea. I'm sure as you get older, you're probably gonna be out there helping, but right now they're probably gonna do the work, right? Yeah, so did your mom encourage you to go racing? I mean, you're come from a racing family. A lot of times, moms are not very excited about their little girls being in a race car. So, how did your mom feel about it?

SPEAKER_05 14:27

Um, she felt all right, yeah, she was really excited to see me.

Melinda Russell 14:33

Yeah, because she had already raced, and so she kind of knows it's safe. You have all your safety equipment. Excuse me, right? Yeah, have you ever had a bad day at the racetrack where things didn't go well?

SPEAKER_05 14:49

Um two days, and they were both night shows and I rolled over.

SPEAKER_02 14:57

One of my rolled over.

SPEAKER_05 14:59

Yeah, one of my genius didn't. And the one of my genius didn't was a couple weeks ago.

Melinda Russell 15:07

And were you did you get hurt or did you just get out of the car and you were just fine? I was just fine. Isn't that something that you can roll a car over and get out and be just fine? That's

Track Life, Travel, And Race Goals

Melinda Russell 15:20

because of all that safety equipment you wear, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. So were you scared when you rolled over or it happened really quick?

SPEAKER_05 15:30

It happened really quick. I couldn't really think that much.

Melinda Russell 15:34

Yeah, exactly. But I bet your parents got a little excited.

SPEAKER_02 15:39

Yeah.

Melinda Russell 15:40

Yeah. Yeah. So um when you're out there racing, would you rather start the race from the front in the middle or at the back?

SPEAKER_05 15:52

Um the front in the middle.

Melinda Russell 15:57

Yeah. Yeah. I think I would like to start in the middle if I was racing. I don't want to start the front because I don't want somebody to try to run over me. I'd rather start in the middle and kind of see how it goes. Yeah. So when is your next race, Lacey? You got some races coming up?

SPEAKER_05 16:20

Um we're leaving today to go race at Wangor Red, no, Wagania uh on Sunday.

Melinda Russell 16:33

Okay, all right. And then um, how long does your season do you race a long time yet or is this near the end of the season?

SPEAKER_05 16:43

Um after this one at Wagania, it the Junior Sudan's finished till the end of the year, and but we and we've already finished that quarter midget.

Melinda Russell 16:55

Okay. So what's what is winter weather like where you live?

SPEAKER_05 17:01

Um it's kind of fun.

Melinda Russell 17:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 17:05

Is it cold?

Melinda Russell 17:07

Very very cold. Um, so it's just the opposite of where I'm at. So when when your race your racing probably will start then again, maybe in October or November. Yeah, okay. Yeah, or January, maybe after Christmas. Yeah. Okay. So do you are you on social media at all, or does your mom do that?

SPEAKER_05 17:40

Um, I used to have a TikTok account, but I got rid of it. And it's like my racing and mom has my Facebook page.

Melinda Russell 17:50

Okay, and is it your name, Lacey Mitchell, or how what's your Facebook page called?

SPEAKER_05 17:58

Lacey Mitchell Racing 11.

Melinda Russell 18:00

Okay, all right. So people can follow you and and see what you're up to and when racing starts. I'm sure you have pictures of your cars on there. Yeah, okay, all right. And does your mom post like where you're gonna be racing and how you finish and and all those things so people can follow? Yeah, yeah, okay, that's good. So do you have a favorite driver that you follow?

SPEAKER_05 18:27

Um, but he doesn't

Rolling Over And Why Safety Works

SPEAKER_05 18:32

really race anymore. Okay, he races in one of them.

Melinda Russell 18:36

All right. Do you know who Shane Van Gisbergen is? He races he races NASCAR, but he's from Australia, or let's see, pretty sure he was from Australia. One of one of your countries over there close to you. He he drives NASCAR and he's one of my favorite drivers. I really like him. He's really good. He won a lot of championships when he raced in Australia, so he's a really good driver. Do you watch racing on TV at all?

SPEAKER_05 19:11

Um, yeah, more on like the state title or the Victorian titles than that.

Melinda Russell 19:18

Okay, all right. So, what else do you like to do, Lacey, besides racing? Do you play any other sports?

SPEAKER_05 19:26

Um, not really, but I want to start nephole.

Melinda Russell 19:32

Okay, all right. And and what's your favorite subject in school? Um PE. PE. Well, that's good. That's a fun sport. You get to be outside most of the time or or whatever, right? Yeah. Yeah. When you go to the track and you race, do you like to eat before you race or not till afterwards?

SPEAKER_05 19:55

Not till afterwards, because then my stomach starts to hurt.

Melinda Russell 20:00

Because those butterflies in there start to start to ache if you have food before, right? Yeah, yeah, for sure. So have you won any trophies?

SPEAKER_05 20:11

Um, yeah, I came first one or two times and like five times, and then I've come second and third a lot.

Melinda Russell 20:22

Oh, and so you've got some trophies for coming in first. That's pretty exciting. Was that in the quarter midget or the junior or both?

SPEAKER_05 20:31

Um, I haven't come first in my junior sedan yet, but yeah, I've come second.

Melinda Russell 20:38

Okay, they were the the trophies were in the quarter midget, so that's that's pretty fun. It's it's fun to have trophies, isn't it? Yeah, I figured those were your trophies behind you, so that's why I ask you. Are those ribbons

Social Media, Favorites, And Watching Racing

Melinda Russell 20:54

hanging up there? Are those yours as well? Yeah, they're all mine. Okay, and how did you win the ribbons? What are those for?

SPEAKER_05 21:04

Um placing at different tracks and that.

Melinda Russell 21:11

Okay, so you've done pretty well. You've got a lot of stuff back there, trophies and ribbons and all kinds of things to show what a good racer you are. That's exciting. So um, you're gonna be done racing for a while. It'll start up again, probably maybe after Christmas. Is that when it starts again?

SPEAKER_05 21:30

Um, it starts in October again.

Melinda Russell 21:33

Okay, all right. So we could start following you again in October and we'd be able to see how you're doing and where you're racing. Yeah, yes. That's that's good. Is there anything, Lacey, that we haven't talked about or that I haven't asked you about that you would like to share, or is does mom have anything that we haven't talked about that we should have?

SPEAKER_05 21:57

No, not really.

Melinda Russell 22:00

No, not really. That's pretty much everything about Lacey that she wants to share. Well, Lacey, I know this was one of your first podcasts. Was it your first, or have you done one before?

SPEAKER_05 22:12

Oh, this is my best.

Melinda Russell 22:14

Okay, well, you did a really good job of answering the questions and speaking up so I could hear you. So thank you for that. I appreciate that you spent the time to be on the show. Like I said, I really like talking to the younger girls

School, Nerves, Trophies, And Wrap-Up

Melinda Russell 22:30

because you're the future of motorsport. So you keep racing hard and you do do really well, and one day, you know, you'll be on TV or flow racing or somewhere, and maybe I'll get to watch you. Yeah, yeah. All right, well, you hang on and uh we'll end the recording.

SPEAKER_05 22:51

Yep, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 22:54

Start your end. This is the women's motor on network!