Melinda Russell

Women's Motorsports Network Podcast----Fuel Her Future Podcast

Sports EN ↓ 435 episodes

Women's Motorsports Network Podcast shares the stories of women involved in motorsports from around the world. The first episode was in 2018 and new episodes are added each week. Feel free to suggest potential guests to Melinda at melinda@wmnnation.com. Fuel Her Future with Melinda Russell  is a solo podcast that began in June of 2026, Fueling Your Future with Inspiration, Encouragement, Courage, Confidence, and Community. https://www.facebook.com/womensmotorsportsnetworkandpodcast www.womensmotorsportsnetwork.com Based in Kalamazoo, MI

Author

Melinda Russell

Category

Sports

Podcast website

www.wmnnation.com

Latest episode

Jul 10, 2026

Where to listen?

Podcasts in the app Replaio Radio Coming soon

Podcasts are coming to the app soon. Install now and be the first to see a whole new take on podcasts

Get it on Google Play Install for free Android 5M+ downloads · 4.8 rating iOS soon

Episodes

Debbie Matthews: She Passed Him On The Outside And Married Him 26.02.2026

Send us Fan Mail Debbie Matthews is known as the “Godmother of Women’s Motocross,” and after this conversation, you’ll understand why. Starting her racing journey in 1974, Debbie competed in the very first Women’s National Motocross Championship at Indian Dunes in California. From there, she built a 50-year career that spans racing, dealership ownership, industry advocacy, national series developm...

How A 15-Year-Old Built A Sprint Car Dream And A Support Network 21.02.2026

Send us Fan Mail At just 15 years old, Brielle Stern is already carving out her place in the competitive world of 600 micro sprint racing. From selling cookies to fund her first race car to traveling across the country chasing dirt tracks, Brielle’s journey is fueled by grit, family support, and big dreams. In this episode, Brielle shares how a trip to the racetrack changed her life at eight years...

Alexis Sparby Gross: How A Father-Daughter Team Turned Weekend Wrenches Into Real Track Confidence 07.01.2026

Send us Fan Mail The engines might cool at sunset, but the stories only get hotter. We sit down with Minnesota racer Alexa Gross for a candid ride through family-built race craft, moving up to Wasota Super Stocks, and the steady confidence that comes from small wins and patient passes. From a childhood spent at the track to a heat race victory that changed her mindset, Alexa shows how real progres...

Gabrielle Grigsby: How A Waterfall Jump Led To A Racing Career 31.12.2025

Send us Fan Mail A leap off a Kentucky waterfall for a shot at a first race car. Late nights in the shop turning a bare frame into a factory stock. A seat in the UNOH engine room and a bold jump to the ASA Stars National Tour. Gabby Grigsby’s path is a fast, honest look at how a young driver builds speed, skill, and thick skin—one step at a time. We talk through the family roots that shaped her lo...

From Quarter Midgets To Miss Mahoning: Zoe Quinn’s Path In Motorsports 24.12.2025

Send us Fan Mail A five-year-old asks for a race kart. A teenager helps build her first full-bodied car. Then she trades her helmet for a tiara to grow the sport she loves. Meet Zoe Quinn—19-year-old driver and 2025 Miss Mahoning—whose story proves that visibility can be just as powerful as velocity. We dive into Zoe’s early start in pee-wee karts and a decade in quarter midgets, where consistent...

Rowan Edgar: The Car Doesn’t Know Your Gender, Only Your Grit 18.12.2025

Send us Fan Mail A teenager with a torque wrench and a plan—Rowan Edgar is redefining what focus looks like at 15. We sit down with the Missouri micro sprint driver to map her path from caged karts to her first A-class win, and the choices that make speed possible: homeschooling to create time for travel and training, daily fitness to stay sharp to the checkers, and a mindset built on resets rathe...

From Homeschool To Hot Laps: A Mom’s Guide To Growing A Young Dirt Driver 15.12.2025

Send us Fan Mail A single bold ask can change a racing life. That’s what happened when a six-year-old named Everett walked up to Food City’s CEO and asked for a sponsorship—an audacious moment that launched a genuine grassroots journey, powered by family, faith, and a love for speed. We sit down with Amy Larson, proud “momager” and homeschool parent from Virginia, to unpack what it really takes to...

Paiten Burnham: National Winner Shares The Highs, Lows, And What Comes After Quarter Midgets 17.10.2025

Send us Fan Mail One national win, one scary flip, and one giant leap forward. We sit down with Paiten Burnham, a 16-year-old quarter midget racer from Connecticut, to unpack a season defined by consistency, courage, and the bold move to test a midget in Indianapolis right after her final national in Topeka. From the bright lights of Las Vegas to the sweet payoff at Richmond, Paiten shares how tra...

God Winks on the Road: How Lori Cutter Became a Chaplain for Racers for Christ 25.09.2025

Send us Fan Mail Faith finds its place in the fast lane through the quiet, consistent ministry of racing chaplains. In this heartfelt conversation, Lori Cutter reveals her journey from pit crew member to Racers for Christ chaplain, sharing how divine timing led her to discover her true calling after years in various motorsports roles. "I never felt 100 percent like the Lord had me exactly whe...

What Racing Teaches You When You're 9,000 Miles From Home 19.09.2025

Send us Fan Mail At age nine, Veronica McCann received racing gear for her birthday. Now, decades later, this Perth, Western Australia native is still pursuing her passion across two continents. Nicknamed "Red Hot Ronnie" for her distinctive auburn hair, Veronica brings a refreshing perspective to dirt track racing that bridges Australian and American motorsports cultures. From winning a...

From Go-Karts to Glory: 10-Year-Old Sadie Parsons Chases NASCAR Dreams 17.09.2025

Send us Fan Mail Meet the extraordinary Sadie Parsons, a 10-year-old racing phenom who's already collecting championships like most kids collect toys. From the moment her father introduced her to go-kart racing at age five, Sadie has been on an unstoppable journey through the motorsports world. Born into racing royalty—both her parents met on the go-kart circuit—Sadie has quickly advanced thr...

Turbocharged Life: The Lisa Kubo Story 13.09.2025

Send us Fan Mail From street racing at age four to making history as the first driver to break the seven-second barrier in a front-wheel drive car, Lisa Kubo's motorsports journey embodies the revolutionary spirit that transformed import racing from underground gatherings to professional competition. Lisa's story begins with motorsports in her blood – her baby book even documents her two...

Helmets, Homework and Horsepower: A High School Senior's Racing Life 10.09.2025

Send us Fan Mail Passion fuels Ava Weil's racing journey across dirt and asphalt, creating a remarkable story of perseverance and growth. This high school senior from Plymouth, Indiana doesn't just race – she lives and breathes motorsports with dreams of turning her passion into a career through motorsports management. Ava's racing roots run deep, beginning at age four when she clim...

Beyond the Sidelines: From NFL Wife to Self-Discovery 06.09.2025

Send us Fan Mail What happens when your entire identity becomes wrapped up in someone else's spotlight? Eileen Noyes knows this journey intimately. From college strength coach to NFL wife overnight, she experienced firsthand how quickly women can lose themselves in the shadows of their relationships. Eileen's story takes us behind the curtain of professional sports families, revealing th...

One Race Changed Everything: How Caylee Kjos Found Her Passion on Dirt Tracks 27.08.2025

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you finally say "yes" to the thing you've been avoiding? For Caylee Kjos, one reluctant agreement to race "just once" completely transformed her life trajectory. Caylee never imagined herself as a race car driver. In fact, she actively resisted her stepdad Quinn's persistent encouragement, dismissing racing as "boring" and...

Dirt, Fire, and Determination with Angelique Bell 23.08.2025

Send us Fan Mail Passion burns brightest when tested by fire—both figurative and literal—as sprint car driver Angelique Bell reveals in this powerful conversation about perseverance in motorsports. From the moment 12-year-old Angelique first sat in a quarter midget race car, she was hooked. Now at 31, this Sacramento-based IT professional has built a remarkable racing career piloting 410 sprint ca...

20 Ways Women in Motorsports can demonstrate value to sponsors on social media 22.08.2025

Send us Fan Mail 20 Ways Women in Motorsports can demonstrate value to sponsors on social media. Support the show 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 X: https://x.com/IWMANation FACEBOOK Personal Page:...

The 14-year-old girl making waves in the male-dominated world of motorsports 20.08.2025

Send us Fan Mail What drives a 14-year-old girl to spend scorching summer days at racetracks instead of swimming pools? For Chloe Mazzagatti, racing isn't just a hobby—it's in her blood. From her pink #87 Supra late model to her remarkable story of determination, Chloe represents the changing face of motorsports. Traveling from New Franklin, Ohio to compete in the prestigious Kalamazoo C...

Girl Power and Horsepower: Mckenzee Hogan's Dragster Journey 18.08.2025

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder what it's like to hurtle down a drag strip at 780 mph before you can even drive legally on the street? Meet Mckenzee Hogan, a 15-year-old drag racing phenom who's been behind the wheel for over half her life. Mckenzee's journey began at age seven when she sat in a dragster at Charlotte's 4Wide event. Within months, she was making test passes in her...

Crash, Crown, and Cobalt: Delaney Dunns Wild Ride 15.08.2025

Send us Fan Mail Delaney Dunn's racing journey is one of perseverance, breaking barriers, and finding strength in what makes her unique. Racing for 11 years since age 15, this 26-year-old driver from Otis, Maine has transformed from an uncertain rookie into the newly-crowned "Queen of the Oval" in the Ladies Acceleration Tour. The path to Victory Lane wasn't straightforward for...

Wrenches, Wins, and Wisconsin: The Kennedy Swan Story 10.08.2025

Send us Fan Mail Kennedy Swan shares her journey from go-kart racing at age 5 to becoming the only female driver in her modified dirt track division as she builds her racing career while balancing college, work, and maintaining her self-discipline. • Started in motorsports at age 5 when her father chose to invest his sponsor money in her go-kart instead of his own racing  • Races dirt track modifi...

Ink & Engines: Four Decades of Motorsports Storytelling with Deb Williams 09.08.2025

Send us Fan Mail From sleeping peacefully under loudspeakers at dirt tracks as a baby to witnessing Richard Petty's historic 200th victory with President Reagan in attendance, Deb Williams has lived and breathed motorsports her entire life. Now in her fourth decade as a motorsports journalist, Williams takes us on a captivating journey from her humble beginnings in a North Carolina mill town...

What Happens When Family, Farming, and Fast Cars Collide? 06.08.2025

Send us Fan Mail Racing isn't just a weekend hobby for 17-year-old Dominique Champlin—it's a family legacy that's "wedged its way into her life routine." From the moment she climbed into an alcohol-powered go-kart at age six, motorsports has been her driving passion, leading to her first championship at just seven years old. What makes Dominique's story remarkable goe...

Tatianna Calderone: Sisters, Speed, and Determination Shape a Motorsport Career 04.08.2025

Send us Fan Mail Tatiana Calderón takes us on a high-speed journey through her remarkable racing career that spans continents, championships, and countless barriers broken. The Colombian driver opens up about discovering her passion at just nine years old, when a five-minute ticket at a rental go-kart track sparked a lifelong love affair with speed and adrenaline. What unfolds is a story of extrao...

From Dirt Bikes to Off-Road Trucks: Gray Leadbetter's Motorsports Journey 02.08.2025

Send us Fan Mail From a two-year-old denied a plastic toy car to racing alongside Travis Pastrana in Saudi Arabia, Gray Leadbetter's journey through motorsports defies all expectations. With no family racing background whatsoever, Gray carved her own path through sheer determination and a natural talent that was evident from the moment she first climbed onto a four-wheeler. Gray's story...

Listen to the Women's Motorsports Network Podcast----Fuel Her Future Podcast podcast in Replaio

Radio and podcasts in one app - free, with no sign-up. Install today and do not miss the launch

Get it on Google Play

Replaio is not a podcast publisher; show names, artwork and audio belong to their authors and are distributed through public RSS feeds.