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

Send us Fan Mail Deep in northern Michigan, where entertainment options are limited and community bonds run strong, Caitlin Bernard carries forward an extraordinary motorsports legacy. As the fourth generation of women in her family to race at Whittemore Speedway, she follows in the tire tracks of her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother who all competed at the same local track. Growing up o...

Send us Fan Mail The roar of engines returns with "Let's Talk Racing Wise," where host Melinda Russell reignites her passion project dedicated to shining a spotlight on overlooked local racetracks across Michigan and Indiana. This premiere episode arrives just in time for the Fourth of July racing festivities that promise excitement, fireworks, and fierce competition at every venue....

Send us Fan Mail When Tony Eldridge decided to wave colored shirts on hangers in his front yard as a child, pretending to be a flagman, he never imagined it would lead to a 20-year career in motorsports that would touch countless lives. His journey from those humble beginnings to becoming one of the most respected figures in Midwest short track racing reveals both the magic and challenges of grass...

Send us Fan Mail Behind every racing series lies a story of passion, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of building something meaningful. Drew Jack's 12-year journey with the National Compact Touring Series reveals exactly that—a tale that began in the grandstands of Kalamazoo Speedway where his father would drop him off as a "cheap babysitter" and has evolved into creating op...

Send us Fan Mail Racing isn't just what Tyler Roering does—it's who he is. From his earliest memories of causing ruckus in his dad's race shop to becoming a multi-discipline champion, Tyler's life revolves entirely around motorsports. As a third-generation racer from Plymouth, Indiana, his racing lineage stretches back to the 1960s, creating a family tradition that continues to...

Send us Fan Mail Gina Culliver shares her journey as the "Nissan Queen" of Whittemore Speedway, starting her racing career at 43 after losing her father and best friend to cancer. Now at 51, she balances her nursing career with her passion for motorsports, community service, and creating a welcoming family atmosphere at Michigan's oldest continuously operated speedway. • Growing up...

Send us Fan Mail The heart and soul of local racing lies in its family legacies, and few families embody this spirit more than the Van Averys. In this candid and heartfelt conversation, Jesse Van Avery Sr. and his son Jesse Jr. open up about their multi-generational racing journey at Galesburg Speedway and beyond. Jesse Sr. shares how he practically grew up at the track, watching his father race b...

Send us Fan Mail Ashley Winslet balances her day job as an assistant manager working with elephants at the Dallas Zoo with her passion for high-speed flat bottom boat racing, reaching speeds up to 142 mph on water. As one of only three female flat bottom drivers in the country, she's making waves in the sport after winning her first two races of the 2024 season. • Growing up in a racing famil...

Send us Fan Mail Nine-year-old racer Presley Hall shares her journey in motorsports, from her father selling his race car so she could race to her dreams of competing in World of Outlaws Midget series. Despite flipping her car five times in one race, she was back behind the wheel the next week, demonstrating remarkable resilience and passion for the sport. • Racing a Junior Sprint and a cart for t...

Send us Fan Mail Kate Turner's journey into motorsports breaks every conventional rule in the racing handbook. At 21 years old, this track instructor from Leicestershire discovered her passion for racing not as a child karting prodigy, but as a 17-year-old who simply woke up one day and decided she wanted to be a race car driver. Her refreshing candor about this unconventional path reveals th...

Send us Fan Mail Lizzie Vogel, an eight-year-old fourth-generation quarter midget racer, shares her inspiring journey from beginning in go-karts at age five to becoming a Hoosier Hero award winner while managing multiple surgeries for her cleft palate and lip. Her remarkable story encompasses the highs and lows of her racing career, her cleft palate awareness initiatives, and her compassionate wor...

Send us Fan Mail When Ella Wu Heilman climbed onto her first PW50 motorcycle at just two years old, no one could have predicted the remarkable journey ahead. Now fifteen and speaking with the wisdom of a veteran racer, Ella shares her extraordinary thirteen-year motorsports journey that's taken her from backyard dirt tracks to competing on a Kawasaki Ninja 400. The Pacific Northwest teenager...

Send us Fan Mail When six-year-old Lena Chin attended her first race at Sebring, something clicked—the sights, sounds, and energy of motorsport captured her imagination completely. Nearly two decades later, she's become a competitive force in the Gridlife Touring Cup Series, piloting her Honda S2000 against some of the best amateur racers in the country. In this illuminating conversation, Len...

Send us Fan Mail Karyl Bell's motorsports journey is the perfect blend of family legacy, entrepreneurial spirit, and unwavering determination. From her earliest memories at Lebanon Valley Dragway in upstate New York, where her mother serves as assistant track manager and her father races, Karyl has turned a childhood passion into both a competitive career and innovative business ventures. Beg...

Send us Fan Mail Nancy Matter's resilience burns brighter than nitromethane in this powerful conversation about perseverance, passion, and breaking barriers in motorsports. From her childhood days at San Fernando Raceway to becoming the first female owner-driver of a Top Fuel Funny Car in this century, Nancy's journey exemplifies the never-quit attitude that defines championship racers....

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you're born into a family of aviators but feel drawn to conquer the ground instead? For 18-year-old Charlotte Traynor, the answer came through motorsports, sparked simply by watching in-car camera footage on television that ignited something within her. Charlotte takes us through her unconventional journey into racing, beginning at age 13 with no family conn...

Send us Fan Mail Beylea Kronseder shares her journey from racing RC cars to competing in quarter midget nationals at just 11 years old, discussing how motorsports has transformed her from shy kid to confident racer and mentor. • Began racing at age 9 after previously racing RC cars, following a family tradition of motorsports • Currently races in Senior Honda class, moving to Heavy Honda, and buil...

Send us Fan Mail Former IHRA Pro Mod World Champion Dina Parisi shares her journey from professional figure skater to drag racer and advocates for prioritizing safety in motorsports. • Dina discusses her unusual career path from Ice Capades figure skater to drag racer, noting surprising parallels between both performance careers • Racing fans get direct access to drivers in drag racing, creating m...

Send us Fan Mail Kelly Anderson shares her extraordinary journey from a 51-year-old grandmother to a wheelie-popping drag racer with a mission to help foster children through motorsports. Her passion for racing ignited when she scribbled "I want to drag race" on a napkin at a coaching event, leading to her first race in October 2019 and eventually developing into a nonprofit organization...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s Women’s Motorsports Network podcast, we sit down with Angie Parrish — a true motorsports trailblazer from Tennessee. Angie’s journey takes us from working on her first car at 16 to becoming an instructor, champion, and respected leader in autocross, rallycross, road course racing, and more. Her story is filled with passion, resilience, and a whole lot of horsepower....

Send us Fan Mail In this inspiring episode, Melinda Russell interviews Laura Butcher, an off-road motorsports leader from northern Nevada whose journey into racing was deeply influenced by her late brother, Mike, an off-road racer himself. Laura shares how her initial involvement in motorsports began as pit support and co-driving with her brother before his passing in 2014. After stepping away fro...

Send us Fan Mail In this inspiring episode of the Women's Motorsports Network Podcast , host Melinda Russell welcomes professional race car driver and mechanical engineer Sabre Cook. Based in Indianapolis, Sabre currently competes in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America and shares her fascinating journey from childhood karting to international racing success. Support the show FACEBOOK: INSTA...

Send us Fan Mail In this inspiring episode, host Melinda Russell interviews MaKenna Long, a young woman who grew up in the racing world and is now building her career in motorsports. MaKenna started racing quarter midgets at seven and a half years old at Little Kalamazoo Speedway in Michigan, thanks to her grandfather’s curiosity about a new track being built nearby. What started as a family hobby...

Send us Fan Mail In this inspiring episode, host Melinda Russell sits down with Haily Unferdorfer, a dynamic force in motorsports marketing and a passionate advocate for women in racing. Haily shares her journey from growing up in a motorsports family to working behind the scenes with Lucas Oil, MAVTV, and now Racer Network, where she plays a key role in marketing and rebranding efforts. Her love...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, host Melinda Russell interviews 8-year-old junior dragster racer Karter Platt , who shares her early start and growing passion for motorsports. Karter, from Texas, began racing at just 4 years old after attending the Amarillo Dragway with her Gigi and Papa. Racing quickly became a family affair, with her mom, Gigi, and Papa supporting her at every event. Karter ra...