Driver Spotlight: Brianna Kyle

Brianna Kyle

In 2010 Brianna's parents bought her frist racecar, it was a 602 GRT Crate Late Model. It was a very controversial decision for her first racecar to be a latemodel since she was only 13 and she didn’t have any prior experience. Her father believed she could handle it and always pushed her to give 100%.  She never really ran that car much. Occasionally her dad would take her to tracks and let her practice. It was a great way for her to learn. She said, "Getting feedback of what I was doing wrong and could improve on really helped me." In June of 2012 they sold that car and she began driving a different late model. That is really when her career began. She started driving in the Sportsman Latemodel class at Mike Kittrell’s Wartburg Speedway. At first she wasn’t as competitive as she would have liked to been, but by the end of the season she had greatly improved. After the season was over at Wartburg she went on to race at four other local tracks. She even picked up a win at 411 Motor Speedway and had several impressive finishes, especially considering her limited experience.

Brianna's interest in racing came natural. Her father raced at local dirt tracks, including the legendary Atomic Motor Speedway. He was successful in the Modified Street division. Her mother has also been involved in racing her entire life. Brianna's grandfather, Barney Chapman, raced Super Late Models at various tracks throughout the southeast.

Brianna's favorite thing about racing, "As Cole Trickle once stated “…to control something that is out of control.” Being on the edge is the ultimate adrenaline rush. Every time the checkered flag drops as a driver I want to know that I have pushed my car to the limit and given everything that I could possibly do, otherwise disappointment is reality."

Brianna's proud of her accomplishments so far in her career. In 2012 she finished 8^th in points at Wartburg Speedway after running there from mid-season on. She also picked up her first victory at 411 Motor Speedway. Her goal for her career is to run the Southern All Star or Southern Regional Racing Series. Ultimately she would love to venture and tackle the prestigious World of Outlaw and Lucas Oil Series.

As to Brianna's free time, she doesn't really have much. She is usually busy preparing for my next race or studying to maintain her 3.8 GPA as her future plans are to attend the University of TN at Chattanooga and major in Criminal Justice.

"I would like to start out by thanking my parents, family, and friends for always believing in me and supporting me. I would like to thank my sponsors: Alotless Factory Outlet, Advantage Check Cashing, B and B Race Engines, PPM, Competition Racing Equipment, Weeks Race Cars, Shorty’s Shock Service, and Outlaw Graphics. Also I would like to send a special thanks to my racing idol and teammate Jason Welshan for all of his support and advice. I would not be as knowledgeable about racing had it not been for him," Brianna Kyle.

To follow Brianna's career follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/briannakyleracing 

The Glass Hammer Racing Experience

 

The Glass Hammer Racing Experience

Greg Gaich has always loved racing he wanted to share his passion for the sport with his 3 girls. Since he did not have expereince in the kart racing arena he sought out a racing school that would basically be the motorsports equivilant of a YMCA program. Sadly he soon found out that no such thing existed. That's where the concept for Glass Hammer Racing began. His school is now in their 3rd year of existance. They are located in Indianapolis, IN. The unique concept of this school is that it is female drivers teaching female students. The exciting thing about this is that girls are able to actually see there is a future for women drivers in this sport. Their teachers are out there succeeding they have that potential as well. The Glass Hammer Experience has 3 stages from beginner to advance (http://ghrexperience.org).

The goal of the school is to not only develop drivers but to also help girls realize there is a place for females in all aspects of the sport. Most recently they had a girl scout troup earn their way to experience the class. The girls had a blast. You can read about it on his blog (http://blog.beatbyagirl.org).

I love their mission and their dedication to young girls. Below is their mission statement. It's extremely important to them. 

Glass Hammers' Mission Statement is as follows:

The Glass Hammer Racing LLC was created to encourage the interest and participation of young women in motorsports. We will do this by:

1. ★Developing and sponsoring introductory racing experiences geared just to young women. They will provide a completely positive and supportive environment that will give a young woman a chance to develop her driving skills, have fun, and come away with the huge smile and second helping of self-esteem that motorsports can bring. They will include both off-track and on-track instruction tailored to each young woman’s skill level.
2. ★Exposing young women to role models in all areas of motorsports. Not everyone can be a driver, or even wants to. But there are women in virtually every aspect of motorsports from engineering to marketing to team owners. We’d like to make a career in motorsports a viable option in a young woman’s mind. There’s nothing more powerful than the “I want to grow up to be just like her” moment to spark anyone’s interest in a career.
3. ★Supporting the advancement of young women in their motorsports careers through scholarships and sponsorships. Whether it’s a formal education in engineering or the on-track driving experience and coaching needed to become a professional driver, it doesn’t come cheap. We’d like to help advance the careers of young women in motorsports who will become the role models and inspiration for the next generation of little girls.

For more information on the Glass Hammer Experience please visit their website at http://www.beatbyagirl.org

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/glasshammerracing

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlassHamrRacing