Latest / BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show / Screen to Speed No.53: Karts to Cars, Brenna Schubert's Racing Journey

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Screen to Speed No.53: Karts to Cars, Brenna Schubert's Racing Journey · BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show

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Welcome to Screen to Speed, powered by Init eSports.
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In this podcast, we dive into the journeys of remarkable individuals
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making waves in sim racing and bridging the virtual with the real.
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From the thrill of digital circuits to the roar of real life racetracks, we explore
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the passion, dedication, and innovation that drives the world of motor sports.
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We'll hear from athletes, creators, and pioneers sharing their stories,
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insights, and the powerful ways sim racing is connecting communities and
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creating pathways into motor sports.
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So buckle up screen to speed starts now.
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Welcome everyone, uh, happy CEO on any talks.
0:52
Uh, today we got Brenna Schubert with us.
0:54
Uh, she's a racing driver for.
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For Prodigy Racing.
0:59
Uh, welcome Brandon.
1:00
Happy to have you here.
1:02
Thank you so much.
1:03
I'm excited to be on.
1:05
Yeah.
1:05
So let's start how you get actually into racing when bring you here and then
1:11
go on to get to know you better today.
1:14
Yeah, definitely.
1:15
So, um, it was kind of funny.
1:18
Me and my dad were at a miniature golf course when I was nine years
1:23
old, and they had these little rinky-dink go-karts there that I just.
1:29
Begged my dad to try 'em and as soon as my foot hit the gas, I just fell
1:33
in love with the adrenaline rush.
1:35
So, um, that was kind of the main start for me.
1:39
And then we kind of shopped around for some different go-kart
1:43
places and eventually got into carting a little bit more serious.
1:49
Kind of took it into my own hands to try and cart at more of a national level.
1:56
And then, um, I got some opportunities in a few different testing opportunities
2:02
in cars, uh, through the PT Auto Sport, aspiring Driver Shootout.
2:08
And then, uh, found this racing prodigy opportunity in the Sims.
2:14
So I downloaded Streetcar and started practicing on
2:18
that mobile, uh, racing game.
2:22
And earn my spot into the the Prodigy Racing League.
2:27
Hmm.
2:27
That's awesome.
2:29
Uh, so you actually started from indoor car carting, so, which is rent cart.
2:33
Yeah.
2:33
Right.
2:34
Um, uh, do you have like, uh, big, uh, championships, uh,
2:39
in United States with those?
2:41
Uh, because I remember, uh.
2:43
That I did some, you know, in, in, in Russia we had endurance
2:47
championship with run cars, cart.
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Uh, it was, uh, really exciting, a lot of teams, uh, and, uh,
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like five people per cart.
2:56
It was really awesome.
2:57
So tell me more about this.
2:59
I. Yeah, definitely.
3:01
We have a few, uh, really good championships actually
3:05
in the United States.
3:06
Um, we don't quite have like the Sodi World Series that mm-hmm.
3:10
A lot of other countries have.
3:13
Um, I'm not sure why, 'cause we do have a lot of sodi rental carts here.
3:17
Um, but we do have the touring cart championship.
3:22
And, uh, endurance carting USA, which is kind of what you were talking about
3:27
with a lot of the endurance racing.
3:29
Um, so when I first started out, I mainly just kind of started at.
3:35
My home track, which would be the Lehigh Valley Grand Prix.
3:37
Mm-hmm.
3:38
And they're one of the only gas indoor tracks left, you
3:43
know, that aren't electric.
3:45
Um, so, and then me and my dad would travel around sometimes
3:49
to find some of the, like Iron Man races or endurance races.
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So we went to some tracks in Connecticut.
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Um, on track carting specifically.
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And then, uh, you know, after I kind of did that for a while, then I started
4:04
traveling more with the touring cart championship where they go to, um, a few
4:09
different states across the East coast.
4:12
And I also did some races with endurance carting, USA, where
4:15
they go all over the country and they hold, you know, super long.
4:21
Upwards of 12 hour endurance races.
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I also did, um, a 24 hour endurance race with sim craft.
4:28
Mm-hmm.
4:29
That was really, really fun.
4:30
That was in the, uh, a Briggs LO 2 2 0 6.
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Um, so that's not quite a rental cart per se, but that was just an endurance race.
4:42
But the rest of the endurance races that I've done have been
4:45
in, in rental carts like that.
4:47
Yeah.
4:47
Mm-hmm.
4:48
I think, you know, endurance racing, so exciting.
4:50
Uh, I really like to do endurances in I racing.
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Uh.
4:54
Because it's different strategy.
4:57
You know, you're trying to save fuel, you're trying to save tires, and uh,
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like be careful on the track, uh, rather than pushing so hard like we're
5:06
doing in sprint races and short races.
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Uh, so I think you like this format as well and Okay.
5:13
And how you move actually from car to, uh, national car racing and.
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Can you tell me about difference?
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Uh, so like first time you jump into the car on the bigger racing track compared
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to what you had in the, in the cart?
5:29
Yeah, so firstly, I definitely agree with, with you on endurance racing.
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I love, I love those endurance carting races.
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They're so much fun.
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But, um, yeah, when I first moved up to cars, my first ever experience in a car
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was the Lucas Oil Formula Car School.
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And uh, I believe my dad.
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Uh, got me that for my birthday.
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I was like begging him.
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He was pretty reluctant to do it, but there was the opportunity, um, at the
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time the Lucas Oil had a, a shootout where if you just attended the school
6:02
you were eligible for the shootout of the potential to win a full season with them.
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So I think that kind of won him over a little bit.
6:08
Mm-hmm.
6:09
But my first time in that car.
6:12
Was definitely eye-opening and a little humbling because you know, I was
6:17
coming from winning all these carting championships and everything like that,
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and then I jumped into this car and I kind of expected to be good right off the
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bat, and that was not really the case.
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So I still did pretty decent looking back, like I just expected to be
6:34
the best in the school and I wasn't.
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So, um.
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You know, it definitely was eye-opening, just kind of transitioning.
6:42
I always thought that the transition from carts to cars went super
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smooth for everybody and that it prepared you for everything.
6:49
It definitely prepares you a lot, but I don't think it's.
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A super smooth translation for a lot of people.
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So I struggled there.
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But, um, then my experiences after that were all in like sports cars and I felt
7:07
really comfortable right away for the most part in the sports cars that I drove.
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So, um, I got the kind of the opportunity with a formula woman to drive some, some
7:19
sports cars, and then eventually the.
7:22
Being selected for the PT Auto Sport Aspiring Driver Shootout,
7:26
which is in the the Porsche Boxer.
7:27
Mm-hmm.
7:29
That's awesome.
7:30
Uh, yeah, as you said, you know, uh, transition from cart, uh, not
7:34
going as smooth as you expect.
7:36
And, uh, because the same thing, uh, happened to me when I, uh, been,
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uh, joining the formal, the open wheelers after I've been like, uh,
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for many years in carting, uh, I was.
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Wow, you, you actually don't see anything like, uh, from cockpit and it's,
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it's, it's, it's horrible, you know?
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And, uh, you just realize the track is so wide, the, the main street, you know,
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it's real long and, uh, it took hours like to, to get till the end of it.
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Uh, so yeah, it took, you know, some time for me to get used to it also because
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view is, uh, completely different to cart.
8:16
Definitely.
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And not only that, but I mean since we, we both kind of, it sounds like, kind
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of made that transition to formula.
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You have to, you know, the, the brakes you have to brake so, so
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hard and everything like that.
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And it's just, it's just com you know, not completely different,
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but it's pretty different there and just a lot more intimidated.
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'cause when you're in a go-kart, you don't really have to worry too much
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about crashing or anything like that.
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But when you're in a car.
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If you crash, it's either very painful or very painful to the wallet.
8:50
So, or Yeah, that's true.
8:56
Like cars is so cheap compared to racing on the big track.
9:02
Um, exactly.
9:03
Yeah.
9:05
Yeah.
9:05
You know, as you said, uh, you have to push brakes harder and, uh, you
9:09
know, you, you can feel like, uh, G-Force is also more and, uh, yeah.
9:15
So formal it's, uh, completely different.
9:17
Uh, I remember guys, uh, who's been, uh, dating the track days and, uh, I've
9:23
been doing formal these days and they like are coming to me and asking me, so
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they've been driving the Porsche G uh.
9:31
Gig free errors, uh, on the track.
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And they like, uh, tried to for a few laps formals and they like
9:40
coming to me with a huge respect.
9:42
Like, how are you doing this, this, this thing is so scary to
9:47
drive on the track, you know?
9:50
Yeah.
9:51
So, yeah, it's definitely, you know, formal.
9:53
It's a great experience.
9:54
Really fun cars.
9:57
Yeah.
9:57
Big props to you for doing that.
10:00
I would like to, at some point, try out a formula car again, now that I have some
10:04
more basic car knowledge and basic mm-hmm.
10:08
You know, skills that way.
10:09
I think it definitely was super intimidating as a first experience
10:13
in cars, but I'm sure it'll still be intimidating as a.
10:17
You know, secondary experience, but hopefully I can at some point jump
10:20
back in to see if I've, I've conquered that, that intimidation or not, but.
10:28
Yeah, definitely was more experience.
10:30
Uh, like it'll be easier to do and, uh, you know, more fun
10:34
to have, uh, for you for sure.
10:36
Um, so let's, uh, dive deep into, uh, like car racing and all this stuff.
10:42
So what's your favorite combo, uh, which you've been driven?
10:47
Uh, like the, the car and, and the track also in real life, so.
10:54
Probably my overall favorite combo would have to be, uh,
11:00
the Racing Product U Radical.
11:02
Mm-hmm.
11:02
Um, at Homestead Miami because I just kind of really jived with that track.
11:08
I did really good mm-hmm.
11:10
Um, on that weekend, and it was the first kind of time in that car where I was like,
11:15
okay, you know, I have the pace to win and I feel really comfortable on this track.
11:23
However, I do have to say my first, uh, well actually technically my
11:27
second experience in a car, 'cause the first time was the Lucas Oil School.
11:31
Mm-hmm.
11:31
But, um, the second time in the car was with the formula woman.
11:36
Uh.
11:37
Finals in, you know, north America, they're held at Calabogie Motor
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Sports Park in Canada, and it's not a super well-known track.
11:46
Mm-hmm.
11:47
But, oh my gosh, that is the prettiest and coolest track that I've been to
11:53
since, I mean, it's just, it's super long.
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It's about, it's over five kilometers, so you know, over three miles and.
12:04
It's absolutely beautiful.
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It has the coolest turns that I've ever been on, like the coolest combinations.
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And I went during the fall and it's like in the woods with
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all the pretty orange leaves.
12:16
So it was just absolutely beautiful.
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But, um, I was only driving like a scion, um, FRS there, I believe.
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So it wasn't a super, super, you know, interesting car necessarily.
12:30
Mm-hmm.
12:31
The track was just amazing.
12:33
Yeah.
12:34
Yeah.
12:34
Canada is so beautiful, uh, with nature and everything.
12:38
Definitely.
12:39
Um, what do you like the most in tracks?
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Uh, like for me, uh, I really like, you know, up hills
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downhill, uh, some blind corners.
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Uh, that that's really, you know, like, uh, get, get me excited,
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uh, real like road Atlanta.
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I, I would like to, would love to draw.
13:00
Drive this track in real life, uh, if I will have opportunity.
13:04
Um, I also had, uh, some races with formulas.
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We had, uh, the cousin ring.
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This is, uh, the track which I drove with was formula.
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It was with a blind corner.
13:15
It was really scary, you know, just going uphill.
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Then you, you've got a moment where you're breaking, you're
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like breaking and, uh, you know.
13:25
Uh, taking the breath and then jumping, uh, into ss, which going
13:29
down, it was really exciting.
13:31
So what about you?
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What, what's your, like, what's favorite, uh, like about the, the track for you?
13:38
I'd say, so my, my favorite thing is just.
13:42
Whether I feel like it flows or not.
13:46
Mm-hmm.
13:46
Like if I can, if it's a flowy track and I can just get in
13:48
the groove, it's so much fun.
13:50
Mm-hmm.
13:51
And just feels great when you're out there.
13:53
I'm sure you've kind of had similar experiences, but,
13:57
um, I'd say probably where.
14:00
I've found that I do like the best at is kind of high speed tracks.
14:05
Mm-hmm.
14:05
For some reason.
14:06
Um, which is kind of weird 'cause I feel like I'm like, you know, I, I feel like
14:10
I take tight corners pretty good, but for some reason if it's more of just
14:15
kind of high speed corners or anything like that, I feel like I typically
14:20
do the best at those types of tracks.
14:23
Mm-hmm.
14:23
But, um.
14:24
Just any track that flows and has a lot of, like you said, interesting corners and
14:31
elevation changes into dips and corners.
14:35
Those are, those are so much fun and really feel really good to drive.
14:40
Yeah, I absolutely agree with you.
14:42
And, uh, you, you mentioned, uh, the radical championship, so how you actually
14:47
get into this, uh, as I'm aware there was some kind of league, so we get
14:52
into it and then, uh, get opportunity to drive into the championship.
14:56
Um, so tell us more about this.
15:00
Yeah, so, um, I. Didn't have my own SIM at the time, and I actually
15:06
technically still don't have my own sim.
15:09
I'm just lucky enough to have some race car driver
15:11
roommates who have sims as well.
15:13
So, um, I, I get to use their sim, uh, pretty much whenever I want.
15:19
But, uh, since I didn't have my own physical sim, I decided to
15:23
try and enter the Racing Prodigy competition through Street Cart,
15:28
which is a mobile game on your phone.
15:31
And that's where some of the selections were being made for
15:35
the, uh, racing Prodigy Shootout, which was in the real cars.
15:40
So, um, I just had to post.
15:45
A top 50 fastest time to then be eligible to send in a video on why I
15:53
should be selected for the shootout.
15:55
Mm-hmm.
15:55
Um, so I got in the top 50 on the game and then sent in.
16:01
My video was selected for.
16:05
The kind of final judges pick.
16:08
And then I actually wasn't selected by the judges.
16:12
Mm-hmm.
16:12
Um, but they ended up, there was, it was me and one other driver,
16:18
Camden Hibit, which they found that they saw a lot of potential in
16:22
also, so they decided to, uh, give.
16:26
Two extra Prodigy pass passes for the shootout, which
16:30
were awarded to me and him.
16:31
So that was really, really awesome of them, and really nice of them,
16:36
and nice of the sponsors to allow 'em to do that also and give us
16:40
the shot that we were looking for.
16:43
It's really interesting.
16:44
Uh, you got selection event with a mobile game.
16:48
Yeah.
16:49
Right?
16:50
Yeah.
16:51
That's really funny.
16:52
You know, I, I never heard, uh, that you can get, uh, like.
16:56
We, we know, uh, some examples where, uh, actually, uh, people who's in some
17:02
racing, they jumping into the real world of racing and get into selections.
17:07
Uh, like, you know, for example, the grantor ismo, um, academy or something
17:12
like this, but never heard that, uh, you know, actually the mobile game
17:16
can bring you to the real life racing.
17:20
Yeah.
17:20
And I think, you know, the reason that they.
17:24
Mainly, you know, had streetcar as a part of this opportunity is 'cause racing
17:29
Prodigy is trying to find the best of the best from, you know, all around
17:35
the world and just give opportunities to those who don't have them.
17:39
So, um, you know.
17:42
People might not be able to even afford a simulator to mm-hmm.
17:47
Enter this competition through iRacing or, or R Factor or the other platforms
17:53
that Racing Prodigy was selecting from.
17:56
So I think it's really cool that they kind of included street cart,
18:00
the mobile game in there to give that opportunity to anyone who can
18:05
just download a game on their phone.
18:09
Um.
18:10
And honestly the, the selections or the drivers that came from
18:15
Streetcar, a lot of them, them did really, really well in real life.
18:20
'cause I think mainly, even though it's just a carting game, it still
18:24
teaches you all the lines and mm-hmm.
18:26
Car control and everything like that.
18:28
So, um, yeah, it was really interesting to see how they progressed
18:33
throughout and it's really cool.
18:35
Yeah.
18:35
You know, it's really nice.
18:37
Uh, you also mentioned that, uh.
18:41
You know, it's more open for more people because not everybody got opportunity
18:45
to got a, a simulator, uh, at home, the r or not enough room, or not enough,
18:51
uh, like budgets, uh, or something.
18:54
So it's really nice to see that, uh, they found a way to, uh, bring
18:58
more people into selection event.
19:00
Uh, really Cool.
19:01
Uh, tell me more about, uh, radio SR one.
19:05
Uh, the car, uh, this is a prototype and, uh.
19:10
It should be somewhere between, yeah, the, like the road
19:13
car, like GT car and formula.
19:16
So what's your feelings about this car?
19:19
Uh, do you like it?
19:20
And, uh, yeah.
19:22
So gimme more your emotions about it.
19:25
So I definitely love the car sometimes.
19:28
It doesn't love me back though, but No.
19:31
But, um, I love the car, I love driving it.
19:35
It definitely feels very similar to a go-kart.
19:40
Um, you know, before I had an experience in this car, a lot of people say
19:43
that it, it feels pretty much exactly like a go-kart and they're right.
19:50
But the problem is, I. Have been kind of out of carting for a while, so
19:55
I have to kind retrain my brain to drive, like I'm in a go-kart again.
20:01
So it's actually, even though I came from carting, it's like harder for
20:06
me because I'm so, I'm so used to now driving heavy sports cars mm-hmm.
20:10
And having to be super smooth with my steering and, you know, easing off
20:15
of the brakes for, you know, trail breaking and everything like that.
20:19
Mm-hmm.
20:19
In the radical, you really don't.
20:20
I have to trail break that much and, you know, in especially, 'cause right now I'm,
20:26
I'm working as an instructor at the, uh, Ron Fellows performance Driving School
20:31
and Spring Mountain, where we're driving Corvettes and Cadillacs all day long.
20:37
Mm-hmm.
20:38
And my muscle memory is, you know, firm on the brakes initially and then
20:43
pretty much almost immediately start.
20:46
Trailing off the brake.
20:47
Mm-hmm.
20:47
To turn into the corner and then just coasting for a while,
20:50
then getting to gas, but like.
20:53
In the radicals, you have to hold that firm pressure for way longer.
20:59
Mm-hmm.
20:59
And, and then just kind of immediately come off and immediately get to the gas.
21:03
So it's kind of hard for my brain to switch off from
21:07
Corvette mode into radical mode.
21:11
But when I am driving and I love it, and I'm like, this feels so good.
21:14
Like, I feel like I can catch the car really easily too, for the most part.
21:20
It's just amazing and fun to drive.
21:22
And it's an, it's a physical workout too, and it feels good 'cause I
21:27
haven't really been able to find a car that's, you know, almost the
21:31
same physical workout as Go-karting.
21:33
Mm-hmm.
21:34
So, um, the radical is a, a pretty good workout and it just.
21:39
It's super, super fun to drive.
21:41
You feel like you can really feel the arrow kicking in as well, even
21:45
though the estro ones actually have less arrow than the other radicals.
21:49
But, um, you can definitely feel the arrow and it's, it's a blast to drive.
21:56
Yeah, you know, it's really sounds, uh, like the form of four and,
22:00
uh, form masters, which I draw.
22:02
Uh, so yeah, you really have to like push brakes and then release as,
22:07
uh, as soon as possible, uh, the brakes and, uh, jump into the corner,
22:12
uh, because you don't need that.
22:14
Long trail break in, uh, because car got IRO, so IRO
22:19
help also with it a little bit.
22:22
Yeah.
22:22
So you need to just transfer the weight to the front and then car going to do
22:27
everything for you and you just, uh, return back on gas as soon as possible.
22:31
Uh, so it's really cool.
22:32
Yeah.
22:33
Um.
22:35
It's, you know, uh, about the Corvette.
22:38
I can't imagine, you know, this is really heavy car and like with a big
22:43
engine, uh, that, that would be, yeah.
22:46
Really hard to switch to radical because it's really light and,
22:49
uh, nice, uh, car to drive.
22:53
Yeah.
22:53
Yeah.
22:54
It's kind of funny because, I mean, I should be better at
22:57
driving the radical, I feel like, because my, I grew up in carting.
23:01
Yeah.
23:01
And that's my main background.
23:04
But because I'm driving these Corvettes every single day as my daily job,
23:08
like now, it's kind of screwed me, screwed me for my radical damage.
23:13
But I think I like.
23:14
For the most part, you know, I think I got the hang of these radicals really well.
23:19
I, you know, at, for example, the Homestead Miami race, I
23:22
performed really, really well.
23:25
Um.
23:26
It's just sometimes it, you know, after the first session, the, the coaches
23:31
are always telling me, looking at the data, well, you need to, you're entering
23:34
with too much, you know, momentum.
23:36
Mm-hmm.
23:36
You need to stay on the firm pressure longer.
23:40
Um, and I'm like, Ugh, what the heck?
23:43
Like, I'm just trying to take this for like, you know, but.
23:47
Um, yeah.
23:49
So, but once, once they tell me that, it usually registers okay, I'm in
23:53
radical mode, Brenna not Corvette mode.
23:56
Mm-hmm.
23:56
So, yeah.
23:58
All right.
23:59
That's really cool that you, uh, adapt, uh, to the car and,
24:03
uh, actually had fun with it.
24:05
Um, really nice engineers, like, uh, save them please.
24:10
Uh, they helping a lot with telemetry and all this stuff for us.
24:15
Definitely.
24:16
Yeah.
24:17
I mean.
24:18
Big thank you to the engineers and the coaches and everything.
24:21
It's so, it's so cool what they, you know, and how much we benefit from it too.
24:27
It's, it's awesome.
24:29
Yeah.
24:29
So, uh, moving forward, uh, let's talk a little bit about, uh, that
24:34
you, uh, global Ambassador of the Fi Girls on Track and also, and also
24:39
you are eSport Cup winner, uh, of it.
24:42
Uh, so yeah.
24:45
I'm ready to hear a story from you.
24:49
Yeah.
24:50
So that, that opportunity was, was really cool.
24:55
Um, I basically was just scrolling on Instagram and I found the advertisement
25:02
from the FIA about the eSport.
25:06
And I was like, okay, you know, I need to practice on, on the simulator
25:12
more anyway, so I'll go for it.
25:15
Didn't really expect to get a top time because I, like I said, I act, I don't
25:23
have my own simulator and I don't really.
25:26
Um, consider myself a super good simulator racer.
25:31
I actually typically only use the sims that are available to me for just
25:36
practicing tracks that I am going to soon.
25:39
Mm-hmm.
25:40
So I've actually, I don't think I've ever actually done an
25:43
official I race, race before.
25:46
I just go, I just go on the sim, like to do open lapping.
25:51
So, um.
25:52
You know, once I saw that it was a time attack and not a race,
25:55
I was like, now we're talking.
25:57
So, so, um, so, um, basically I just, I just got on the sim and I did like.
26:06
500 laps.
26:08
The other girls that won their region only did like less than a hundred, but
26:14
I had to do like 500 to get a good time.
26:17
Mm-hmm.
26:17
And just was practicing, practicing.
26:19
But I'm really glad that I did it because it really, um, I think
26:24
is gonna help me in the future.
26:27
I, I find myself already getting faster, much quicker on the
26:31
simulator when I am do, am practicing other cars ahead of my races.
26:36
So I think it's really gonna be beneficial, especially since with the
26:40
racing prodigy stuff, I saw how good some of these sim racers were as soon
26:45
as they jumped in the real life car and they didn't even have any real
26:47
life car experience and they just jumped in and were quick right away.
26:50
So that's something that I'm trying to work on because I find myself
26:54
getting up to speed, but not as quickly as some other people.
26:58
So I'm trying to work on that using the simulator to do so.
27:01
But anyway, um, I ended up posting the fastest lap time after 500 laughs for,
27:07
uh, north America and Central America.
27:10
Mm-hmm.
27:11
So, uh, yeah, they reached out to me, said that I, I won my
27:18
region and then, uh, we got to be.
27:23
Um, eSport ambassadors at the Girls On Track event at the London Formula Race.
27:29
Mm-hmm.
27:29
And that was really cool.
27:30
It was the first time going to the formula race and we're supposed to go, um, again,
27:36
to one of the upcoming F1 races as well.
27:40
So I'm looking forward to it.
27:41
And, and, uh, it was super great interacting with all
27:45
of the, the girls on track.
27:47
Mm-hmm.
27:47
Girls, they're, they're so great and I, it was really cool 'cause um, one
27:51
of the girls that I'm friends with on Instagram, uh, her name's Andy and she
27:59
messaged me and was like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna be at the Girls On Track event.
28:03
I'll come up to you.
28:04
And we met and we were.
28:07
Uh, talking about her go-karting.
28:09
She's an Irish Go Karter.
28:12
And, uh, I was coaching her on the Sims.
28:15
Mm-hmm.
28:15
And she did amazing on that simulator.
28:18
She's gonna be a really good race car driver when she's older for sure.
28:22
But, uh, yeah, so it's just so cool, you know.
28:26
Getting to kind of meet these young girls in carting or, or other aspects who you
28:31
actually kind of know online and then meet them in person just from around the world.
28:37
It was, it was really cool.
28:38
Yeah, it's definitely, I think, nice experience.
28:41
Uh, as we got here in the, in talks also, I, I made a lot of, uh, girls,
28:47
uh, who's like in motor sports industry.
28:50
They.
28:51
Either like designers or racing drivers, uh, or coaches.
28:57
So, yeah, it's really cool to meet people from your industry, share your
29:01
experience with them, uh, especially if they only on the beginning, only starting
29:06
their way, uh, into the, the racing.
29:09
It's really nice.
29:11
Um, do you feel, uh, do you have any like stereotype because you're
29:18
a girl and they're in racing or not?
29:20
Because, uh, personally I had some, um, it was really funny, uh, when I get into
29:27
the formula, I was like 17 years old and, uh, here in Kazakhstan, they used to have
29:33
articles, uh, you know, topics about me that, uh, girl without a driving license.
29:39
Uh, because you know, people don't understand that you got racing license.
29:44
Yeah.
29:45
So it was really funny.
29:46
And you know, when I wasn't a formula, I also was like alone.
29:51
So boys, they've been together with each other, like having fun, uh,
29:56
talking and uh, doing all the stuff.
29:59
I was alone, like, uh, and uh, do you have something like this
30:03
in your ex experience or not?
30:06
So I totally get you.
30:08
I mean, when I was younger and I first started out in carting, I was like, what
30:13
are these people talking about that girls are treated differently in motor sport?
30:18
'cause I didn't get that at all when I was first growing up, uh, in carting.
30:23
I felt like I was treated perfectly, fairly and everything.
30:27
And, um, it wasn't until I kind of got on.
30:31
Social media and people are able to hide behind the screen.
30:34
Mm-hmm.
30:35
And then say kind of bad things about me on their phones or something,
30:39
because they're not seeing me in person.
30:42
But I think in person also too, because I'm, I'm five feet, 11 inches tall.
30:49
Mm-hmm.
30:49
And I, I think sometimes I'm a little intimidating to people, so I think, I
30:55
think in person it wasn't as bad because I don't think anybody was going to.
31:01
Say hateful things to my face or anything like that.
31:05
But there, there are definitely, you know, some, some joking stereotypes or.
31:11
Even at my job, uh, since I'm an an instructor, you know, sometimes the
31:18
students, they'll, they'll, you know, lightheartedly make some jokes about,
31:24
um, being a girl driver and, and, but then I, I take them for their.
31:30
Demonstration lap where they're in the passenger seat and I'm, I'm driving
31:34
the car for them, driving their car to kind of show them a, a good lap.
31:39
And then after that they don't, they don't say anything anymore.
31:42
So, yeah.
31:44
But, um, I mean, for the most part, I don't, I don't think anything has
31:51
been super, super bad for a while.
31:53
Some of my carding competitors, when I first got started in the national.
31:58
Series, they were giving me a lot of hate online.
32:02
Mm-hmm.
32:02
Because, like I said, I was making, I was making a lot of TikTok videos
32:06
at the time, so I guess maybe they thought that they were, I was making
32:10
like racing related tiktoks and I think they maybe thought that they were a
32:13
little cringey or something like that.
32:15
So, making fun of me a lot there.
32:17
Um, and sometimes it would translate on track.
32:19
They would try and put me off.
32:21
The track and stuff like that.
32:23
But other than that, everybody, for the most part has been pretty great.
32:29
Um, but I do see for sure stereotypes coming into play
32:34
at times throughout my life.
32:36
Yeah, definitely.
32:37
You know, we've been, uh, talking about, uh, like different communities, different,
32:41
uh, countries and how, uh, like, uh.
32:45
Girls got experience, uh, there.
32:47
And the only thing which I noticed that, you know, formula can be a
32:52
little bit more competitive, so people like, uh, more, more aggressive.
32:56
Uh, and uh, overall, uh, racing community is really friendly for everybody.
33:02
Uh, for example, for example, that are racing.
33:05
And racing is really cool.
33:07
And, you know, met some people, uh, with this.
33:10
Comments.
33:11
I, I really like, like women and, uh, and a cup of coffee, you know?
33:16
Yes.
33:17
Oh yeah.
33:18
It's so funny.
33:18
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
33:20
And, you know, couple of times really and, uh, most of the time,
33:24
uh, community are really friendly.
33:26
They super supportive and so nice.
33:29
And it's cool to see that, uh, more girls seem to like jumping into the
33:36
sim racing and, uh, racing as well.
33:38
It's nice to see.
33:39
Yeah, definitely.
33:40
I mean, there's, there's so many more girls involved
33:44
just over the past few years.
33:45
Yeah, I mean, when I was growing up there was, there was nobody like, you know, I
33:48
was always the only girl in my events.
33:52
Um, in the US I think there's still.
33:57
Not many girls in carting.
33:59
'cause a lot of times when I do a carting event, I'm still
34:02
usually the only girl in my class.
34:05
Mm-hmm.
34:05
But sometimes there are a few others, but I think in other aspects like of, of
34:10
car racing in general, I think there's.
34:12
A bigger population of girls now, and on sim racing as well.
34:17
It's definitely growing in all areas, but I think especially in those for sure.
34:22
Yeah, I think the reason of it, uh, just because, you know, ing uh, this is a place
34:27
where people jumping when they young, when they like nine years old, six years old,
34:32
or something like this, like maybe that.
34:34
A little bit harder to do for some people because their family
34:38
not aware of racing at all.
34:40
And then they like, uh, jumping into their twenties 25 and they're like,
34:45
oh, I can raise the car on track.
34:47
So yeah, I think that that's why, uh, we can see a lot of, uh, girls, uh, like I
34:53
think in the United States also, we've been talking about that in drag racing.
34:57
Uh, a lot of girls and in car racing and.
35:01
Like everywhere.
35:02
But you know, ing I think it's, uh, a little bit, uh,
35:06
you know, niche, uh, of racing.
35:08
Uh, where are you getting because of your family, first of all?
35:13
Yeah, definitely.
35:16
All right.
35:16
I would have to think.
35:18
Yeah.
35:18
And moving forward, what's your plans for this year and upcoming years?
35:23
Uh, what do you plan to do and what's your dream?
35:28
Yeah, so first and foremost, fingers crossed that I'll get redrafted for
35:34
the Racing Prodigy series next year.
35:37
'cause I definitely want to continue racing radicals and just being a
35:40
part of that program is, and their mission is absolutely amazing.
35:46
Um, but then I'm also at the end of this month gonna make my NASCAR Euro
35:52
series debut in the Rookie Challenge.
35:56
So I'm super excited about that.
35:58
Uh, one of my roommates made their, uh, NASCAR Euro Open series debut, um,
36:06
a few months ago at Brand's Hatch and.
36:11
I was just kind of talking to them about it and I was like, you know what?
36:14
I want to try one of these cars.
36:16
So, um, I'm just starting out on the rookie challenge though, 'cause I've never
36:21
been in any type of stock car before.
36:24
So the rookie challenge is pretty much just.
36:26
Almost like a time attack.
36:28
Mm-hmm.
36:29
Uh, but, but there is a competition to it.
36:32
Um, so I just starting out in that for now, getting my bearings in the
36:38
car and then hopefully I can go for a full season in NASCAR Euro next year.
36:45
Maybe try and do an actual race before the end of this season.
36:49
We'll see.
36:50
Um, but yeah, I'm super excited about that.
36:53
It's gonna be in, uh, chea, uh, at Auto drum moss or most, I'm not sure.
37:03
I'm not sure on the pronunciation.
37:04
Do you know, do you know the pronunciation by any chance?
37:07
Um, I think, I think you're right with pronunciation.
37:10
Yeah.
37:11
I dunno.
37:12
Yeah.
37:13
But it's.
37:14
You know, I'm aware of this track.
37:16
Uh, it's in, uh, it's in a race room, uh, simulator.
37:20
Okay.
37:20
So you can find it here.
37:22
Yeah.
37:23
It's a super fun track and it's definitely flowy.
37:27
It seems like, like I, I think it's gonna be my type of track, but, uh, we'll see.
37:33
I'm kind of hoping that like if I end up doing.
37:37
Good.
37:37
And I feel really good in the car after like the rookie challenge.
37:41
Maybe I can just like jump in a car for the race, but We'll,
37:45
but probably, probably not.
37:48
But um, you know, I just.
37:51
I've been driving it on, on one of my roommates simulators, and
37:55
the track just feels amazing.
37:58
I'm, I'm so excited for it.
37:59
So I'm hoping that that kinda all works out.
38:03
And then, um, you know, for next season in NASCAR Euro, and then
38:08
hopefully at some point I can transition over to American nascar.
38:12
It's just, hmm.
38:13
A lot more of this than over in Europe at the moment.
38:18
So, um, but you know, I'll be looking for some sponsors for NASCAR Euro series
38:24
and hopefully I can transition back to my home country here for mm-hmm.
38:29
NASCAR at, at some point later on in the journey.
38:33
Yeah.
38:33
I'm actually, you know, really jealous and, uh, so happy for you, uh, because.
38:39
I jump into racing and I've been like, racing and foremost, and I
38:43
discover ovals and I'm like, oh my God.
38:46
I, I would like to try the car at least for once on track.
38:50
So yeah, it, it, it's going to be great for you.
38:53
So wish you good luck, uh, in NASCAR and hopefully we go on to see you in like
38:58
Xfinity and uh, CAP series in the future.
39:03
Hopefully.
39:04
We'll see.
39:04
Yeah, I mean, you know, I think like a lot of us.
39:08
Um, you know, it's just, obviously it's, it's a lot about money these days.
39:17
Um, not necessarily talent, but that's why I'm so thankful for
39:21
the opportunities that I have had.
39:23
Over the years.
39:24
Mm-hmm.
39:24
Um, with the, with all the, the shootouts that I've been involved in,
39:28
you know, the, the pt, auto Sports Shootout, the, um, even the Formula
39:32
Woman Shootout, the Mazda Shootout, and then the Racing Prodigy Shootout, which
39:37
ultimately gave me my, you know, my most shot in a professional racing series.
39:42
And it's just incredible what these companies are doing, um, to try and fix.
39:49
The issue at hand because no other sport has this issue really, it's,
39:54
it's pretty much just racing.
39:56
So it's just so cool that all these companies are.
40:01
Or trying to help out and have these shootouts just honestly from the kindness
40:05
of their heart, but for their passion for the sport and passion for helping us out.
40:10
So, yeah.
40:12
Yeah, it's, uh, nice to see.
40:13
I noticed in some raising the same stuff like, uh, companies getting vault into
40:17
it and, uh, like bringing more money, bringing more prize money for people also
40:22
to give them opportunities in their life.
40:25
And, uh, definitely it's, uh, cool to see that, uh.
40:29
In racing, we got, uh, the same stuff.
40:32
I also, uh, so happy about my experience, which I had because I'm not from Rich
40:37
family, like we started ING and then we get sponsors, uh, here in Kazakhstan.
40:43
And then I get into the team and, uh, actually so grateful for this experience.
40:48
And yeah, it's, it's really cool that, uh, you know, companies.
40:52
Uh, jumping in and, uh, realize that racing also can be fun and
40:57
they can support drivers and, uh, they can be their ambassadors.
41:02
And I think it's really important and what you did for your career already.
41:07
You did, uh, cool networking.
41:09
Yeah.
41:10
And, uh, I think it's going to help you in the future anyway.
41:14
Well, thank you.
41:15
Yeah.
41:15
That means a lot and I mean, yeah, props to you as well for, I mean,
41:20
I would absolutely love to drive a formula car too, so I'm jealous of you.
41:25
You're jealous of me.
41:26
Maybe one of these days we can trade places or something.
41:34
Alright.
41:35
Yeah.
41:35
And the last one will be, uh, what advice can you give to girls and boys, uh, who.
41:42
Want to, uh, jump into the racing, uh, doesn't matter if they like
41:46
six years old or 2025 or maybe 45.
41:50
So what your advice will be for them.
41:53
So, I mean, it's gonna sound like a cliche, but.
41:58
I always tell myself, 'cause sometimes I hear these cliches and
42:02
I'm like, oh, it's just a cliche.
42:04
And then I really think about it and I'm like, wait, that
42:07
actually has some meaning to it.
42:09
But really, I mean, truly follow your dreams because,
42:15
and just don't give up on them.
42:17
Because really if you don't give up on them and you're working towards
42:21
them every day, you're gonna make it.
42:23
I mean, I, people tell you this all the time, but I feel like
42:27
you don't really believe it.
42:29
But, um, you should because just, you know, for instance,
42:34
when I was in middle school.
42:37
I told my guidance counselor, uh, that I wanted to be a race
42:41
car driver when I grew up.
42:42
When he, when he asked, uh, you know, what type of careers I'm
42:45
looking into, and I said, well, I'm gonna be a race car driver.
42:48
And he starts laughing.
42:49
Mm-hmm.
42:50
You know, in my face and was like, well, maybe we should come up with another plan.
42:53
But it's, you know, if he saw me now.
42:56
Look who's laughing, but,
42:59
so, so yeah, like, you know, really just follow your dreams and don't
43:05
believe anything that anybody says.
43:07
If you know that you can make it yourself, then go make it.
43:11
Because I mean, even my parents, they were.
43:14
They, we were going through a struggle period because they did not like that
43:19
I was spending all my money on racing.
43:21
Mm-hmm.
43:21
And they really thought that I should just give up the dream.
43:25
And then like six months later I got the racing Prodigy opportunity, I got the PT
43:29
auto sport opportunity, I got this job in the, um, you know, instructing industry.
43:36
And that all happened, you know, right after.
43:39
That period where I was really going to head to head with my parents.
43:43
It was a really rough time for all three of us because I just
43:47
was not giving up on this dream and I wasn't going to, but mm-hmm.
43:50
It worked out and now they're ultra supportive of me because I made it.
43:56
So don't listen to anybody but yourself.
44:00
Really keep pushing for that dream if it's truly what you want.
44:05
Yeah, absolutely agree with you.
44:06
And also want to add a little bit that, uh, community is really friendly
44:11
and, uh, if someone would like to jump into racing, same racing, uh,
44:16
like ing uh, they should go here.
44:19
Uh, people going to welcome you and support you in your way,
44:24
uh, give you advices and uh, um.
44:27
Maybe you'll get the opportunity to jump into like bigger racing team
44:33
and, uh, on big tracks as well.
44:37
Yeah, definitely.
44:38
And, and if anybody listening or watching, ever wants, you know, any feedback or
44:43
advice or anything, feel free to reach out on Instagram or anything like that.
44:48
So.
44:49
Yeah.
44:50
Uh, so guys, don't forget to follow Brenna on her Instagram and just
44:54
share the link into the chat.
44:55
Uh, Brenda, thank you so much.
44:57
It was, uh, absolutely amazing to talk with you.
45:00
You're gorgeous.
45:01
Uh, so yeah, wish you good luck.
45:06
Well, thank you.
45:07
But you should have heard me talking to my roommates earlier because I was
45:10
like, I was like, oh, because I just got home from work like a half hour before
45:14
the podcast started and I was like, oh, like I can't straighten my hair.
45:17
My hair's a mess.
45:18
And I was like, I was like freaking out.
45:20
And they're like, they're like, Bruna, you look fine.
45:23
And then you say that, and I'm like, oh my goodness.
45:27
No.
45:30
Hey, I just, I just had like a one hour sleep before the podcast, so all good.
45:36
Well, you look beautiful and your red lipstick looks gorgeous too.
45:40
Yeah.
45:40
Thank you.
45:41
Yeah.
45:43
So yeah, wish you good luck.
45:45
Uh, once again, thank you so much for your time.
45:47
It was really fun.
45:48
Uh, guys, thank you so much for watching.
45:50
We'll see you for next, uh, need talks.
45:53
Thank you.
45:53
And thank you Brena.
45:54
Yeah, thank you guys.
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