Media Contact: Megan Dupuy – woodhullracewaypr@gmail.com
For Immediate Release: June 28th, 2017 – Brooke McClain Racing photo -
(WOODHULL, NY) - Racing is a male dominated sport- no questions asked. However, you will see the occasional lady racer ready to battle it out amongst the boys. Coming off a feature win at Woodhull Raceway two weeks ago, Brooke McClain is that lady racer who has risen to success in 2017.
McClain, 13, has decided to add racing to her list of sports she enjoys. During the school year, you can find McClain doing a number of sports. But for the summer, you will find her at a number of local racetracks in the pursuit of speed and checkered flags.
McClain is good at juggling her sports. She plays two spring sports along with racing endeavors, which starts during the spring sports season.
“Softball didn’t interfere with racing but track and field did a little bit,” McClain said.
Although her first time at Woodhull Raceway was just four weeks ago, McClain already has a win. By watching her race, you wouldn’t be able to guess she’s only raced six times, three being at Woodhull.
If you look closely, you probably will see that the car looks familiar to Woodhull fans. McClain’s car was formally the No. 93D, driven by Crate Sportsman Rookie Dave Richmond.
Last season, Dave placed sixth in points with one feature win and numerous top five and top ten finishes. Dave, although not in a FWD anymore, still has went out of his way to help McClain.
“He’s telling me where he thinks the car will be fast and that’s helped out,” McClain said.
After interviewing McClain, Richmond talked about the pointers he’s given the rookie driver.
What kind of tips did you give McClain?
“Just how hard to drive the car in, where to position herself in the car, where the car needs to be on the track to go fast,” Richmond said.
Although Richmond has given McClain pointers, he’s left the set-ups to McClain and her crew.
As they say racing is in the genes. Her father raced E-Mods awhile back and was good. Just like any dad would, he’s given her a fair share of pointers but has let Richmond give the pointers since it was his old car. McClain’s father mentioned after the interview, that this was new to him and he was researching nightly to try to help McClain’s car improve.
McClain started out racing a full season at Bradford and McKean County Raceway in Smethport, PA- but found herself at Woodhull Raceway one Saturday night and fell in love with the track and the employees.
“I like how smooth the track is and how nice the staff is here,” McClain said with a smile.
Woodhull Raceway is known for the family type atmosphere and is a reason why most racers love it so much. And of course the smooth track surface is an added bonus.
For McClain she is one of two girls in her division and one of three at the track in total. She is definitely the minority in this case but that doesn’t stop her from doing what she loves.
Have you come into any challenges racing and being a girl?
“No, not really. (But we know) the boys don’t like being beat by a girl,” noted McClain.
Opposite of the negatives, you have the positives of being a female racer which McClain feels she has experienced already.
“I think being a girl you get a little bit more social media fame than the rest of the drivers.”
McClain has experienced this first hand, coming off her first feature win last week. Her win was quite the finish to an exciting Warriors race.
So you like racing on the outside?
“Oh yeah, it’s always bad when I run low.”
Stay tuned all season long for more of Megan Dupuy’s driver profiles, as she travels the pit area at Woodhull Raceway to help tell the stories of the drivers that put on a show each week. Megan is finishing her sophomore year at Mansfield University, where she is studying to pursue a career in public relations. She has returned to Woodhull Raceway for her second season as Media Intern- an experience she hopes to make useful in a future career in motorsports media and marketing.