Women Shifting Gears with Amanda Busick

Latest Episodes:

Season 2, Episode 31 - Deb Williams - Award-Winning NASCAR Journalist Dec 22, 2021

Show notes

Award-winning veteran motorsports journalist Deb Williams knew at an early age what she wanted to be when she grew up…. a writer… specifically in NASCAR. The path she would take would carry her through a storied career full of journalistic opportunities that few in her business have ever experienced. Her love for the sport of stock car racing runs only second to the people she has worked with throughout her career that have taught and guided her to the top of her profession.

Deb shares stories of triumph and tragedy as she has covered the likes of Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon and how the tragic side of the sport has been the toughest aspect of her career as she reported on those she considered family. Deb is not only respected but loved by all in the NASCAR garage.

You don’t want to miss the fascinating stories Williams has to share. Enjoy the show.

Season 2, Episode 30 - Martina Kwan - Racer, Change Agent, Influencer and Tastemaker Dec 15, 2021

Show notes

Born in Hong Kong to a German mother and Chinese father, Martina Kwan was destined for a life that was different. She spent her childhood in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, but credits living in war-torn Beirut, Lebanon between the ages of 8-10, as an experience that defined much of her fearlessness today. Her unique path in life has shaped her into a woman of drive and determination.

With a successful career in finance and business, Kwan made a commitment to herself to become a race car driver at the age of 50. Her racing experience has driven her to three championships and a passion for teaching others to believe in themselves. Martina shares her life experiences with host Amanda Busick including how she turned her PTSD into the top of the podium.

This is an amazing story of an exceptional woman. Enjoy the ride.

Season 2, Episode 29 - Heidi Mraz - Automotive Documentarian - Sharing car stories through art. Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

Her canvas is the road. Her art is the vehicle and your imagination is the fuel needed to lead you through the backroads of amazing car stories that just might have been gone and forgotten.

Critically acclaimed Heidi Mraz has an unbelievable artistic talent as she creates masterpieces through research and documentation to creatively share car stories like never before. Her goal is to preserve these stories through pieces of work that will leave you staring in disbelief, amazement, and awe.

Mraz chats with host Amanda Busick about past, present and future projects as she continues to uncover lost automotive stories.

Her story is unique, just like her art. Enjoy the ride.

Season 2, Episode 28 - Kim Barnes - Car Collector and Judge, Commercial Business Manager for Michelin Dec 01, 2021

Show notes

Just push forward. That’s the mindset Kim Barnes has had most of her life. Whether it was for something she wanted to do as a child, as a young professional, or even now as an expert car collector and judge, Kim has always pushed forward in pursuit of her passions. Kim is an exceptional woman who shares her stories of trials and tribulations as she has lived through an era of traditions and expectations that she has bucked in pursuit of true happiness.

Kim Barnes has been featured in automotive publications and the Wall Street Journal for her Concours winning, eclectic collection of sporting cars that includes Sunbeam Tigers, Alpine, Austin Healey, Triumphs, Barracuda Mod Top, Corvettes, muscle cars, and special edition Citroens. She is a commercial business manager at Michelin and has worked as the Event Director for the Art in Motion Concours at Monticello Motor Club, Market & Acquisition Specialists and Restoration Manager for Vintage Motor Management, a copywriter for the Trump Concours, and host of The Classic Car Radio Show. Kim’s judging credits include AACA, NCRS, Greenwich Concours, Greenbrier Concours, Radnor Hunt Concours, Hilton Head Concours, St. Michaels Concours, Atlanta Concours, and marque specialty events. She maintains her personal cars and does some of the restoration work.

She’s the one you want to go to a Concours with…

Season 2, Episode 27 - Tina Nelles - Marketing Services Manager at BASF Nov 24, 2021

Show notes

Tina Nelles has been with BASF for 16 years. Her many years of customer care and service as well as her current role as marketing services manager have helped prepare her for her biggest passion – developing initiatives for youth, diversity and women in the automotive space. Identifying talent continues to be a high priority for Nelles and her company, BASF, supports her endeavors 100%.

Tina shares her passion with host Amanda Busick as she prepares the youth of today with wonderful opportunities for the future.

Season 2, Episode 26 - Michelle Lackey Maynor - President and Majority Owner of Alaska Raceway Park Nov 17, 2021

Show notes

Alaska Raceway Park is the premier motorsports complex in Alaska where they feature NHRA Division 6 drag racing on their 1/4 mile track as well as NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series racing and INEX Legend and Bandolero racing on their 1/3 mile paved high bank oval. This week host Amanda Busick talks with Michelle Lackey Maynor, the president and majority track owner about the road she traveled to get to this position, and how her main goal is to make her father proud as she takes over the country’s most beautiful track from her parents. If you hear of a Kid Rock concert coming to ARP, you know Michelle’s dream has become reality as her “rockstar” status in the track ownership world is hitting a high note.

Season 2, Episode 25 - Angelle Sampey - Winningest Female Racer in Motorsports Nov 10, 2021

Show notes

Racing down the track in 6 seconds at over 200 mph is nothing for NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Angelle Sampey. With 45 victories and three championships, she is the winningest female driver in all of motorsports.

The 5’1” powerhouse takes racing in stride while she and her husband raise their two daughters in south Louisiana. In fact, in her girl’s playroom, the trophy from her 42nd win sits next to a sign that reads “Dreams only work if you do”.

Sampey shares her story of resilience as she races towards her fourth NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championship this weekend in California. This “Racin’ Cajun” is a true inspiration on and off the track.

Season 2, Episode 24 - The Gentry Sisters - Winners of the 2021 Hemmings Motor News Great Race Nov 03, 2021

Show notes

Olivia and Genna Gentry (also known as the Gentry Sisters) have racing in their blood. Having grown up around the Hemmings Motor News Great Race, as soon as they were old enough, they were ready to participate! Olivia (20) is the driver while Genna (18) is the navigator. In 2021, the Gentry Sisters won the Hemmings Great Race, bettering the time of their next competitor that, by the way, was their mother and cousin.

The Gentry Sisters take you through the grueling nine days that take place each summer and describe how intense and nerve-wracking it can be. And… they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Season 2, Episode 23 - Jamie Brewer - Executive Chief Engineer for the Cadillac LYRIC Oct 27, 2021

Show notes

Jamie Brewer is the Vehicle Chief Engineer of Future Electric Vehicles at General Motors, including the Cadillac LYRIQ. She has been an integral part of the GM team since the early 2000s, working her way from Vehicle Performance Engineer to Director and Global BOM Leader of Garnish, Overhead Systems, Carpet, Acoustics, and Trunk Trim to now leading the EV area.

Brewer chats with host Amanda Busick about her GM journey, the feeling she’ll have when the first Cadillac LYRIQ rolls of the assembly line, how she and her team will listen to the customers to continue to develop their products and how she continuously challenges herself to get outside her comfort zone.

And… she has an identical twin sister who is the Executive Chief Engineer for GM’s full-size trucks! We can only imagine how proud their parents are!

Season 2, Episode 22: Catherine Bond Muir - CEO of the W Series Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

After spending the earlier part of her career as an intellectual property solicitor, as well as in corporate finance working sports and gaming deals, then taking a career break to give birth to her son, W Series CEO Catherine Bond Muir was ready for a new challenge and the free-to-enter car racing championship was born.

The W Series provides equal opportunities for women in racing and eliminates the financial barriers that have historically prevented them from progressing to the upper echelons of motorsport, including Formula 1. Muir and her team believe that the more high-profile female role models it can create, the more the W Series will inspire young girls in the grassroots level.

There are eight races in partnership with Formula 1 including this week’s Circuit of the Americas (COTA), in an effort to build greater diversity across F1 and racing. Bond chats with host Amanda Busick about the W Series inception, its growth, where it’s heading and the opportunity of a lifetime for her professional female race drivers.

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