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Laura Hayes has big dreams of racing in NASCAR's premier series, and after completing the 2009 racing season at South Boston Speedway last Saturday, she is that much closer to realizing her dreams. Hayes is a part of the Drive for Diversity lineup for the 2009 racing season, which relocated her from her small town home in Wilton, California to Clarksville, Virginia, where she joined up with Steve James Racing at South Boston Speedway. It was a tough decision for Hayes to leave her family and friends behind in California, but the opportunity to further her career in the heartland of auto racing on the east coast was just the break that the young driver had been waiting for.
At the start of the season, Hayes had high expectations for herself and her team. She'd just come off of a successful first year running late models at All American Speedway in Roseville, Ca., ending the season with Rookie of the Year honors, one win, one fast time, 12 top five and 18 top ten finishes. " I was confident in my driving abilities and I knew I was going to be in good equipment with a good team at South Boston After the first race, I quickly found that I had taken a big step by moving to the East Coast. I definitely had some learning to do! "
The season moved forward with the James Racing team working hard to get the car to handle properly and Hayes faced tough competition like never before. "There were a few bumps in the road, and the other drivers definitely didn't cut me any slack! Maybe it was because I was a rookie, or because I was from California. Maybe it was because I'm a girl. Whatever it was, I knew it was something that I was going to have to overcome so I raced everyone clean and hard, but with respect. In turn, I ultimately was given respect and some of the problems that we were having on track, quickly ended. Looking back, it's just another good learning experience. I'm glad that the other drivers were tough on me because now I have that experience and the skill to help me move forward with my driving. "
As the season continued, Hayes found that some weeks went smoother than others, and sometimes Hayes felt that luck never seemed to be on their side. "We had weeks that all went well and we felt we were making great headway and then reality would slap us the next week. We had engine problems throughout the year - we were forced to run backup engines and even a backup backup at one point. Maybe we tried to get too many laps out of an engine but some of what happened can only be blamed on unfortunate luck." Flat tires and radio issues also caused problems, as did getting caught up in someone else's accident on a couple of occasions. "While it seemed that something unfortunate often happened to us, I think my team and I all learned some valuable lessons from some of these incidents. Fortunately we tore up very little equipment, something that can't be said for many of my competitors. A chassis change mid-season seemed like a positive step, but in actuality it took the team numerous races to get the car to the performance level of the previous car."
Even with the setbacks, Hayes' driving and the team's on track performance improved throughout the season as she got accustomed to a different car and an unfamiliar race track. Known as one of the toughest short tracks in the country, South Boston Speedway is a challenge for anyone, including second-year late model driver Hayes. "I learned so much racing at SoBo this season. This track is tough and takes time for any driver to learn; missing your marks by mere inches would take a toll. The races were 150 laps each night, sometimes split into two 75's but more often 150 laps straight. The competition is also incredibly stout. I raced with the best late model drivers in the country, including three time and current national champion Philip Morris. I quickly found out you can't jump in with these racers and expect to kick butt. The competition level is unlike anywhere I have ever been. Everyone is so close and you never know who is going to win. In fact there were 10 different winners in the 21 race season. "
Qualifying up front was extremely important for a good finish and many times the entire field was only separated by a couple tenths of a second; often one tenth meant the difference between starting on the front row or mid field. The effort required to qualify up front necessitated buying multiple sets of tires on race day, something Laura's team's budget did not support, so unlike other times in her career, qualifying was not their strong suit. "Sometimes I worried that my results didn't look that great, but often I was able to run times as quick as the top finishers even late in the race and looking back I know that I learned a lot and did well for a rookie at SoBo. It's been great preparation for my future in racing. "
Laura rounded out the season with fourteen top-15 finishes and four top-10 finishes, including a 7th place finish in the Imagine Halifax 150 held on August 1. At season's end, Laura finished 10th in the track point standings, very respectable for a rookie driver at South Boston. The season saw 63 drivers earn points with an average field of over 21 cars and a season high of 33 competitors.
All in all, Hayes knows that she couldn't have run or finished the season without her many supporters. Says Hayes: "This racing season was a whole new world for me and a season of firsts in a whole new way. This was the first time I'd been away from home, the first year that my dad wasn't my crew chief and the first time my family couldn't be at my races. Luckily, I had a great crew at James Racing. Steve and the team worked very hard every week and I felt we always had a safe and well-prepared car. Plus, I had my family and friends rooting for me from California. I'm really lucky to have so much support and to be part of a great racing family, both at home and here in Virginia. " For the third year in a row, Rob Miller of Peoplefinders.com supported Hayes and her racing endeavors by being her primary sponsor. Laura states, "I can't thank Rob and Peoplefinders.com enough for their continued support and faith in me throughout the years. Their support means the world to me and has made my career path possible -- I wouldn't be able to do any of this without them." Laura would also like to give a special shout out to Joe and Sheryl Pelella, two extraordinary people who took her into their home and treated her like a daughter. "I'm very fortunate to not only have met and lived with Joe and Sheryl, but now I have sets of parents on both coasts - not many people can say that, " remarks Hayes.
Now, Hayes looks to the future with her invite to the 2009 Drive for Diversity Combine in October, which includes activities in Charlotte, NC. and track testing at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va. Many changes are taking place with the D4D program for next year as it will take on an academy style approach. There will be 10 drivers in the program, who will all be running under Revolution Racing, headed by Max Siegel and John Story in Mooresville, NC. Andy Santerre, a four-time NASCAR Camping World regional series champion as a driver and team owner, will join Revolution Racing to supervise the four Camping World team operations. Blair Addis, a current Drive for Diversity team owner, will supervise the six NASCAR Whelen All-American Series teams. "I'm really excited about Diversity's approach for next year. A lot of work has been done to revamp the program and make improvements. I'm looking forward to the Combine and to having the opportunity to show what I can do. It's going to be an exciting program in 2010 and I can't wait to be a part of it. "
Read more about the 2010 Drive for Diversity initiative at:
http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/official/09/16/d4d.academy.training/index.html and
http://www.sportingnews.com/nascar/article/2009-09-16/nascar-s-drive-for-diversity-program-revamped
Laura Hayes Racing is made possible by:
Peoplefinders.com, Drive for Diversity, K&N Engineering, Steve James Racing, GoneRacin.com, H.R. Ramesy Construction, Bowen's Mini Mart, Clarksville Auto Supply, Larry's Paint Body & Signs, PHI-Phil Hayes Inc., Team MMI, Outlaw Graphics, FRE-Finishline Racing Equipment, A&E Racecars, Clark's Automotive Race Engines, Bell Helmets, Sparco
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