First Post in a While

Hey all!
Haven't posted anything in a while so I figured I should give an update and fill you in on whats going on if you haven't seen it elsewhere. I recently signed on with Activ8 Development www.wecreatechamps.com and am LOVING working with them. They are a great group of people and I am looking forward to seeing what is to come!!

I am going to try and be better about updating this blog and putting a little bit of day in the life action on it :)

Until next time,
KCS

An update....

Hey followers!

I hadn't posted any updates on what is going on as far as my racing this season so I thought I would let you all know what's going on.
I had a deal in the works to race the VW Jetta TDI Cup this season again, unfortunately that fell through, so I am back to the drawing board and figuring out which direction is the best to pursue. I have some ideas that I think are pretty good so stay tuned :)

Kerstin

Changing the Blog up a bit

Hey All!!
I have decided to change this blog up a little bit to make it more of a look into what an aspiring race car driver goes through. As far as marketing, media, physical training etc...

I hope everyone had a terrific Easter!!

Americans racing in Europe.

There have been many Americans who have crossed the pond to try and make a name for themselves racing in Europe. Why is it though that none have reached the pinnacle of racing success over there since Mario Andretti? (Which many would say is a Formula One World Championship, if that's not your definition of it I respect that too)

I have raced against several very talented drivers who have/ are racing in Europe now and doing very well. It seems to be that leap into Formula One that gets everybody...Is is the drivers though, or are they not being given a fair chance? I think perhaps communication in a team where there is a language barrier is definitely a tough thing.
I don't think there is any one answer to this question and I think there will be many varying opinions on the topic but I would love to hear yours!!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far :)
Kerstin

Indy Car in Sao Paulo!

I don't know if any of you got the chance to see the Indy Car season opener in Sao Paulo, Brazil this past weekend. There were 4 women in it! Danica Patrick, Milka Duno, Simona De Silvestro and Ana Beatriz! I want to congratulate them, that is definitely a feat! It is really cool to see women emerging more and more at the highest levels of the sport.
It was a pretty eventful race from what I've heard (Didn't get to watch it because I was out of town). At the risk of sounding all feminist-like, GO LADIES!!I remember just a couple years ago when it was staggering to see even one woman in a series like IndyCar, let alone 4! :)

P.S. Check out...

www.girlracer.co.uk

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @KCSmutny
and Be my fan on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Kerstin-Smutny/61958026830?ref=ts

Ciao!
Kerstin

Friends.

Some people say you should not be friends with those you compete with. To some degree, I believe that to be true. But only once the helmet is on and you're on the track racing each other for position. Then there are no friends. Just competition and you should want to beat every one of them.

Now I will get back to my previous statement. I started racing in Quarter Midgets, and it is a very family oriented sport. The type of place where everyone helps everyone and when kids aren't in their cars they're off riding bikes together or playing video games. I cannot think of a place where you learn better teamwork and sportsmanship, as well as make some life long friends.
I think that has carried over with me and helped shape the way I look at racing now. Even at the higher levels it is very much the same. Even drivers on opposing teams are good friends and get together away from the track. I know that my best friends are all race car drivers and I think a reason for this is its very hard to find people who understand the sport, and who can relate to it, especially when it is something that is so consuming. I love the friends that I have made through racing and if and when we compete against each other, we respect one another as drivers, but that doesn't affect our friendships off the track. I'd go into who those friends are and why they are so great but that would take far too long :) I'm just going to dedicate this blog to Liam Kenney, Savannah Rickli, Jonathan Goring and Ana Ohlandt (Even though she doesn't race she's a fan and a great friend!)

Ciao for now! Oh and here's a few pictures :)

Jordan Daskam, and good friend and I from Quarter Midgets this past Christmas.


Myself and fellow VW Jetta TDI Cup driver Andrew Tucker.


Goofing around at an autograph session.


With my good friends Josh and Ana Ohlandt! (Just had to put this one in here).

It's not all glitz and glamour.

I want to share an experience I recently had, it was definitely one of those things that makes you stop and think. I won't mention any names because I don't feel that would be appropriate, but I feel that it is something all young women should be aware of and not just in sport but in general.

Last week when the NASCAR races were in town, I was scheduled to meet and discuss some business opportunities with someone who I met a couple years ago when I was back East testing. He is a very legitimate guy in the business he is in. I trusted him and was excited to meet up and toss around some ideas (Also excited to get to go to my first NASCAR race as I had never been before). I was getting introductions to some potentially helpful people. He gave me a call when he got to town to set up a time to get together. I figured we would meet up for dinner and go to the USAC races at the Speedway but that wasn't exactly what he had in mind...

When he called he told me the hotel he was staying at, that I could show up, valet my car and he would pay for everything that weekend, even if i wanted to go to the SPA! (What girl wouldn't want to go to the spa right?) This was my first tip off that something fishy was going on. After all, I know that if it seems to good to be true, it probably is. Then he told me to just meet him at his hotel room! I don't think so! Not to mention he is more than twice my age! That is when I said no way! He was being extremely pushy about it, I suggested Starbucks or a restaurant as that's where any normal meet up would be. But he was not keen on any of those ideas, so I said fine I am not going to put myself into a awkward, scarey, probably dangerous and shady situation. I ended the call.
He continued to text and call me several more times over the span of a few days and I did not answer. I sent one message explaining to him in a very politically correct way that he had been trying to put me into a situation that no young women should be getting herself into. Judging by his response I'm pretty sure he didn't get it. Those are not the people you should be associating yourself with anyway.

After all this happened it took a little bit to realize what had just happened. Those are the kind of things you see on TV, where a young person gets offered the world and would do anything to get where they're going and get themselves in trouble.
I suppose I have my family to thank for bringing me up the right way so I would be able to detect a situation like this. In any event its kind of strange to tell this story to the world but I feel like its something that needs to be put out there. I was lucky enough to avoid it and hopefully other girls will be too! :)