Deborah Renshaw
NASCAR Race Car Driver
“Dare
To Dream” – that is exactly what Deborah Renshaw does
everyday. As women increase their efforts and opportunities in auto
racing, the 28 year-old native of Bowling Green, Kentucky continues
to set new marks in the sport.
The dream began as a youngster at local race tracks around Kentucky
and Tennessee where her father, Dan, was a team owner. Eager to
learn the sport, Deborah attended races with her father and helped
with anything she could – such as lap times, tire pressures,
etc... With racing in her blood, she went off to college at Northwood
(MI) University where in 1997 she earned her Bachelor’s Degree
in Business along with an Associate’s Degree in Automotive
Marketing. With this education in tow, Deborah chased that racing
dream with the support of her family by competing at local tracks
near Nashville, Tennessee.
The 1999 and 2000 race season saw Deborah compete in the Late
Model stock car division at Highland Rim (TN) Speedway where she
finished fifth in the points while earning a runner-up finish for
the Rookie of the Year award. The dream became even bigger in the
2000 – 2001 seasons with participation in the NASCAR Weekly
Racing Series at the famed Nashville Speedway USA and Riverview
(TN) Speedway. She made 27 starts throughout the season accumulating
three top-ten finishes, six top-15 finishes and one pole position
which also set a new track record at Riverview.
At the Nashville Speedway USA, Deborah earned her way to the top
of the championship point standings and made history in the process
by becoming the first female to lead the point’s race in a
NASCAR – sanctioned series.
Deborah took her dream and emerging talent to the ARCA RE/MAX
Series for the 2002 and 2003 campaigns where she impressed many
with six top-ten starts and three top-ten finishes.
Determined to continue down this path, the 2004 season saw Deborah
make another big step into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In
14 starts, she earned two top-20 finishes with a career best finish
of 15th at Martinsville Speedway in late October. She also became
the first female to lead a lap in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
race after doing so in the race at Darlington Raceway.
As the dream progresses, so does this determined female racer.
The 2005 campaign will see Deborah climb behind the wheel of the
#8 DODGE from the stable of Bobby Hamilton Racing. She will compete
in the full schedule of the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and
will continue to wake up everyday and “Dare To Dream”.
DREAMS DO COME TRUE!
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