Sydney Schmidt (’17) has a unique love for race car driving, specifically NASCAR, “I love NASCAR. I think it makes me unique. It’s fun to watch and there’s not just one element because you’re watching a car work and the drivers working the car. They have to work in sync, and there’s so many things about the sport that make it interesting. It’s 100 degrees in the car and they’re pushing the physical boundaries of man. They’re heroes.”

When asked on how people perceive her when she expressed her love for the sport, she said, “Every single person I talk to says, ‘Wait, you like NASCAR?!’ You get kind of used to it. At first, I was offended because they’d think I was a redneck since NASCAR has been a redneck-associated sport. But when you get to the races, there’s many other women there. It’s unfortunately one of those sports that’s not as integrated but I’m happy that I may get to see that moment men and women can both equally be a part of it.”