Just Me Brandie

Driver Brandie Jass

The Heart of a Racer 

      I am sure there are many things that a person would think about, when it comes to trying to figure out what makes these race car drivers tic these days. When you watch them lay it on the line every week, and you see some of the crazy things that go on at the track, during the heat of competition. You see cars driving on the ragged edge, nearly out of control at every turn. What can it be that drives these people to do what they do, and what is it, that makes up the “Heart of a Racer”.

      A few things come to mind when describing Brandie Jass, and they vary as much as any one person could possibly imagine. Some of those things are easily seen, some you have to dig a little deeper to see them and even more to understand them. But once they are all realized, you then just begin to understand the beautiful complexity, that makes this girl the special person she is, and how blessed we are because of her existence, as well as we are better off because it.

  “Kindness” is not a virtue you would think you would find in a hardnosed racer, however it is the first thing that comes you notice, when you look into her eyes. There is a glow there that cannot be hidden, and a twinkle that makes it a point to remind you, if some how you forget it. And it has a way of charming you into believing you have just met the real deal, when it comes to genuine kindness

“Focused” is the next thing you think of, when you see the raw determination in her sights, when she is really bearing down, and trying her hardest to be the best she can be.

“Toughness” is something you would really have a hard time believing in; the first time you laid eyes on her five foot frame. But as the old saying goes, “Dynamite comes in small packages”, and it is no truer, than when you see Brandie Jass, strap on her helmet and get behind the wheel. A far contrast from the happy go lucky girl she is in everyday life. It’s an amazing metamorphosis that cannot be explained.

“Genuine” is the only way to describe her over all, Brandie is as genuine as it gets, when it comes down to it. What you see is what you get with her, and what you see is genuine.

   Brandie doesn’t look at herself as a woman driver competing in a man’s sport. She’s just another racer, trying to go as fast as she can. She really tries not to dictate her goals in terms of being a girl, because believe me she’s at no disadvantage being a female. Her goal has never been to be the first woman to do this, or the fastest woman to do that … Despite the fact that she doesn’t want to be defined by her gender; yet she understands the importance of the trail she’s blazing. She just wants to be fast, and she wants to win. And guess what? That’s just what she does….

   From the first time she crawled in a go kart, and took to the dirt tracks of East Texas, she’s run fast against boys and girls older and more experienced than her, and eventually grown men that had been racing longer than she’d been alive. The first thing on her mind was to gain their respect, and then take home their check. Win big and win often. There are a lot of them still scratching their heads, wondering what just happened, and who was in the number twenty-four kart that just blew by them.

   Soon Brandie had to take the next step and get into something faster, and Mini-Sprints were just the ticket. Her Dad sold the kart operation and put in enough overtime at the power plant, and with the help of another old sprint car racer, Nolan Wren, he was able to get her in her first Mini-Sprinter, and the race was on. She got out there and mixed it up with grown men racing every weekend, and herself barely being a teenager, there were some hard knocks she had to learn, because she was traveling a lot more, and further, also she was now driving cars that were twice as fast, and have a staggering weight to horsepower ratio. But being the racer she is, she just got up on the wheel, elbows out, and earned her stripes. The first time she flipped end over end, she thought, her dad was going to have a heart attack, but she jumped out of that car, and was just mad that she’d torn her car up, and was upset that she’d scared everyone, taking no time to think about herself, and what she’d just gone through. That’s just Brandie, always worried about the other persons first.

   Some of the other racers laughed and snickered under their breath, wasn’t any way this little girl was going to make it at this level. But two short years later, she was holding the championship trophy over her head, and the laughing was gone and it wasn’t very funny anymore. Then came the opportunities that came with winning. Lyn St. James “Women in the Winners Circle.” The Bob Bondurant driving school. And one of her biggest accomplishments to date, being selected into the Project Podium Program, where a lot of avenues were opened up for her, and she was then exposed to professionals, that helped her get to the next level, consistency. The trophies stacked up, and it looked like it may be time for that next move……………Full size Sprint Cars oh boy! 

   Once again, the race cars were sold, to buy newer, bigger and faster equipment. And sponsorship came around to ease the pain of growth. Barnes Motorsports joined forces with her father, to put together a sponsorship with Tiremax of North America, along with several others, to help field a fast car, that not only looked good, it ran good, and with time, the wins will start coming like before. With only a few races into the season, she is already catching the eye of the other drivers that are amazed at how well she’s been doing. Several top fives this year, have been the norm lately, after a rough start of the season, with some engine woes to get through. These days, it’s a joy to get to the track, and even a greater joy when you leave with top five money in your pocket. And running good draws attention, and with that attention comes some responsibility to carry yourself in a manner that reflects a good example for those that are watching. Sometimes you’ll see a man in the pits with his daughter, and they point Brandie out, and you can see the wheels turning in their heads. Another little girl wants to do what Brandie is doing. And Brandie wants girls and women to realize what they can do. Ther are a lot of the limits that are out there for women, some they put on themselves. Whether Brandie’s driving inspires them to race or go try to become a doctor, that’s awesome. She thinks that too many women put their own limits on themselves. She thinks it’s important to find a passion worth putting all of your heart into. And then she thinks it’s important to go after it.

   That is the “Heart of a Racer” talking, see it, work for it, and do it……..

Timeline of Events

• 2003 begins racing Karts in the Jr. Restrictor Class
• 2004 Wins the Eastex Fasttrax track Jr. Championship
• Late 2004 begins running Sr. unrestricted class.
• 2005 wins the Eastex Fastraxx track Championship
• 2005 Purchased the first Stallard Mini-Sprint from Wren Motorsports
• 2006 Ran a limited schedule in 600 stock class Mini-Sprints
• Attended the Lyn St. James Women in the Winners Circle Siminar, and the Bob Bondurant shool of driving in Phoenix AZ.
• 2007 Runner up to Rookie of the Year, Awarded the most improved driver award by the BMSA. Finished in the top Ten overall in season points.
• 2008 First feature win in the Mini-Sprint, first of many…
• 2008 Won the TMSA Summer Series Championship
• 2008 Won the BMSA overall Championship finishing first in sean points.
• 2008 Invited to the Project Podium Session in Indianapolis, IN by Lyn St. James,
• July 1, 2008 awarded a Grant from the Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation along with the matching grant program, Project Podium.
• 2008 qualified and ran the 2008 NMMA 600 Nationals.
• 2009 qualified and ran in the 2009 Tulsa Shootout.
• 2009 first year driving the Tiremax 360 Sprint Car, currently competing in eight races, with four top five finishes, with a second place best finish. Currently in the top ten in season points. In the running for Rookie of the Year thus far.
• 2009 Driver for Diversity Combine Prospect, spent two weeks with the Revolution Racing Team, and Max Seigel learned a lot about NASCAR and can’t wait to try out again. Will be featured on the BET Channel series “Changing Lanes” in the Spring of 2010.