Meet Racer Natalie Sather
Drivers accepted for the 2009 Drive For Diversity program were recently announced as the program moves with an expanded driver lineup and a new management group headed by Max Siegel through his new sports and entertainment marketing company, 909 Group. (The complete list of those accepted can be accessed here)
One of those entered into the program this year is Natalie “Speed” Sather.
“This is an absolute dream come true, to say I’m basically a part of the NASCAR family,” Sather, 23, said in a phone interview from the NASCAR Research & Development facility, where the drivers were introduced. “It’s something I’ve wanted since I was 9 years old.”
Primarily Sprint Car driver the Fargo (ND) native was only open-wheel dirt driver to get picked for this years program.
Sather, who started racing go-karts at the age of 8, has been racing sprint cars since 2002. She became the first female driver to win a major American Sprint Car Series trophy when she took the Midwest Points Championship in 2007. Last year, she finished in the top 10 in the point standings at the Knoxville Raceway in Iowa and became the first woman to receive the 360 Rookie of the Year Award.
As a result of Drive for Diversity testing and evaluation combine at South Boston Speedway in October she was selected by Total Velocity Motorsports and will be racing in NASCAR’s Whelen All-American Series in Evergreen Speedway’s Super Stock late-model division in 2009.
As a side note Natalie has a slideshow of her and of the #94 Sprinter she competes in, “Don’t Mess with the Miss.”
You can also follow her exploits through the 2009 season via Twitter.
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Good luck to Ms. Sather. It was refreshing to visit her web site and see her with all of her clothing on, unlike some “other” female drivers we know.
What stunned me in your posting Marc was reading the name of one “Max Seigal”. Hasn’t this guy screwed up enough yet, or does NASCAR need a “minority” that badly to run their program? If he’s the best they can come with they aren’t looking very hard!
Hope she does well.
And it doesn’t hurt she’s Disney cute.
Disney cute?
You mean like Sally Carrera?
I loved watching her race in Grand Forks!!! I’m proud of you Natalie for going this far! I hope to be watching you soon every sunday
Always good to see when a sport’s governing body has a program to promote young talent. All too often on motorsport a junior hotshoe will fall through the cracks through lack of funding.
Hi Natalie, It was fun to read about you. I remember you as a sweet little first grade student. Congratulations on your success!
Sue Larson
Peter… do you see a pattern with the commenters on this post?