Bobbi Drives a NASCAR Race Car

Clear blue waters teeming with marine life, towering volcanoes, and endless waves are all things synonymous with Hawaii for its more than 9 million visitors each year. But for Bobbi, now 83, some of her best memories of a childhood spent in Hawaii are also filled with revving engines, spinning tires, and cheering crowds.

It was here at amateur car competitions that Bobbi’s love of race cars began. While the racetrack was a place with fewer opportunities for women, she vividly remembers the rush of adrenaline she felt while watching her brother Marshall race cars in Honolulu.

Growing up in a working-class family, Marshall saved every penny he could to buy his own race car. Bobbi loved cheering him on, but her passion for racing grew much deeper than that.

“I always wanted to race, but my family did not have the means to help me achieve this dream,” remembered Bobbi.

When she did have a chance to race in a Powder Puff Derby, a special event for female drivers, Bobbi was thrilled to drive on an actual track. But when it rained on race day, the event was cut short, and Bobbi never got to complete it.

“Telling my story recently has energized me to think that I may be able to race one more time,” Bobbi explained. “I have the need for speed, baby!”

Decades passed, and Bobbi relocated to Colorado, but dreams of getting behind the wheel remained on the sidelines. She raised two boys as a devoted mother, working two jobs to make ends meet, which left little room for luxuries like racing.

Bobbi went on to have a successful career as an executive secretary, and served in many volunteer roles over the years, including PTA and Boy Scouts. A highlight was when she served as the state president of Colorado for the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation, an organization dedicated to advocating for and advancing women in the workforce.

Currently, Bobbi resides at a senior living community, where she continues to volunteer behind the scenes. She stays busy with sewing, quilting, and painting, and leads a quiet life.

Through it all, Bobbi has remained a devoted fan of NASCAR racing. Her wish was to have the opportunity to race on a track once again.

Wish of a Lifetime was excited to grant Bobbi’s wish that would feed both her adventurous spirit and love of the sport. Her dream came true at the Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR) in Colorado, with her son and daughter-in-law watching from the sidelines. Borrowing a retired race car belonging to Joe Garone, current COO of PPIR, Bobbi took to the track under a clear blue Colorado sky—not a drop of rain would cut her experience short this time.

After being fitted with a helmet and personalized racing suit, getting a tour of the garage, and completing an orientation, Bobbi got behind the wheel with an experienced driver beside her in the passenger seat. She drove the race car herself around and around the 1-mile oval track.

“I made it!” Bobbi exclaimed as she completed her drive. “Just the sound of this motor and being behind this wheel! You step on the brake, and you hear it slowing, and you step on the gas, and hear roarrrrr—I tell you!”

As Bobbi drove, female race car drivers of all ages filled the sidelines of the racetrack, cheering, “Go, Bobbi, go!” Friends from her senior living community also attended, waving handmade signs in support of Bobbi.

After she’d had her fill of the driver’s seat, the team at PPIR helped Bobbi into the passenger seat. Her driving companion, Kyle, then took her on the ride of her life—spinning in circles and burning rubber in a way that Bobbi had never experienced.

Afterward, Bobbi said she was happy to cross NASCAR racing off her bucket list, and ended the day elated.

“Nothing can ever, ever top this,” Bobbi said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would get in a race car, but I did!”