[GRM+ members read this article first. Subscribe and gain access to more exclusive content for only $3/month.]
“Nothing on this world makes my coronary heart beat like racing, not even my double-shot lattes,” explains Tiffany Kelly. “I’m hooked on the rush.”
On the age of 17, she acquired that rush by evading parental permission to buy her first motorbike. At the moment, it comes through a Honda S2000 powered by an unlikely supply: a Honda Odyssey minivan engine.
Tiffany’s household didn’t share that love of motorsports, nonetheless, so she first explored this burning curiosity by enrolling in highschool auto physique courses. Then she interned at a physique store. The gratification of witnessing the transformation and completion of a challenge automobile, she says, left her impressed and itching for extra.
First the Construct
Her present challenge automobile is that this S2000. She realized the right way to run time trials on this automobile. Then she expanded into wheel-to-wheel racing.
As her driving expertise grew, she constructed the automobile to be extra aggressive, steadily making modifications. “It was fully inventory and in excellent situation once I purchased it,” she explains. “At the moment, the automobile is totally reworked and on its second engine swap.”
She studies that lots of people look puzzled when listening to about her engine swap. “In the event that they solely realized how a lot torque the engine has,” she says of the V6. “It’s a celebration!”
She swapped within the engine, unique to a 2002-’04 Honda minivan, through the winter of 2020 so she might make the 2021 Gridlife Touring Cup season. Because the V6 has double the torque of the automobile’s unique engine and her run group doesn’t restrict torque, solely horsepower, she hoped for a bonus.
This isn’t her solely S2000, although, as she has one other one for day by day driving. “I’m obsessive about the S2K platform and the way it handles,” she says. “I simply love how the expertise resembles driving a go-kart. The turn-in and corning speeds are phenomenal. It might not be the quickest in a straight line, however I really feel it’s among the finest automobiles for getting round a nook quick.”
Tiffany Kelly loves the Honda S2000 a lot that she has two of them–one for avenue after which this one for monitor. It’s had a little bit of a troublesome time, dealing with two wrecks in a single season.
She began off final season starring within the Discovery Channel’s “Getaway Driver” problem. Spoiler alert: She didn’t win however, she says, left with recollections she’s going to always remember, like assembly Michelle Rodriguez of the “Quick & Livid” franchise.
Tiffany earned a handful of top-10 finishes final 12 months, and though she felt like she made progress, it didn’t appear linear. “Sadly, it was a tough season for me,” she displays. “It was difficult to race wheel to wheel in a 45-to-50-car subject filled with different expert drivers, however I loved it and realized a ton. I realized as a lot from failure as I did by successful, if no more.”
Then the Crash
And she or he additionally totaled the automobile throughout that season. Twice. “Yup, fully totaled my automobile twice,” she admits.
The primary incident occurred simply two weeks earlier than her subsequent one. “I can’t consider we have been capable of get all of it again collectively, and twice,” she says. “The period of time, labor and cash it took to place my automobile again collectively in such a brief interval, a number of instances, is mind-boggling.”
She explains that placing the automobile again collectively was loads simpler than the psychological challenges she was compelled to beat after the wrecks. It’s extra manageable to brush off a single crash and chalk it as much as the ol’ saying, ‘That’s racing, everybody crashes, even the professionals,’ however crashing your automobile a number of instances can take its toll.
“It’s so laborious to remain motivated and maintain going,” she continues. “I doubted my expertise, my talents as a driver, and questioned why I used to be even doing it.”
Tiffany will let you know that it takes a village to go racing, as her crew has helped flip her racing desires into actuality–even after the laborious instances. Luckily, Tiffany is aware of her manner round a physique store.
And Lastly, Repeat
Reflecting on why she fell in love with racing made it simpler to push her manner again to the monitor: “The automobile tradition is actually superb. It brings so many alternative folks collectively. I like my racing household, the builds, the vibes and the camaraderie throughout the grid.”
Tiffany plans to proceed racing her S2000, however she’s additionally taking a look at different disciplines. She not too long ago bought a Subaru BRZ to discover the drifty aspect of motorsports, whereas she’s been racing in a 125cc shifter kart in SKUSA’s ProKart Problem. “I’m excited for the brand new alternatives and progress in my racing profession,” she says.
“I can’t give sufficient credit score to my husband, Justin Kelly, for retaining me going,” she continues. “He by no means stops believing in me and at all times helps me by means of my ups and downs. He’s my largest cheerleader. I’m additionally extraordinarily grateful for the staff and every little thing they did to verify I acquired again on the monitor and didn’t cease racing.”
Trending Merchandise
