Natalie

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 05:30:00 +0000

Natalie Sather Joins MAKE Motorsports

- Up-and-coming driver to begin NASCAR career at NCWTS race at Martinsville -

SHELBY, NC (March 13, 2012) – Natalie Sather, 27, experienced sprint car driver and up-and-coming stock car racer, will be joining MAKE Motorsports as a development driver for the 2012 season.

Sather, a Fargo, ND, native will be piloting the #50 MAKE Motorsports entry in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) for two scheduled events – the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway on March 31 and the Good Sam Roadside Assistance Carolina 200 presented by Cheerwine at Rockingham Speedway on April 15.

Sather is currently scheduled to make her debut in a MAKE Motorsports NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) entry at Richmond. Additional races will be added as Sather and the team add partners and continue the development of their program.

Crew chief for Sather’s truck will be Mark Zakalowski, who is also crew chief on the #50 MAKE Motorsports NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) effort.

“I have been racing for more than 18 years with one goal in mind, NASCAR competition,” said Sather, who will also be driving additional races with other teams and in other series as she continues her path. “This opportunity to work with MAKE Motorsports will assist me in furthering my dreams and honing my skills for an eventual run to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.”

Like many professional drivers, Sather’s first experience was in karts at the tender age of nine. She worked on her skills and eventually won three track championships (1998 – 2001), two regional championships (1999, 2000) and was the 2001 IKF Grand National Champion on Pavement, the first female driver to achieve that honor.

Sather soon took her skills to the dirt behind the wheel of a sprint car and in 2007 became the first woman to win a major American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) trophy, followed up by a 2008 in which Sather finished top-ten in Knoxville Raceway point standings and was the first woman to receive the Knoxville Raceway 360 “Rookie of the Year” award.

Stock car competition began for Sather in 2009, with participation in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program. The transition to pavement racing was challenging, but Sather placed fourth in season standings at EvergreenSpeedway, as well as being named track and Washington division “Rookie of the Year.” 2010 continued Sather’s experience in stock cars with a season of NASCAR Whelen All American Series competition at South Boston Speedway. Despite breaking her wrist in the third event of the season, Sather recovered and did not miss a race, resulting in multiple top-five and top-10 finishes.

2011 found Sather back in the Whelen Series, resulting in 14 top-fives and 18 top-10s in only 26 starts. Sather was honored with not only a fifth-place ranking in the Virginia series standings and second spot in track points at South Boston, but was the recipient of the Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award.

Tracy Lowe and Mark Beaver, co-owners of MAKE Motorsports, have welcomed Sather to the team and look towards a long association between them.

“Natalie is a rare talent and someone we are proud to put behind the wheel of the #50,” said Lowe. “She has shown her ability in other forms of racing as well as in stock cars, and we look forward to being a part of her debut into Camping World Series, and Nationwide Series, competition.”

About MAKE Motorsports
Hailing from Shelby, N.C., MAKE Motorsports is a race team that competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The moniker “MAKE” is made up of the first letters of the first names of the owners’ children – Beaver’s son Mikey and daughtersAmanda and Emily, and Lowe’s daughter Katelyn. For more information about MAKE Motorsports, please visitwww.MAKEMotorsports.com, FaceBook page at www.facebook.com/MAKEMotorsports or via twitter@MAKEMotorsports.

Partnership: To become a partner of Natalie Sather for her motorsports efforts, please contact Jesse Dickerson at jdickerson@brellasports.com or 317-374-2004
Media contact:Dan Passe dan@passeconsulting.com or 704-634-9022 (mobile)

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:49:00 +0000

Thank You For Helping Us Help Carly

Other Children Who Have Progeria

please click to help

Big news coming soon...

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Really excited for the 2012 season! Can't wait to let my friends&fans know all the details! There will be an official press release soon!!

Heading on the Right Track

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:18:00 +0000

My 2011 Midseason Report
by Natalie Sather with Rob Tiongson

Every morning you have two choices: continue your sleep with dreaming or wake up and chase your dreams - it’s your choice. I have made it my choice to chase my dreams. This season has been a whirlwind full of new challenges that my team and I are faced with every weekend. We take every race as it comes and are always looking to improve on everything we do.
We have been so blessed thus far to have 10 consecutive top-five finishes at South Boston Speedway, making me the only driver to do so, with three of those results being second efforts. They have not been easily earned top-five finishes, let me tell you. Behind each finish lies a story all its own. With my team at Sellers Racing working hard every single day to make sure the best car is rolled out the trailer on race day, I am obligated as a driver to drive my heart out for them every night, and that’s just what we have been doing thus far.
May 14th was a night of challenge after challenge. With the rear end giving us problems in the first two practice sessions, we thought we had it fixed for qualifying. As I took to the track and came for the green, my car had enough. I pulled into the pits but we were unable to fix the damage to go back out for qualifying.
The guys worked very hard to make the necessary repairs to the rear end so the Butler Built Seats Chevy was race ready for the main event. With no qualifying time, we had to start at the rear of the field. Twenty cars had showed up for that night’s 150-lap event. I was confident pulling out on the track that my car was ready for the hard battle to the front that was ahead of me.
As the green flag dropped, my spotter Justin Snow told me to be very patient as I had 150 laps to make it to the front of the field. With the laps winding down, I found myself picking off car after car. As the yellow flags flew, I took those opportunities to also pass cars on the outside (my fave place to pass)! I was driving my heart out with the bad fast car the Sellers Team and my crew chief Brian had worked so hard on. When the checkered flag waved, I couldn’t believe it - we had driven our way to, at that time, our fifth consecutive top-five finish, with fourth-place!
Since that night, we added five more consecutive top-5 finishes for a total of 10 this season. That streak unfortunately broke with last weekend’s race at South Boston Speedway. With limited funds, we are unable to test as much as we need to so therefore, we have to use race day to try some different changes to the K&N No. 94 Chevy.
We opted to make some pretty significant adjustments based on the tests my teammates had run, and unfortunately, it didn’t play to our advantage. We fought a very loose race car all night. With a 14th place qualifying effort, we knew we had our work cut out for us.
It was a long race, 200 laps, which was the second biggest race of the year at SoBo. I knew I had some time to make some smart passes, but could my car hold on? That was the question racing in my mind during, well, the race!
As the race progressed and the laps winded down, I found myself struggling to keep the car underneath me. It was very loose coming into the corners. At one point, I thought we were not even going to get a top-10.
But I told myself and the guys, “We are not giving up! There is no way.” I made the decision to pit under caution. The team had their work cut out for them, to get me back out before I went a lap down, and that they did.
We tagged the tail end of the 16 cars that were still racing with 50 laps to go. In those 50 laps, we fought hard and with a neck-in-neck finish for fourth, fifth, and sixth I made it three-wide with one last attempt effort to bring home a top-five but came up short, as I ended up sixth.
It was a bittersweet night for me. To salvage a finish like that was great, but to end my top-five streak was hard. The Sellers Team put in countless hours every week to make sure the best cars hit the track every weekend, and I cannot thank them enough for all their hard work, especially my crew chief Brian who has really worked hard to help me on the track!
I am looking forward to the remainder of the year and what it has in store for us! Thanks so everyone for your continued support. I am very blessed to have such a great support team of fans, friends and family! Till next time, catch y’all real soon!

Second Place, The First Loser!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 19 May 2011 13:56:00 +0000

Words by Natalie Sather with Rob Tiongson

South Boston Speedway

Saturday, May 7, 2011

The way that the start of the season shaped out did not give me much hope for the upcoming races. We had a rough start to what would end up becoming the best few races thus far in my career. After this past Saturday night, someone pointed out to me that we have had a string of six consecutive top five finishes - something I thought was going to be impossible just a few weeks ago.

After finally clinching my first top-five finish of the year on April 2nd and continuing that effort with another on April 23^rd, things really started to turn around with the Sellers Brothers Racing team. With twin 75 lap features coming up, we were focused on continuing our consistent finishes.

May 7th:

With another top-five finish under our belt, I was looking forward to the two twin 75 lap features for the night. The PASS cars were in town, so the track was going to be a lot different with all the rubber they would lay down.

The night started off better with a seventh-place qualifying effort. We had finally gotten back into the top-ten, which was something I have struggled on and off with throughout the beginning of the season. Strapping in for the first race, my goal was another strong top-five finish. My teammate Peyton Sellers was helping us out for the night. He reminded me before I went out to be sure to not abuse my tires as I still had another 75 lap race to run.

Once the green flag dropped, the action began. The race was pretty much caution free, but with the laps winding down, I worked my way past a few cars and crossed the finish line in fifth. Needless to say, it was not an action packed race. Little did I know what was about to unfold....

As we prepared for the second race of the night, I focused on what my goals were. I jokingly told my crew chief Brian that I was done with this fifth-place stuff and that it was time to break into at least the top four! (laughter)

Starting the race from fifth (where we finished the race prior) was an advantage with it being a 75 lap shootout.

"Green, green," I heard and the race was on for the second twin 75-lapper. I settled into sixth after a rough start and set my sights on the fifth place car. My spotter Justin was on the radio, keeping me calm and helping me work my way up.

The Sellers guys really put a great car together for the second race. I was super comfortable and very fast. Catching cars slowly but surely, I was careful not to spin my tires and conserved them till the last part of the race.

We started to pick off cars one-by-one, eventually finding myself running in second place, and catching Philip Morris – yes, THE Philip Morris.

I was so pumped but yet trying to remain calm all at the same time! (laughs) With 15 laps to go, the yellow flag came out.

YES! This was my chance. The pace car ducked down pit road as it was Philip to the inside and yours truly in the Butler Built Seats No. 94 car to the outside. The race was on....

"No pressure from behind," is what I kept hearing from Justin as Philip and I duked it out for 10 laps. I was holding my own on the outside, even leading a few laps.

He eventually pulled ahead of me just enough and passed me coming off turn two, making contact with my front end. So... coming into turn three I wasn't about to give up.

I gave him a little "love tap" as we can call it in racing, and looked to the inside. Peyton comes on the radio. "Do it again, do it again," in a very excited tone.

Well now, if you give me permission of course, I am going to do it again, not that I wouldn't of anyways! (laughter) Coming into the next turn, I got enough of an advantage on the bottom and was making my pass when the YELLOW came out!

NO! I was so disappointed with just five laps to go, barely enough time to make a final charge for the lead and win.

Going to the outside again on the restart didn't pan out as well, as I had used up all my tires running on the outside for so long. I had to settle into a solid second place finish, which was a bittersweet end to a great race.

Pulling onto the frontstretch, something I have not done so far at South Boston Speedway was so refreshing. I couldn't believe it - second place, finally! I got out of my car to be greeted by a very excited group of guys.

As they started victory lane interviews, the three-time National Champion, came over to me, shook my hand, and bowed to me...

Yes you read that right, bow! (laughs) I was in total shock, and couldn't believe that the guy I watched two years ago on the stage accepting his National Championship trophy was congratulating me. It was a great feeling.

Team Sellers Racing works so very hard at and away from the race track. I was so glad to get them the finish they so deserve, working hard racing for them. It was definitely what we needed to bring up our confidence and show that we can do it – even if second place is the first loser.

Ready to Race Today's NASCAR Greats

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:15:00 +0000

Media PR: Rob Tiongson

Ready to Race Today's NASCAR Greats
Natalie Sather Prepares to Race In Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown

In what has been shaping as a career season for a Fargo, ND native has produced arguably her biggest moment in her stock car racing career.

On Thursday, April 28th, Natalie Sather will be competing with an elite line up of NASCAR drivers from across the country, as she was invited to race in the annual Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown.

"I was so thrilled when I got the phone call from Lynn (the representative from NASCAR) telling me I was invited," Natalie said. "It was a race that I have always wanted to run in, but it was by invite only. This year, I have my chance to finally compete in it!"

This year, the charity race will be held at the 3/4ths mile Richmond International Speedway, by far the biggest track Natalie has been on thus far in her career.

"We tested on Wednesday and after a few laps of getting comfortable, I really started to get after it," Natalie said. "I could feel the pull from the wall and my face was shaking.

"All I could think of was holy cow, what does Daytona feel like?" Natalie considered with a bit of chuckle.

The day had its highs and lows for Natalie, as she started out strong and was the fastest car on her Sellers race team. Her crew chief Brian Rundstrom and Natalie continued to improve with her times, with gradual changes to her car.

Unfortunately, during the fourth practice session, a blown motor would end her practice day.

"I can't even tell you how bummed I was," Natalie said. "We were improving as the day went on and I really needed all the track time I could get to feel prepared for Thursday's big race."

With a broken motor but not a broken spirit, Natalie Sather continues to stay positive and is really looking forward to the Denny Hamlin Showdown race.

You can catch this special race on TV, as it will be broadcasted live on SPEED Channel this Thursday, April 28th at 8:30 PM EST.

Watch this special event at "The Action Track," as Natalie will battle the likes of Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Travis Pastrana, and many more NASCAR greats!

Natalie "Speed" Sather
Driver of the No. 94 Sellers Brothers Chevrolet
http://www.nataliesather.com

My awesome new Hooker Harness Belts, with my new Butler Seat Insert!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:04:00 +0000

Saturday Night Live: A Career High With Emotional Highs

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:56:00 +0000

Words by Natalie Sather with Rob Tiongson South Boston Speedway Saturday, April 2, 2011 There was a whole new meaning put on my favorite quote, “Never, ever give up,” this weekend. The night didn’t start out like we had hoped, as we struggled throughout practice, and qualifying wasn’t good either. After a bad qualifying effort, we opted to make changes to the car and go to the rear of the field. I was feeling a lot more confident going into the first of two 75 lap races after the guys worked their magic. Starting in the back of a 14 car field, I knew I had my work cut out for me, as there were a lot of really good cars in front of me. As the race went green and the laps winded down, my car improved, and I started making passes. I picked off one car at a time and was running in ninth place on lap 50 when an attempt at a pass with one of my opponents in turn three and four took a turn for the worse as I found myself spinning. Luckily, I was able to keep it out of the wall. I was extremely displeased with what had just happened so to show my displeasure, I pulled up next to his car and showed him my fist. Now I am going to be honest here, I am not the most intimidating driver on the track, as I am about a third of the size of the guy I am next to! Needless to say I don’t think he was too scared! (laughs) But with that said, yea, it did seem to make him mad. He proceeded to turn into me in turn one, then on the back straightaway, he put me into the inside wall. At this point, I was just about shocked, but what happened next was the last thing I expected! We got back going again and as we were entering turn three (yes this is all under a caution), he slams on the brakes, which I wasn’t expecting, then puts it into reverse and buckles my hood! I was in shock and extremely disturbed! I backed off as I wanted to keep my car in one piece, well what was left of it at this point. Having to tag the rear because I was the cause of the caution, I had only 25 laps to make it back up to the front. Once the green flag was dropped, I was on the move, running in the fifth spot very quickly due to a great restart. After a few laps under green, I was shown the black flag for rough driving…yep, rough driving. To be honest, I was very baffled as to why I was being shown the black flag. I mean, I was running in a solid fifth place and I was not about to pull in and give that up. Well, when my spotter Justin Snow informed me that they were not scoring me, I had no choice. Pulling in under green to make a stop-‘n-go penalty, I pulled back out on the track in the fifth position, one lap down. I stayed in this position actually catching the cars in front of me. For me, this was extremely disappointing! We had a great car and should have had a great finish. After it was all said and done, we were credited with a 12th place finish. Definitely unsatisfactory, but I knew we had a great car for the second race. Starting off the second race, I had one goal in mind: a top-five finish! I would stop at nothing to get it… Once again, starting in the back of the field would prove to be a challenge. Passing at South Boston is hard, especially when racing against a field of talented drivers in this race. Ten green flag laps into the race, I had passed a few cars and was running in ninth spot. On lap 20, I was running behind the 2010 Track Champion Justin Johnson, a driver who I really respect and know that I can race with (this being proved last year when we ran side-by-side for 40 laps at Motor Mile last year). He and I ran with each other for a while and as I was getting a great run on him in the center of the corner and coming off, I knew that he was going to be a really hard car to pass. It was still early in the race so I laid back and was being patient; I really had to think and wait to make my move. Now, Justin is a talented driver and wasn’t going to give it up easy. After about 15 laps of running on his tail, coming off of turn two, just as I was on the gas, he had to check up a bit coming off the corner and KABOOM! I hit him square in the tail end which sent us both spinning. Fortunately, we both stayed out of trouble and got back going. I felt just awful, telling my spotter, “Please tell Justin Johnson’s spotter that I am SO sorry, that is the last thing I wanted to happen.” Thankfully, Justin Johnson was not upset, as he knew what happened, and that I had not hit him on purpose. His response was, “No harm, no foul.” As the race went on, I again found myself being put to the back, having my work cut out for me. Going back green, there was a caution on the first lap, as well as a black flag being thrown…for none other than ME! I couldn’t believe that I was being black flagged for rough driving, as I had not made any contact with Justin until that point, and clearly, it was just one of those racing deals. It was not seen that way and I made my stop-‘n-go penalty under the caution. This time, I didn’t lose a lap, but I was in the back again. On the restart, we opted to go to the outside, and this was a great decision. We gained a few positions and were able to slip into a solid seventh place behind “my friend.” I followed the car in front of me for a few laps till I could make yet another clean pass in turn three and four, passing him with no contact as my spotter Justin Snow said, “Clear.” Little did I know that I was about to be dive bombed, as the next thing I know, I am spinning wildly in the corner. Even as I write this, I really have no idea how I kept it from sustaining any damage, but I got my car back going before the leaders came around. At this point, I cannot even begin to describe my feelings, well at least not on here! (laughs) I couldn’t believe the actions that just took place, but after he spun me, he pulled back to his trailer… With a quick effort to calm myself down, the green flag was dropped, and it was game on. With 30 laps to go, I was on a mission - to drive my wheels off to the front! I worked my way back up to a fifth place position and was gaining on the car in fourth. I took my top-five finish at the checkered flag and brought the Hooker Harness No. 94 to technical inspection line. After all that, wow! Finally!!! My first top-five finish at South Boston and a hard earned one at that! I parked the “Miss II” in the tech line, my crew chief Brian was the first guy at my window, as he was so thrilled with our first top-five finish (finally!), but at the same time, I was so distraught at what had happened throughout that race. To be honest, it was hard to be really excited. I raced my heart out, and never ever gave up! The guys that work on my car, like Jason, Les, Mac, and especially Brian, have never given up on me, no matter what. They have put a great a car together every week, and despite everything that went on Saturday night, I am so pleased that we were finally able to get a top-five finish. I cannot thank everyone at Sellers Racing for their continued efforts, as it has been a rough start to the season, but I know things will get better. I also need to thank Justin Snow; I don’t think he knew what he was getting into when he agreed to be my spotter! (laughter) He kept me motivated and somewhat calm (chuckles) throughout Saturday’s race. We have a few weekends off till our next race at South Boston, and I am going to enjoy being a spectator and take in some sprint car racing in the mean time. Thanks again to everyone for all your support, as you’re all the best fans around!

Be strong in the Lord...

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:16:00 +0000

A few days ago a delightful soul was taken from so many, so suddenly. Dawn Sanquist Anderson was a beautiful women inside and out, she was a daughter, a mother, a grandmother, and a friend. I cannot express how much she will be missed. To me Dawn was like a Mom, a great supporter of my career in racing. Some of the last words she said to me was “I can’t wait to see you in NASCAR, go show those boys how a car should be driven”. Those words will remain in my car always. Today I am racing in her memory. Dawn you will remain in my heart always and I will miss you so very much. Thank you for everything you did for me.

South Boston Season Opener...

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:59:00 +0000

Words by Natalie Sather with Rob Tiongson

South Boston Speedway
Friday & Saturday March 11-12, 2011

What a better way to spend your birthday than at a race track! Saturday, March 12th was the season opener at South Boston Speedway in Virginia. We started out the weekend with a short test session Friday night.

Track conditions were terrible due to the rainy weather all week. We basically ran laps to make sure the car was good and so I could get back into the rhythm of things.

Saturday morning came far too early, as I was not able to get to back to my apartment in Charlotte till late Friday night. I was up at 4am which made for a long day. I packed up my racing gear and was out the door to make the two hour road trip back to the track.

Making a pit stop in Danville to grab Starbucks and some cupcakes in celebration for my birthday, my next stop was the track. I was in a good mood, singing in my car as I drove down the windy road to SoBo, not paying attention to how fast I was going.

Well it was soon brought to my attention when I was pulled over! Not a good way to start your birthday, and seriously, who gives a girl a ticket on her birthday!?

Well that guy did!

At least I started out my day fast and that would continue on to the track!

For our first practice session, we had on the tires from Friday night’s test session that had just about 150 laps on them. Our times were very consistent, with almost every lap I ran in the .20's.

In the second session, we put on sticker tires and made a mock qualifying run, and then a few more laps to get comfortable with the fresh rubber. Not being happy with way the car handled on fresh tires, my crew chief Brian and I opted to make a small change for our qualifying run as we went down half a pound in air pressure on all four tires. It may not seem like a lot, but a little change with the tires can drastically change a car’s handling and speed.

I knew that qualifying was going to be tough. It had rained all week and the track was leaking water pretty bad in the line where we needed to run. The key was missing the water and coming off the corner pointed straight when going through the water.

We were seventh out of 26 cars to go. The checkered flag waved and I timed in at 15.650 seconds, enough to grab the provisional pole for a short time before I ended up 6th over all, which I was very satisfied with.

This year, we have a new structure for our race team. Last year, H.C. Sellers was my crew chief with Brian as my car chief.

For this season, we are doing things different at Sellers Racing, with Phillip Morris as my team mate, while H.C. is shuffling his time back and fourth. As a result, Brian has taken on the role as my crew chief.

After working with Brian all of last year, I have full confidence in his skills and talent to take on this difficult role! (laughs) He is young but is extremely hard working and very smart. I know that we are going to have a great season and Saturday proved just that!
Gearing up for a 150 lap race, Brian and I talked before the main event and knew that we had a good car. I was feeling very confident that he had put together a great car over the winter and I was ready to work hard during the race to show that off!

The field was very scattered, with good guys starting in the back and I knew they would be coming up through the field. Making my move when the green flag dropped, I was running in fifth till a bump-in-run pass.

Then, I found myself running behind Peyton Sellers, who was leading, Lee Pulliam, who ran in second, and Bruce Anderson in third, all Sellers Racing associated cars!

Following Bruce and Lee, it was a hard battle early on in the race. Biding my time, I laid back just enough, knowing a situation was in the near future.

That I was right on, as the two cars got together right in front of my Butler Seats/Hooker Harness/Lady Eagle Safety Wear No. 94 car, I just barely managed to sneak by a spinning Bruce Anderson. He was out for the remainder of the race.

Exercising patience, my car was a bit faster than Lee's, but the race was still early and after the incident he was just involved in, I knew that it would work itself out in the long 150 lap run.

Riding in third for awhile, there was another caution. South Boston Speedway has now gone to the cone format for restarts!!

Yes, this is such a great opportunity for a driver and great for the fans as well. Talking to my new spotter this year Justin Snow (last year’s Limited Late Model points champ, and winner of the race prior to mine), I told him that I like the top and that I am not afraid to go to the top.

With that being said, Peyton and Lee both took the bottom...not this girl!! I went to the high lane, and Justin had said in his opinion not to, but ultimately, it was up to me as a driver!

Coming for the green flag, Justin warned me that I couldn't pass till the start/finish line as I was going into turn one, door-to-door with Peyton.

I couldn't make the pass, so I dropped back into third spot. Running any where from third to fifth throughout most of the race, I avoided some major incidents resulting in two red flags through out the race.

With a mere 40 laps left, I found myself running in a solid third place before another caution flew with 38 circuits left.

On the restart, I took the inside lane behind Peyton in the center of turn one before getting a huge shove from Jeb Burton, causing me to spin, collecting another car in my door.

With a flat left rear tire, I pulled into the pits to make some major repairs to my car. The guys did major repair work in no time, but unfortunately, I went two laps down.

Restarting in the back, I took the outside and passed about eight cars on the high line. Needless to say, the adrenaline was a pumping! (laughs)

Driving my majorly damaged K&N car as hard as I could, I was the sixth driver to cross the finish, but unfortunately, I only finished in 10th place being that I was 2 laps down.

I fought so very hard throughout the whole race, so I was very disappointed not to be able to give the team a good finish.
Throughout the race, I knew we had a car capable of a solid third place finish. This is a new team this year, and we were a few guys short our first race, but I am so thankful to all the guys for their hard work this weekend. The "Miss II" was fast..

At the end of the day, we didn't have the finish we wanted, but we started off the season where we left off last year and the Sellers Team is thrilled. The Lady Eagle Safetywear car was pushed into the trailer with some damage, but not defeated.

All week my Mom and Dad kept asking me what I wanted for my birthday, and after the race, I called them to tell them what I wanted - a new body for my race car! (laughter)

Happy Birthday to me! Thanks everyone for all your support on Saturday and hope to see everyone at the next race on March 26th!

Whether you think you can or you can't your right...

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:56:00 +0000

Words of Natalie, by Natalie Sather
Edited by Rob Tiongson
South Boston Speedway
October 16th, 2010
With the season coming to a close, it was a busy week preparing for the 300-lapper at South Boston Speedway. I flew in Monday night and headed to the track early Tuesday morning to test all day. Wednesday and Thursday was dedicated to packing up my camper to move back home for the winter.
The race schedule was a little bit different on this weekend than in previous occasions at this venue, with Friday’s activities consisting of practice and qualifying sessions all day. We had a consistently fast car all day as we made few changes to it so I was feeling very confident going into qualifying.
With an entry list of 36, the top-16 qualifiers were locked into Saturday night’s main event. I was confident going out for qualifying but was disappointed when I pulled in after my qualifying attempt.
The track condition was the worst we had seen it all year, as it seemed like every driver struggled with qualifying. With one car left to hit the track, I was in the 15th position, just locked in to the main event.
After the last driver’s first lap, I was still in and it was looking good but on his second lap, he picked up a lot of time and knocked me into 16th position by .002!
I couldn’t believe it! This meant I would be starting on the pole of the first heat on Saturday. Arriving to the track on Saturday morning, I knew it was going to be a long day with the 300 lap main event and also having to run an extra 25 laps in the heat race.
In the heat race, I was starting next to Mark McFarland who is a very accomplished driver. When the green flag dropped, well, let’s get this straight - when I took off, the green flag dropped (laughs) and the race was on.
Mark had the advantage entering turn one, and being that everyone was locked in, I didn’t put up too much of a fight. Running in second, I had a chance to make a few aggressive passes, but again, I didn’t want to take any big risks in just the heat race so I ended up finishing second place.
With the feature right around the corner, I rested for a bit and made sure to stay hydrated since the 300 lap main event was going to be the longest race thus far in my career. This was a big race for me, as many big-timers were in the field like Justin Johnson, Eddie Johnson, and CE Faulk just to name a few.
I knew that if I wanted to finish, let alone go for a top-10, I was going to have to be on my A game. When the green flag dropped, the action began.
For the first 147 laps, the action was fairly tame but on lap 148, a competitor’s motor blew, leaving a trail of oil on the track. I saw a few cars ahead of me spinning out of control and as I started to slow down, I realized why.
My car started spinning and by some miracle I stayed out of trouble. Intermixed with a handful of other cars, I was unable to get out of the mess before the leader came by, putting me a lap down.
The race was red flagged for our 10 minute break on lap 150 and well, I was pretty bummed to have gone a lap down being we were running fairly well. But like I have said many times before, “Never, ever give up,” and that I didn’t.
Going back to green flag conditions on the track, I knew that I had to pass one car in particular in order to be the next “lucky dog” if a yellow were to come out. And like the best laid out plans with life, I passed that car and a few others. Guess what happened next?
YELLOW FLAG!
Those had to be the best words I had heard thus far in the night and I was the “lucky dog!”
I had to go to the tail end of the line, even though I had lapped a few cars in front of me. The race resumed and I fought my way back to the front, making some pretty risky passes. Burt, my spotter, came on the radio and said, “Now let’s just take it easy here.”
Just then, I decided to make a three wide pass off of turn two.
“So much for taking it easy,” he said with a laugh, “But great pass!!”
We continued our charge to the front as the race headed toward the finish and at this point, I had made my way into the seventh position. With four laps to go, a yellow came out, and I was pleased.
At the time of the caution flag, I was trying to pass the car in front of me and this next restart would be a great set up to make a pass. The race went green with just two laps left, and just coming around to complete one lap and take the white flag, I made a pass to the inside, attempting to pass two cars.
My car was great on the bottom and these guys were running a higher line. Just as I almost had them cleared, the car on the outside decided to make a very aggressive move and cut down on Mark Wertz, driver of the No. 55 car, to my outside. As you could imagine, things got a bit ugly.
Well, I got the short end of the stick, sending me spinning down the front straightaway. Just as the car got wooed down, I said to myself, “You have got to be kidding me!”
What luck, as I was unable to re-fire my car before the leaders came back around so I was yet another lap down! I was so bummed as I finished the race under the green, white, and checkered flag shootout restart, and came in so disappointed.
All that work, to get it taken away with two laps to go! Frustrating, I tell you. To my surprise, the team came up to the car and was thrilled and celebrating, and I will be honest, I was pretty sad, even as they said to me, “You did great - you finished 8th!”
I did?! Well, I had lapped the cars ahead of me a few times and finished laps ahead of these drivers, but still, knowing this, I was kinda happy but still wanted that fifth-place finish!
H.C., my crew chief, told me, “You know, I have never met someone with more desire to always do better no matter what. You are just never satisfied!” he said with a laugh.
I just knew that we had a better car than the finish indicated and I wanted to get the finish that the guys on the Sellers team deserved. Overall, it was a great day, and we finished in one piece and in the top 10, so I really had nothing to be disappointed over. It was a perfect end to an unforgettable season.
With the season over, I look back at all the ups and downs and all the Sellers team did, and I am so blessed to be with such an incredible team. 2011 is going to be even better…mark my words, friends!

A Season Best Finish Proves There’s No I In Team…

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:14:00 +0000

Motor Mile Speedway
September 11, 2010

Returning for a second time to Motor Mile Speedway, I was going into the weekend with more confidence. We tested Friday night and did fairly well, but the car still wasn’t as comfortable as I would have liked. With practice over, it was time to talk about what changes we would make for the race.

On Saturday, we woke up to rain after heading to the track. As the rain progressed, so did the odds of an eventless Saturday night - the race was called for the day and rescheduled for Sunday. With an extra day to talk with the team, we discussed a lot of improvements we could make to the car and how I was tackling the track.

Sunday was an early wakeup call, with the race day schedule being moved up to accommodate all the activities leading up to the races later that evening. I made sure to be well rested as I knew it was going to be a long day. Rolling out for the first practice, we were pretty good.

During the second practice, we put on a better set of tires that had less laps on them to see what times we could lay down. Also, we wanted to get a better feeling for the way the car was set up.

Practice concluded and it was time to focus on qualifying. The track officials were coming around to let us know that qualifying would be starting in 10 minutes.

With the guys standing around the totally prepped up car, H.C., my crew chief, for some reason, decided to take a look underneath the car and he was about to get a surprise and not a good one, as he yelled…

“A cracked track bar mount?!?”

The guys were in an “organized” panic! (laughs) They borrowed a welder and went to work, fixing it as good as new. Now this is something that made me a little hesitant, but H.C. reassured me that the car was in good condition.

The No. 94 Bell Helmets Chevy was 12th in line to qualify. When I pulled out on the track, I knew this was my time to shine.

On the first lap coming for the green flag, the car pushed way up the track (something I wasn’t expecting) coming off of turn four, causing me to lose a lot of momentum.
The first lap was a wash, so during the second lap, I knew I had to step on it. Pulling in, the No. 94 was atop of the leader board! Woo hoo!

Our time didn’t last, but with 20 cars left to go, we ended up qualifying 11th. Being hard on myself, I wish we could have done better, but like I say, just more cars to pass! (laughs)

I have a few pre-race rituals before I go out for a race, with stretching being one of them. It gets my blood flowing, allowing me to me relax and really think of what I need to do out on the track. Knowing that the season was winding down, I knew that a good finish was key and pivotal to my future plans next season.

Pulling out on the track I told myself to relax, have fun, and then I asked God to be with me and give me strength.

“Green, green!” my spotter Justin Snow said enthusiastically.

It was pedal to the metal time, go big or go home! Going green for 60 consecutive laps till the first caution period, I found myself passing cars with ease. We were passing cleanly, although, you know, in short track racing, there may have been a few “bump and runs,” but all in the name of good competition.

As the first yellow flew, Peyton came over the radio and I could hear the enthusiasm in his voice - I knew that this was our night. I was very comfortable in the car and knew that if we could stay out of trouble, we were going to get a great finish.

With 90 laps left, I knew that I had to be patient, not wear my tires out, and make good decisions. As the race progressed, my car started to get a little tight.

Justin Snow, my spotter for the night and this year’s South Boston Limited Sportsman Division Track Champion, was extraordinary on the radio, making sure I got the car to the bottom of the track so it would turn better.

For the last half of the race, I found myself battling back and forth with Justin Johnson, a great racer who won this year’s South Boston Late Model Track Championship. Let me be perfectly honest here: I was a little nervous racing door-to-door with him.

I gave him room and as he did, that was the most fun I’ve had in a long time racing with someone. Going back and forth, I would be on the outside and get by him, and moments later, he’d pull underneath and so on.

A few more yellows and two red flag periods, I found myself running in third, ahead of Justin on the last red flag. We took the final green flag of the race with 10 to go.

It was a heated battle with Justin but I had the edge for the moment. With two laps to go, coming into turn one I got hit in my door, which sent me flying up the track, opening the door for Lee Puliam, who was now in third, and Justin to get by me, leaving me to hang on to a fifth-place finish.

The checkered flag was thrown, officially making the race over. Honestly, I should have been pleased with my first top-five finish of the season, as I had to pass a lot of incredible drivers to get there, but I wasn’t.

Third place was mine, but as I found out, mine to lose. I was upset with the move that was made and after my adrenaline wore off, I knew, well, as they often say in stock car racing, “that’s racing.” Peyton and Brian were the first to meet me at the scales and I have never seen them more thrilled.

H.C. soon made his way over and they were all so proud of the night we had. It was an unbelievable night and I was so glad that I could end the regular season with a top-five finish. The whole team really pulled together to make the car handle well and for us to work great together as a cohesive unit - I can’t thank my teammates enough.

An afterthought I would like to share with my fans was this…when I was driving home after the race, I was still disappointed that we didn’t get third. I wasn’t satisfied, but as a driver, when are we ever satisfied? I am my toughest critic but know that no matter what, you can mark my words: I will never, ever give up.

Words of Natalie, by Natalie Sather
Edited by Rob Tiongson

Finding a Silver Lining with Smoke: A Record Setting Night I Will Remember Forever

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:46:00 +0000

South Boston Speedway
August 13-14th

Fans and Speed Sather Nation, I’m going to back track to Friday, August 13th, as it was a test day for me and the Sellers Team. We decided that we were going to work on one thing - qualifying, which was something I have been struggling with all season.
Now, this wasn’t just any other test session. Rather, it was one that has probably geared us up for the rest of the season in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
Lee Puliam, a very successful driver at South Boston and a perennial pole contender at South Boston Speedway, (who is also affiliated with the Sellers team) came by to help us out. The Sellers Brothers Team had made some changes to the front end geometry on the No. 94 K&N Chevrolet Impala, trying to find that extra bit of speed and handling.
We were eager to see how it reacted on the track with all the changes made to the car. Being this is my first year in these types of cars, Lee got in first and ran some laps to give his valuable feedback to us as I watched and listened closely to him.
After a few laps and a qualifying run, it was my turn.
Not only were changes made to the car, but after talking with Lee and H.C., I changed the way I was tackling the corner as well. I ran 30 laps on the track and before you knew it, it was time for a few qualifying runs.
My time was extremely close to Lee’s and the team was very satisfied and we were all confident going into Saturday’s race. As we wrapped up our test for the evening, I felt like it was looking like the kind of racing weekend we’ve needed all season long.
Saturday morning began like most, as I had Lucky Charms for breakfast and watched Turbo Dogs, a cartoon about dogs that race. Before the day picked up, I was feeling pretty good as we had such a great test the night before.
With bad weather around the area, a few other race tracks’ events were rained out, including Motor Mile in Radford. A handful of those drivers from those venues came over to South Boston, making it a record field of cars for the year thus far.
Our qualifying regimen was changed for the night and the remainder of the year. Normally qualifying by points order, we now draw for the qualifying order, much like what the top three touring series have practiced for a long time.
We pulled a 12, which was right in the middle, meaning things could go either way for us.
Tonight, I opted to have H.C. Sellers, a crew chief, and Marcus, (my crew chief) on the radio with me for let’s say, “some moral support.” (laughter)
Taking the green, I missed turn one, which made for a “ok” first lap. Coming for the white flag, I took a deep breath and told myself, “You can do this! It’s just like riding a bike! Don’t try so hard - just do what you know how to do,” and that I did.
To be honest, I wasn’t feeling confident in my laps as I thought I could have been better. Pulling in after qualifying, Marcus came over the radio in a high pitched voice saying “66!”
I replied back frantically in a panic, asking “What does that mean?!?!”
He shouts back, “POLE!”
It was incredible, as I was in such disbelief that I couldn’t get out of my car fast enough. I clambered out of my car and what do I see on the scoreboard?
You guessed it! The No. 94 was in first place!
To be honest, I couldn’t even describe the emotions that I felt at that point, as everything I have been working so hard for finally all came together. For the remainder of the qualifying session, I sat around and watched each car.
As cars pulled out and with every top runner I would see pull onto the track, I would cross my fingers that the Lady Eagle Safety Wear No. 94 would stay on the pole. The final car out was none other than Lee Puliam, my teammate who helped me with qualifying.
Watching him go out on the track was so nerve racking. Of course I wanted him to do well, but just not quite as well as me! On his second lap, I saw the No. 3 in the first spot. Even so, qualifying on the outside pole was still a huge accomplishment for the entire team, and also a track record. In the 53 year history of South Boston Speedway there has never been a female to qualify on the front row. The team and I were very ecstatic to find this out!
H.C. came up to me while we were waiting in the tech line and he said to me, “OK, so it’s one thing to go from an average 18th place qualifier to like maybe 10th. But to go from 18th to first, I can’t believe it. Great job!”
It was pretty funny how excited he was, as well as the entire team. I was so glad that after all their hard work, I could finally get a good position that they so deserved.
Pushing the car up to the starting grid was such a great feeling. The guys were so proud and very excited for the race to begin. The view, the feeling, and being the first to see the green flag drop was unbelievable.
I got a great start only to have a yellow on the first lap. After a brief caution period, it was a complete restart and again, I got a great start, dropping into third behind my two teammates in Lee Puliam and Peyton Sellers.
This was the way we ran till the next caution period. It was then when I had started to notice that my car smoking.
After talking to the crew, we were hoping it was nothing. As the race progressed, so did the smoke. Another yellow came out and NASCAR directed me to stop on the front straightaway so they could check it out. They were still allowing me to keep my position despite this check.
Unfortunately, it was all for naught - NASCAR talked to my crew and told them that they thought they should check it out further. HC radioed for me to come to the pits.
“Do I have to?” I asked in a somewhat somber tone. By pulling into the pits, I had to give up my spot. With a motor on the line, I knew that I had to, even if it meant the worst case scenario – a DNF.
Opening the hood, they took a look at the motor and said the night was over, with interminable engine problem. Dejected, hurt, angered, you name it - I was so bummed, all that work with the outside pole and now nothing to show for in the race.
Overall, the night was bittersweet. I mean, we had accomplished a great feat with qualifying, which was the emotional high for us. However, the team was obviously bummed about the motor and the finish.
Still, we were happy with the qualifying efforts from that night. I can’t even thank all the guys that help out with the No. 94 Bell Helmets Chevy, as they do an incredible job with every race and you know something? I can’t wait for the next race!
Words of Natalie, edited by Rob Tiongson

If At First You Don't Succeed...

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:12:00 +0000

Motor Mile Speedway
Sunday, August 1st

Sunday was an early morning wake-up call for the Seller Brothers Racing Team and me. After waking up late, washing my racing suit and preparing for Motor Mile following our race at South Boston the night before, I was very tired.

Sleeping in the car on the way to Radford, VA, I was able to get some rest in to prepare for my first time racing at Motor Mile Speedway. I was truly excited, having turned a few laps there testing a truck last fall. I knew this place was going to be a challenge but I was definitely up for it!

We unloaded the car and had to make many adjustments to make as we still had our South Boston setup in it from the night before. The guys worked very hard and quickly to get "The Miss II" prepared to tackle the track. After two practice sessions, we were very confident going into qualifying.

It was a cold day at the track (and it’s never cold in Virginia, trust me) so H.C. told me to really get some heat in my tires in order to get the maximum grip needed for the car to stick to the track before I took the green. My first lap didn't fare so well, but I did manage to improve on my second – still, it was not the time I wanted.

This was a learning experience for the team and me, as they were trying to figure out what setup I needed. I was giving them the feedback they needed so we could make the changes to the car we felt necessary. The first of two 100-lap races was, for us, a "test" race to do just that – experiment with racing grooves, setup input, and track time.

After the race, Peyton Sellers (my spotter for the day and an accomplished driver himself) and HC, my crew chief, sat down and put our heads together. Peyton drew the line that I should be running. Then, I drew the line that I had to run due to the car’s handling and characteristics. I told him what happened to the car when I tried to run that line. After lots of discussions, we finally had a game plan and went to work!

[Soft Break]We would have to start in the back again for the next race. However, I was feeling a lot more confident going into the second race, now having 100 laps experience as well with the changes the team made to the car. During the race, I found that the car was so much better to drive, as we were making passes and improving on track time and position.

The car felt great! I was on the move until an unfortunate mistake would cause me to fall back! With a bad fast racecar under me and the laps winding down, I knew I needed to continue my charge to the front. Exiting off turn four, I was hauling and my right rear tagged the wall pretty hard.

The contact was so hard in fact that my helmet got out of whack, so I had to try and adjust it! (Laughs) I still drove my hardest after that, but after my incident with the wall, the car was pretty loose after that. We had been up to about 11th place, but we fell back to 15th after that. That's where we stayed for the remainder of the race.

Overall, the day was a great learning experience not only for me but also for the team. Motor Mile is a momentum racetrack and you have to keep your speed up. That's something I learned in the first 100 laps and I was able to do that in the second race. It’s a fast, fun, tricky track. For sure, I can't wait to go back and try out my luck again at the Motor Mile!
Words of Natalie, edited by Rob Tiongson

Rain, Rain Go Away!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 03:37:00 +0000

South Boston Speedway, July 31st

It was a long afternoon of on and off showers at the track! Somehow, in spite of the threatening weather conditions, we managed to get all the three practice sessions completed.

The first two we were on extremely old tires, but we still managed to get some decent times. After making a few changes for our tight handling car, we were on the right track for the night. In the final practice session, we put on new tires to see what the car really had and wow, we were fast! With bad weather in the area, the track operators were in a hurry to get as much racing in as possible.

Pulling out to qualify, I knew we had to lay down a fast time. Out on the track, I just could not get much of a grip, unable to get the run we wanted during the session. Track rules state that after qualifying, only one man’s allowed over the pit wall and no changes are to be made to the car.

While waiting out the rain delay, my crew chief H.C. Sellers, and I had a long discussion on how the car had been handling throughout the day. After some conferring with H.C., we opted to do a complete overhaul on the car, putting us in the rear of the field.

In spite of that, I was feeling extremely confident with the changes that the crew had made and I was hoping for a great run in the night’s main event!

Warming up the tires before we took the green, my spotter Tom Worley told me to get all we could right away because there was weather on the way!

Suddenly, the green flag drops, and I shift into fourth - the fun begins! We passed about four cars right from the start! As the tires wore away, my car got progressively tighter coming off the corner. I continued to battle a few other cars for position during a long green flag run.

With a lead lap car approaching from behind, I was in a heated battle with another car, giving the leader the courtesy he deserves as I held my line. Heading towards turn three, the next thing I knew, I felt a hit on my left rear quarter panel and I was sent spinning down the back straightaway!

I held on as well as I could and kept my car (nicknamed "Miss II") out of the wall! As you could imagine, I was very upset with what had happened! I had held my line, and the next thing you know, I'm spinning, holding on for the life of my car, praying to keep it out of the wall so I can race Sunday!

With encouragement from my team, I kept my head up and continued to charge on – there was still time left, so I thought! Racing for about 10 more laps, the rain started coming down. A racer’s worst nightmare then unraveled, as the red flag came out, which eventually and prematurely ended the race from its scheduled distance.

Overall it was a night of trial and errors, as a team we continue to learn more every week. I wish we could have had a better finish to the night, but I feel that as a team we successfully made changes and are improving each time we hit the track. I can’t even begin to express my thanks to the hard work and dedication all the guys put in at the track and at the shop! They are some of the hardest working group of guys I have ever had the privilege to work with.

Words of Natalie, edited by Rob Tiongson

"Never, Ever, Give Up"

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 03:46:00 +0000

This season has been unlike anything I ever expected. Moving to Virginia, and racing with the Sellers at the premier short track of South Boston Speedway, I knew was going to be easier said than done but it was everything I expected and nothing I hoped for.

After only 3 races I was involved in an accident that broke my wrist requiring surgery to put a very large screw in my wrist. The surgery went well and everyone at the surgery center in Fargo, ND was very cooperative and supportive of helping me get back into the seat. They had followed my career ever since I was racing at the local track, and knew how much it meant to me to get back in the seat as soon as possible. I had to have a custom brace made and when making my brace they allowed me to bring in a steering wheel so we could custom mold it so I could still get an “ok” grip on the wheel.

I didn’t miss a beat on the racing side of things, 10 days after my surgery I was back on the track. My first weekend back after the surgery wasn’t easy. I had to relearn everything I knew: how to grip the wheel, drive, react, etc. I tried to keep my head up, and stay confident. My team and my family were right by my side cheering me on and keeping me motivated. After 3 weeks of working through the soreness, stiffness, and the brace I again raced my way to a top 10(9th place) finish at South Boston. I can’t even tell you how excited I was! I told the guys “we’re back”! Being involved in racing is a challenge in itself but adding in a broken wrist and still racing with a big ole brace on makes for quite the test. Always repeating my motto “Never, ever, give up” and the encouragement from friends and family got me through the beginning of this ongoing injury.

Each weekend I continue to learn more, and improve every time I hit the track. We have had some great nights that unfortunately have ended early due to circumstances out of our hands. We haven’t gotten the finishes that we were on track to get but we are staying positive and learning from every situation. With the season half over and only 7 races left I cannot believe how fast it has flown by. I am focused on finishing this season and still achieving the goals that I had set at the beginning of the year, being Rookie of the Year, and a Top 10 finish in points. I know that with our continued hard work the #94 K&N, Lady Eagle, Bell Helmet, Sellers Racing, Late Model will have a great finish to the 2010 season.

Photo Provided by Shannon Myers Tipton, Creative Designs

In The Drivers Seat With Natalie Sather (Part One)

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:43:00 +0000

Be sure to check out the latest interview about my career!

(Click photo for link)

Photo provided by Shannon Myers Tipton, Creative Designs

A broken wrist, but not a broken spirit...

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:34:00 +0000

This has taken me a long time to write, as it has been a difficult time in my career, and to express my feelings towards what happened took some time to put in writing. So here goes…
Saturday April 17th: Race day at South Boston Speedway would turn out to be a day that will leave a scar on me for the rest of my life.
With an action packed night of twin 75 lap Late Model races, the Sellers team and I were ready for a great night of racing.
Buckling into my K&N, Lady Eagle Safety wear #94 that night "I had a feeling" that we were going to have a good night. The green flag dropped and the race was on, for 75 laps I slowly worked my way through the field. As the laps were winding down, I found myself so close to the top ten. With much encouragement from my team, I kept working hard and when the checkered flag dropped I crossed the finish line in 9th place! My first top ten of the year in only my third race! The Sellers team was pumped and we were ready for another 75 laps, with the goal of an even better finish. Little did I know my racing career would take a drastic turn for the worst?
The beginning of the race is always a challenge. Everyone is eager to pass cars and make their way to the front. A certain amount of patience is required, being aggressive is part of racing, but I do believe that there is such a thing as too aggressive. For 8 laps I ran bumper to bumper with the car in front of me and behind me. The field was still bunched up and not much passing was going on. Running in the 9th position I was feeling confident that another top ten was feasible. On lap 8 as I was rounding the final turn I felt a car hit my left side; Never letting up on the gas it continued to push me up the race track. I was trying extremely hard to keep my car out of the wall, but when the right side of my car finally reached the straightaway where it flattens out; my car took a turn for the worse. Spinning down the front straightaway the fans got an up-close look at what took place. Coming to a stop underneath the flag stand, I was in excruciating pain. I knew right away that my wrist had been broken.
After the initial shock, I told myself, “buck it up Natalie, you are just being weak, you are stronger than this” and then with a little encouragement from the team and my Mom I cranked the #94 back up the track! My adrenaline was flowing, I was so angry, why me? Why now? This was it; it was time to prove what I can do.
Shifting from third to fourth with one hand as the green flag dropped, I continued my pursuit. I wasn't giving up! I continued the next 60 laps very competitively holding off cars behind me and even attempting some passes all with one arm. As luck would have it, on lap 69 my car finally got loose spinning off turn two and ending my night.
Pulling into my pits, I was honestly heartbroken. “Why?” was all I could think! After changing out of my racing gear and having the very tentative paramedics at South Boston wrap my wrist I had so many thoughts going through my head… “What if it’s really broken?” “Will this be the end of my dream?” “Am I going to have to quit racing?”, and so on. It was an exhausting night and I would have to wait till morning to know if it was broken or not….
Sunday morning my Mom and I made a quick stop at Starbucks (of course) before heading to the clinic for x-rays. Waiting for the results was so very nerve racking. The Doctor came into the room and as I had thought… BROKEN. I had all I could do to hold back my tears, then when she proceeded to tell me that of all the bones I could have broken, I had broke the worst bone to break in my wrist! Trying to stay positive they put my wrist in a cast and told me that I would need surgery. So much for my season, so I thought….

The King’s Cup – Karting for a Cause...

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:55:00 +0000

Fans from Book to Field a Team in King's Cup

Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, and A.J. Allmendinger have no idea what’s in store for them on the track tomorrow.

When these top NASCAR drivers strap in their go karts on Tuesday to run in “The King’s Cup – Karting for a Cause,” Richard Petty’s annual event helping the Paralyzed Veterans of America, they’ll be going up against a group of fans featured in The Weekend Starts on Wednesday: True Stories of Remarkable NASCAR Fans.

Steve Deuker (“Ryan’s Hope”), Natalie Sather (“This Girl Wants to Be Jeff Gordon in a Skirt”), Kenny Gregory (“The Fathead Guy”), and Judy Barr (“The Summit of Fandom”) will be racing for the team, “The Weekend Starts on Wednesday Chapter Buddies." They’ll go up against the NASCAR drivers and 30 other teams vying for the King’s Cup” at Victory Lane Karting in Charlotte.

“The Weekend Starts on Wednesday features two wounded veterans – Cpl. John Hyland and Sgt. Russ Friedman – so we wanted to honor the Paralyzed Veterans of America and have a little fun racing,” said Steve Deuker, who organized the Chapter Buddies team.

Deuker, a lifelong racing fan who traveled to Charlotte from Minneapolis with his wife Christine to attend the NASCAR Hall of induction ceremonies, watch the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Challenge at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and run in the King’s Cup, is pumped up after running 50 laps in a stock car at Carolina Speedway’s Dirt Track Racing School in Gastonia.

“What I like about this event is you can run against NASCAR drivers and other fans,” Deuker said. “NASCAR fandom is made up of such diverse occupations and lifestyles. Being in this book, we’ve formed lifelong bonds with other remarkable fans, including two military heroes. It’s going to be unforgettable racing with them while helping wounded warriors.”

Deuker likes his chances for fielding a competitive team, even with the varying experience of his drivers.

Kenny Gregory, known to fans as “The Fathead Guy,” for bringing life-size, driver stand-ups into the infield, has participated in two kart races in Pennsylvania. However, he finished last both times. “They used a sun dial to time me,” Gregory said.

To make up lap time, Deuker is looking to Natalie Sather, who won a national go kart title, and was the first woman to win a major sprint car championship, taking the ASCS Midwest points championship in 2007. Sather currently drives the Lady Eagle Safety Wear, K&N, Bell Helmets #94 for Sellers Racing in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series.

Sather, who grew up racing go-karts on dirt, jumped at the chance to get back in a go-kart for a great cause – even with a broken wrist suffered April 17 at South Boston Speedway.

When she was 17, Sather was involved in a spectacular T-bone wreck in a sprint car which put a 10-inch pin into her leg. Eight years later, her wreck at South Boston wasn’t nearly as violent. But the spin happened so quickly, it managed to snap her wrist right off the wheel.

Sather pitted and then drove sixty more laps with one arm.

“The adrenaline was pumping and it was hard for me to think about my wrist,” the 25-year old driver from Fargo recalled. “I was hurt, mad and upset, and wasn't going to give up easy. When people found out my wrist was broken, they were shocked I kept going, and to be honest so was I,” she said with a laugh.

Following surgery three weeks ago, Sather had a special brace made. She’s dosing on bone-building vitamins and uses a bone-stimulating machine to close a 2-millimeter gap in her wrist. She’s raced two times since the operation.

“The King’s Cup is about having fun, raising money for the PVA, and some healthy competition,” Sather said. “Well, not too healthy, because anyone who knows me, knows I'm extremely competitive.”

The Weekend Starts on Wednesday author Andrew Giangola will be in New York and unable to drive for The Chapter Buddies (because he is in New York, not from New York).

“Me being in New York is beneficial for the team, because the only thing I drive is my wife crazy,” Giangola said.

To take his place, the book’s author recruited Michael Cherry, a driver with Revolution Racing in the Whelen All American Series, as well as a serious go kart ringer. Last Friday, Cherry beat NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse in the Aflac 200, a go kart event held by Aflac and NASCAR Fuel for Business, a consortium of B2B partners.

The King’s Cup takes place from 4:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Up to 30 teams will compete in the endurance karting event. The top 15 squads will qualify for the two-hour endurance feature race. NASCAR drivers sponsoring teams through their foundations include Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, and Elliott and Hermie Sadler.

Last year’s championship team, The Kurt Busch Foundation, will return to defend its title after The King gives the command to start the engines and waves the green flag.

“Our veterans have made it possible for us to do what we love,” said Petty, the long-time spokesperson of PVA, a 64-year old organization founded by spinal cord-injured service members who returned home from World War II. “This event is a great way to kick back and have some fun, and it’s a great way to give back to those who have given so much for our country.”

“Richard Petty is a great champion for our members and their families and we deeply appreciate all that he and his family do for us,” said Gene A. Crayton, national president of Paralyzed Veterans.

Tickets are available for $25 online at www.pva.org/gokart or at the event. All proceeds will benefit the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Sprint, Best Buy and Reynolds Consumer Products are among the sponsors of the event, and Freightliner is bringing several of their hauler drivers to participate as well.

A silent auction will include more than 70 items, such dinner with the King and autographed sports memorabilia, including a copy of The Weekend Starts on Wednesday, signed by the author and chapter buddies, along with Tony Stewart, who wrote the Foreword, and Kyle Busch, who penned the Afterword.

To learn more about The King’s Cup - Karting for a Cause, please visit www.pva.org/gokart.

Taken from "The Weekend Starts on Wednesday" Blog to learn more visit
http://www.theweekendstartsonwednesday.blogspot.com/

Girls' Night Out fundraiser

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Fri, 28 May 2010 01:23:00 +0000

From left: Guests with Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte executive director Mona Johnson-Gibson. (Photo by Paul Williams III - Special to the Observer)

The Ronald McDonald House held a charity fashion show to help raise money and awareness to the new house that is being built in Charlotte. A silent auction was held before the fashion show started, which featured four women who have spent time in a Ronald McDonald House. There stories were shared with those attending and it was extremely touching as to how the Ronald McDonald House helped them so much.

To be in attendance at such an important event involving the Ronald McDonald House meant a lot. Anyway I can help, even in a small way, I love doing my part. I hope that in the future I can continue to help out for such a worthy cause.

A special thanks to Erin Evernham for inviting me to be apart of this wonderful event!

2010 Racing season has begun...

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:47:00 +0000

With the first two races of the 2010 season over and month gone by I am now ready to get back in the rhythm of the racing season.

March 13th was my first race of the season at South Boston Speedway, which is where I will be a regular competitor this season. It wasn't looking good on race day but mother nature held out long enough for the Late Models to put on a great show.

As the car crossed the scales and went through the tech line, my crew chief H.C. draws our qualifying position... #1, no pressure. My first time at the track and he pulls a one, at least I can just get it over with. Qualifying is something that I am working on improving, so going out first just added to the nervousness.

Going out for qualifying the track was extremely wet due to all the rain mother nature dumped on us all week. Getting up to speed my goal was to be smooth and get faster each lap. Coming for the checkered I hit a puddle and was headed straight for the wall, my dirt track driving kicked in then and I crossed the finish line in one piece. Twenty six cars left to qualify, when the last car was done we ended up in the 21st spot. Not what I had hoped for but this gave me the opportunity to pass some cars.

Throughout the day I watched the other cars and took in as much as I could to learn the driving line and where most of the passes were made. The track was in rough condition due to how much water was on the track so it was going to be a difficult race, especially for my first race there. H.C. and Peyton both told me to use my head and just do my best because the track was going to be really hard to drive.

Pulling out for what was supposed to be one of two features I was feeling a little nervous but for the most part very excited to finally be back in the car. I started on the outside and when the green flag dropped that is where I stayed for about 3 laps, trying to improve my spot. As the race progressed I tried to make passes when possible which proved to be extremely difficult due to track conditions. About three accidents took place in front of me and I was lucky to avoid each one. I continued my charge to the front of the field and was feeling very comfortable in the car race. With about 15 to go the rain came in, after racing 5 laps in pouring rain the race was called and we finished in 13th place. Racing for the night was cancelled but the team and the guys were all very proud of the finish we had. I need to thank the team for all the hard work and effort they put into making this season happen. I know that with more races under our belt we will continue to improve and have a successful season!

The second race of the season was a 150 lap shootout. The weather was looking wonderful for race day and the team was in high spirits. My goal for the day was to really work on my qualifying efforts and to improve on last week’s race.

This week qualifying went a little better with the track conditions being in ideal condition. We went out 13th today and in the end found ourselves in the 18th position. Better than last week, but still not where I would like to be. Throughout the day I stayed hydrated and focused on the 150 lap event ahead. Buckling into my scorching race car felt pretty hot for a North Dakota girl, but I was ready to get on the track and have some fun. As my spotter says "Green Girl" I shift it into fourth and away I went. I was on the outside and dropped in line right away. The race went green for about 90 laps and we continued our efforts towards the front of the field. With 60 to go, it was time to kick it into high gear. Going back green my goal was to reach the top ten. I was trying extremely hard all day and with three laps remaining I went for a pass and it didn't fare. I ended up spinning down the front stretch, fortunately coming to a stop with no damage. After lining back up at the tail end of the field with a green, white, checkered finish we ended up in the 15th position. It was a day full of learning, taking chances and testing my limit.

I can't even thank everyone enough at Seller's Racing that helps out on the "Miss II". They are very patient and continue to help me out each week. I am looking forward to the remaining season and earning the respect of the fellow drivers and having a lot of fun along the way!

Sather's feminine side shines through on 'Tyra'

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 04:39:00 +0000

Andrew Giangola article on nascar.com
http://www.nascar.com/2010/news/features/04/08/nsather.on.tyra/index.html

Ladies and Gentlemen START YOUR ENGINES!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:55:00 +0000

With my first race of the season just a few days away I am proud to announce that I have joined forces with Sellers Racing for the 2010 season. H.C. and Peyton Sellers are two very well respected men in the racing community and have a resume to back it up.

Peyton an accomplished driver, has over 30 wins and over 50 poles at NASCAR sanctioned tracks, he has won multi championships, raced in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series all with the help and guidance of his brother H.C.

For the 2010 Season we will be running the full schedule at South Boston Speedway "America's Home Track" with the goal of Rookie of the Year and a Top 10 in points.

The first race of the season is this Saturday March 13th just a day after my 25th birthday. My goal for my first race is to get more comfortable in the car, and make good, consistent laps. South Boston Speedway is one of the toughest tracks around with very accomplished drivers racing week in and week out. It is going to be a competitive 2010 season and I am going to be faced with many challenges each weekend, all what I will learn from. It's going to be an exciting season and I couldn't be more happy to be apart of the Sellers Racing Team.

I am looking forward to the amount of knowledge I am going to gain this season in the shop, and at the track. Already H.C. has taught me to run the shock dyno, and I have even dyno'd a few shocks on my own!

K&N Filters take on the 2009 Season...

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:51:00 +0000

Talent and determination is a beautiful thing. Look no further then Fargo, North Dakota, resident Nataline Sather for poster-girl verification of that claim. Sather raced her first season on asphalt at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington and she had eight top fives, and reached the top ten in all 17 races. She also got a fourth place and one victory. Sather finished '09 as Washington State Rookie of the Year (eligible award drivers must have been first-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Feature Division license holders), and as a successfully fulfilled first year participant in the Drive for Diversity program.

We asked Sather how her first year racing on asphalt looked from her perspective?

"When I found out that I was going to be racing on asphalt, I knew going into the season, it was going to be challenging. I grew up racing on dirt tracks all around the US, and I had really only raced on asphalt once before, when I was 17, and that was in a go-kart," explains Sather.

"What motivated me the most were guys like Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart. They all started off racing on the dirt and are now very successful on asphalt. Watching NASCAR racing, I've heard the announcers say so many times, 'that was a great save and clearly that's from their dirt racing background.'"

"The entire season was a learning experience. I had to adjust to the differences between the dirt and asphalt and also continue to cultivate racing relationships. I had such an incredible team that helped me to make the transition. As the season progressed, our communication got better, and so did our results. We had our goals at the beginning of the season and we met every one. I learned so very much, I had fun, and not only gained a race team out in Washington, but a family and a lot of friends. Through my eyes it was an AMAZING season."

Last year was also Sather's first year driving for NASCAR's Drive for Diversity Program and she considered it a great opportunity to have been selected. "The real blessing though, was the incredible team I was chosen by - Total Velocity Motorsports. Not only did I get to race for a great group of people, but again, they made me part of their family," adds Sather.

Growing up Sather's father sponsored a sprint car at their local Red River Valley Speedway in Fargo. She recalls watching drivers like Donny Schatz. She immediately fell in love with everything about racing - the stinging perfume of race petrol - the thundering roar of engines revving-up. It made her heart pound. And from a young age she knew that's what she wanted to do.

"I got started racing go-karts at the age of nine. A family friend saw a flyer at a gas station for a local indoor race and suggested to my parents that it might be something that I should get involved in. My parents and I went to the race and from that moment on we were all hooked."

After winning a Duffy at the IKF Grand Nationals (International Karting Federation) and placing second at the Tulsa Shootout, the Sather family concluded it was time to take it up a notch. In '02 they made the move up to a 360-Sprint Car.

"I continued racing sprint cars right up until I started participating in the Drive for Diversity program and moved to Monroe, Washington," says Sather.

"I have been using K&N products throughout my racing career. Not only have I used K&N products such as air and oil filters and dry sump breathers on my late model, but I also used K&N products on my sprint car. K&N has an outstanding line of products. I am always very confident pulling out on to the racetrack knowing that I have K&N products under my hood."

For the 2010 season Sather will carry on focusing on her dream to continue climbing the racing ladder. "I have been working very hard in the off-season to try and make this a reality," she says.

"This winter I have also really gotten involved with my local children's hospital, and I visited with the young kids about how to never, ever give up. I hope to continue with my racing success and to be able to help more and more kids in the future."

Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world.

"The Weekend Starts On Wednesday"

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:51:00 +0000

On shelves now just in time for the first race of the NASCAR season, the Daytona 500. Natalie is featured in a chapter in the NASCAR Library Collection book, "THE WEEKEND STARTS ON WEDNESDAY: True Stories of Remarkable NASCAR Fans," focusing on Natalie's passion in chasing her racing dream. Visit any of these links for more information and where you can pre-order your book!

FaceBook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Weekend-Starts-on-Wednesday/231611888139

Book Blog--
http://www.theweekendstartsonwednesday.blogspot.com/

To Order online
http://www.amazon.com/Weekend-Starts-Wednesday-Stories-Remarkable/dp/0760338310/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251820640&sr=1-2

Good NASCAR.com author Q+A -
http://www.nascar.com/2010/news/features/01/08/agiangola.book.q.a/index.html