It will not be Logan Misuraca’s flip simply but to turn out to be the following Daytona 500 winner. However, the 23-year-old auto racing phenom’s path towards incomes a spot in the future within the Great American Race—and having an opportunity to turn out to be the following feminine face of auto racing—could have motored one other step nearer together with her largest win to this point in her younger profession—incomes firm sponsorship.
Misuraca can be driving the Celsius No. 63 Chevrolet on this Saturday’s ARCA Menards Series Daytona 200 (Saturday at 1:30 on FS1), one of many preliminary occasions at Daytona weekend previous to Sunday’s Daytona 500 (Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on Fox). It’s an enormous transfer ahead for the previous dancer towards in the future making the NASCAR circuit.
It wasn’t luck that earned Misuraca this chance. She’s put within the mileage on the monitor, compiling a stellar report on smaller circuits whereas additionally spending numerous hours off the monitor constructing a private model that she might market to potential companions. Knowing she’s put within the work is partially why she stays comparatively calm earlier than her huge race.
“I have no nerves setting in yet,” she laughs. “I’m more nervous to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Maybe it’ll hit me like the day right before the race.”
Even although it’s her first official race at Daytona, Misuraca, who grew up in an auto racing household (her father and grandfather each competed on the native dash automobile circuits), is greater than conversant in Daytona Speedway, having pushed greater than 22,000 miles on the two.5-mile course as a driver for NASCAR’s Racing Experience, through which followers get to expertise a backseat three-lap run in a race automobile.
In addition, Misuraca additionally had been tearing it up on the small-circuit division. In 2020, she was named New Smyrna (FL) Racetrack rookie of the yr, the place she completed second within the general standings, incomes three top-five finishes within the Pro Late Model Division.
Still, victory laps aren’t a surefire ticket to catching NASCAR’s consideration—it takes a little bit of funding to maintain driving in a sport through which automobile prices might go from $50,000 to $150,000 every race. Misuraca for years has spent the vast majority of her off-track time working her portfolio to draw potential companions. She says she’s despatched 1000’s of inquiries—all rejections, at the very least from those that bothered to answer in any respect.
Until Celsius took discover.
The health drink model just lately signed Misuraca to drive its No. 63 automobile for Sunday’s Daytona 200. She’s the primary feminine driver to be sponsored by Celsius. And to this point, she says, it’s been an ideal match.
“We’ve created such a strong foundation, and I already loved Celsius prior to the partnership with the brand,” she says. I liked the Fuji Apple Pear taste—tastes like Jolly Ranchers. I get to point out one thing that I’m truly obsessed with inside my sport. So it simply made much more of an ideal hyperlink.”
No matter Saturday’s end, her job is simply getting began, however Misuraca already has a Winning Strategy arrange. Fitness performs a giant position. Misuraca doubles up on her exercises, beginning with a 6 a.m. biking class, adopted by a fitness center session through which Misuraca and her coach hit the weights in addition to go over reactionary drills to maintain her sharp for 500 miles. By placing within the all-out effort, Misuraca can really feel assured about her future. If she goes on to make it to NASCAR, historical past might even see her achievements as groundbreaking, however for now she’s happy as being the motive force of the No. 63.
“As we put the helmet on, we’re all drivers, we’re not male and female. Obviously, outside of the car, the way we represent ourselves is a little bit different,” she says. “So we’re definitely gaining that respect in the NASCAR world to where we’re just another driver.”
Self Confidence Is a Success Requirement
If you even for a second doubt your self, different persons are going to doubt you too. Doubting your self goes to mirror in your stress degree, the way you’re going to carry out, and the way you’re going to mentally give it some thought. You’re going to overstress your self, overexert your vitality. You have to amass that confidence, particularly with one thing that you simply love, even when it’s not in your on a regular basis life.
When it involves your sport or your place of business, you must have full confidence in what you’re doing to truly achieve success. As quickly as you lack confidence, you’re gonna trigger your self stress, which goes to trigger a job stress, which goes to create an enormous line of points. So confidence is certainly key.
I needed to study this for like, the previous three or 4 years on the right way to keep assured. And with all of the experiences that I’ve had, confidence is 100% key, particularly while you’re going into [the Daytona 500 weekend]. So many issues can occur.
There hasn’t been a single race previously 26 years at Daytona International Speedway the place there wasn’t a giant wreck—so you realize, it’s coming. But you additionally need to have that confidence in your self as a result of the second you say, “Oh, my God, I’m so nervous that I’m going to be in that wreck,” you’re going to be in that wreck.
Manifestation is actual—you’re going to manifest your self into that wreck in case you don’t begin considering optimistic. You must be like, no, I’m gonna be forward of that wreck. It’s gonna occur behind me.
Win the Mind Games, Win the Race
It’s not as bodily draining as folks suppose it’s, particularly with Daytona being so huge. You’re utilizing such minute motion, that’s it’s not bodily draining, it’s extra mentally straining.
You’re making an attempt to simply keep alert so long as you possibly can. So as soon as your mind tires, it’s not the automobile that’s going to have an effect on it, it’s simply going to have an effect on your subsequent transfer, particularly when drafting performs such a giant —one unsuitable transfer, and there’s a six or seven automobile pileup.
It’s simply staying on edge that lengthy for the three hours that you simply’re within the automobile for 500 miles to get it achieved.
Obviously, it takes some bodily facet, however the vehicles are tremendous straightforward to run. They’re tremendous clean. If they’re not, you’ve bought an issue. You need your automobile to be as clean as attainable. But it’s 100% psychological in the case of tremendous speedways like this. My simulation coaching often helps me extra with the psychological aspect of issues.
I’ll often do low-impact coaching, some cardio simply to coach my mind that when my physique needs to close off and my mind is drained, I bodily need to preserve going. So that helps me in conditions like, your physique’s achieved, however you’re stronger than this. You nonetheless have 30 extra minutes on the clock. You need to preserve going.
Rowing’s one as a result of in 5 minutes you’re already useless winded. Rowing and StairMaster are my prime two the place it’s all psychological. Your physique can bodily do it, however you’re doing the identical factor again and again and you are feeling the slight soreness in your legs and also you’re identical to, oh, I need to quit. But then you definitely’re like, properly, I simply set a objective for 40 minutes and it’s simply the entire self-discipline of sitting there and making an attempt to get via it.
1 Celsius Yes Is Worth 100,000 rejections
Everyone’s thinks [as a woman], that it should’ve been so easy to get a sponsor. The reality is I had at the very least 100,000 nos until I lastly bought one sure.
For three or 4 years I might sit at my pc engaged on this e mail spreadsheet that I had labored on for six months to good. It had a pitch deck, a full bio about myself, pictures, every part that I can do for his or her enterprise, and simply mailed to all people. And I might get no response or a giant fats no. I had no obtained one sure for at the very least three years.
And then Celsius got here alongside…
You bodily can’t do that sport with out funding, so I couldn’t simply go and win a bunch or races and preserve going since you nonetheless wanted the funding. So all of the no imply one other week of no racing. Then one other. it undoubtedly held us again for about two or three years. So we might simply persist with late mannequin racing. We’d run in small exhibits, something that we might afford, identical to in home funding like little partnerships right here and there. Nothing like huge that might like attain to the NASCAR degree.
Then I bought actually, actually fortunate to have the connection that I did with Celsius. And they’re superb. They got here round to me as different folks have been saying, Logan’s achieved this. Logan does this and he or she raised for us for this after which the NASCAR racing expertise. But I believe it was sort of simply my persona is what introduced them in essentially the most.
Father Does Know Best
Jimmy Kitchens has been my spotter and coach with Ben Kennedy racing. He’s an incredible, unimaginable individual and unimaginable human being. I take a look at him like a father determine now like he’s identical to a second grandpa to me at this level. He offers me life recommendation, racing recommendation, every part.
But developing on this sport, clearly, my father was the largest [influence] as a result of he bought me into racing. He raced 360s burning vehicles, late fashions again within the day, like he’s raced his complete life. My dad was my solely hyperlink I needed to the racing world—I knew nothing about it. I used to be raised at a racetrack my complete life however I didn’t know the right way to drive efficiently. And like he taught me from the bottom up—from go kart tracks to all the way in which as much as late fashions. So he was undoubtedly an enormous asset to have in my life together with his ability degree and his expertise within the sport. So shout out to Dad.
When I used to be 17, he informed me that I might make it in racing via advertising and promoting. I assumed it was baloney. At the time I stored considering a scout was going to return to the racetrack and decide me up, identical to every other sport. And then it took me like, six years to comprehend that he was 100 % proper.
He knew method earlier than lots of people knew that that’s what it was actually going to take until you have been truly within the sport. Those on the grassroots degree suppose it’s about lap time, however it all comes all the way down to the way you market your self. Obviously ability issues, however it’s additionally extra of a advertising factor. So that at all times caught with me, as a result of he was proper, and I hate telling him he’s at all times proper. But he often is.
Surround Yourself with Those You Trust
I believe the largest mistake I made in racing was properly was studying that you simply actually need to watch out with who you belief. It’s very true when it’s involves your private life. You have to comprehend who has your greatest curiosity at coronary heart and who doesn’t.
Those have been my largest setbacks. It was by no means on the racetrack. I used to be assured each time I put my helmet on, that I’m going to do properly. That’s not the half, it’s the individuals who query you and break you down—I’m not even speaking about followers or followers, nothing like that.
It’s extra individuals who truly make an influence—it’s why I took such a step again to the place I’m only a one-man band, I don’t need anybody’s help with something. I’m my very own PR.
There’s some huge cash in NASCAR, everybody is aware of that, identical to different sports activities. There’s additionally some unhealthy individuals who don’t have your pursuits at coronary heart. That to this point, has been my largest “crash.” I’ve by no means crashed on the monitor but, however that is one thing that made an enormous dent on me.
It’s about who you possibly can and may’t belief and being a extremely good decide of character, as a result of it’s going to have an effect on every part that you simply do transferring ahead and your fame.
Now I do the alternative at a time the place I must in all probability begin delegating and asking for help as a result of I nonetheless do every part myself. But you bought to seek out that joyful medium.