It will not be Logan Misuraca’s flip simply but to change into the subsequent Daytona 500 winner. Nonetheless, the 23-year-old auto racing phenom’s path towards incomes a spot someday within the Nice American Race—and having an opportunity to change into the subsequent feminine face of auto racing—might have motored one other step nearer along with her largest win thus far in her younger profession—incomes firm sponsorship.

Misuraca can be driving the Celsius No. 63 Chevrolet on this Saturday’s ARCA Menards Sequence 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 someday 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 document on smaller circuits whereas additionally spending numerous hours off the monitor constructing a private model that she may market to potential companions. Realizing she’s put within the work is partially why she stays comparatively calm earlier than her large race.

“I’ve no nerves setting in but,” she laughs. “I’m extra nervous to make it possible for all the things goes easily. Perhaps it’ll hit me just like the day proper earlier than the race.”

Regardless that 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 automotive circuits), is greater than aware of Daytona Speedway, having pushed greater than 22,000 miles on the two.5-mile course as a driver for NASCAR’s Racing Expertise, through which followers get to expertise a backseat three-lap run in a race automotive.

As well as, Misuraca additionally had been tearing it up on the small-circuit division. In 2020, she was named New Smyrna (FL) Racetrack rookie of the 12 months, the place she completed second within the total standings, incomes three top-five finishes within the Professional Late Mannequin Division.

Nonetheless, 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 automotive prices may 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 hundreds of inquiries—all rejections, a minimum of from those that bothered to answer in any respect.

Till Celsius took discover.

The health drink model just lately signed Misuraca to drive its No. 63 automotive for Sunday’s Daytona 200. She’s the primary feminine driver to be sponsored by Celsius. And thus far, she says, it’s been an ideal match.

“We’ve created such a robust basis, and I already liked Celsius previous to the partnership with the model,” she says. I liked the apple cherry taste—tastes like Jolly Ranchers. I get to indicate one thing that I’m truly obsessed with inside my sport. So it simply made much more of an ideal hyperlink.”

Irrespective of Saturday’s end, her job is simply getting began, however Misuraca already has a Profitable Technique arrange. Health performs an enormous position. Misuraca doubles up on her exercises, beginning with a 6 a.m. biking class, adopted by a gymnasium 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 may even see her achievements as groundbreaking, however for now she’s happy as being the driving force of the No. 63.

“As we put the helmet on, we’re all drivers, we’re not female and male. Clearly, outdoors of the automotive, the best way we symbolize ourselves is just a little bit completely different,” she says. “So we’re positively gaining that respect within the NASCAR world to the place we’re simply one other driver.”

Self Confidence Is a Success Requirement

In the event you even for a second doubt your self, different individuals are going to doubt you too. Doubting your self goes to mirror in your stress stage, 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. It’s important to purchase that confidence, particularly with one thing that you simply love, even when it’s not in your on a regular basis life.

On the subject of your sport or your administrative center, you need to have full confidence in what you’re doing to really 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 unquestionably key.

I needed to be taught this for like, the previous three or 4 years on 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 prior to now 26 years at Daytona Worldwide Speedway the place there wasn’t an enormous wreck—so you realize, it’s coming. However 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 constructive. It is advisable to be like, no, I’m gonna be  forward of that wreck. It’s gonna occur behind me.

Win the Thoughts Video games, Win the Race

It’s not as bodily draining as folks suppose it’s, particularly with Daytona being so large. 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 may. So as soon as your mind tires, it’s not the automotive 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 an enormous —one fallacious transfer, and there’s a six or seven automotive pileup.

It’s simply staying on edge that lengthy for the three hours that you simply’re within the automotive for 500 miles to get it finished.

Clearly, it takes some bodily side, however the vehicles are tremendous straightforward to run. They’re tremendous easy. In the event that they’re not, you’ve acquired an issue. You need your automotive to be as easy as attainable. Nevertheless it’s 100% psychological in relation to tremendous speedways like this. My simulation coaching normally helps me extra with the psychological facet of issues.

I’ll normally do low-impact coaching, some cardio simply to coach my mind that when my physique desires to close off and my mind is drained, I bodily need to hold going. In order that helps me in conditions like, your physique’s finished, however you’re stronger than this. You continue to have 30 extra minutes on the clock. It’s important to hold going.

Rowing’s an excellent 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 similar to, oh, I wish to quit. However then you definitely’re like, nicely, 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 Sure Is Price 100,000 rejections

Everybody’s thinks [as a woman], that it should’ve been so easy to get a sponsor. The reality is I had a minimum of 100,000 nos until I lastly acquired one sure.

For 3 or 4 years I might sit at my laptop engaged on this electronic mail spreadsheet that I had labored on for six months to excellent. It had a pitch deck, a full bio about myself, images, all the things that I can do for his or her enterprise, and simply mailed to all people. And I might get no response or an enormous fats no. I had no acquired one sure for a minimum of three years.

After which 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 hold going since you nonetheless wanted the funding. So all of the no imply one other week of no racing.  Then one other. it positively held us again for about two or three years. So we might simply stick with late mannequin racing. We’d run in small reveals, something that we may afford, similar to in home funding like little partnerships right here and there. Nothing like large that would like attain to the NASCAR stage.

Then I acquired actually, actually fortunate to have the connection that I did with Celsius. And so they’re wonderful. They got here round to me as different folks have been saying, Logan’s finished this. Logan does this and she or he raised for us for this after which the NASCAR racing expertise. However I feel it was type of simply my character is what introduced them in probably the most.

Father Does Know Greatest

Jimmy Kitchens has been my spotter and coach with Ben Kennedy racing. He’s an incredible, unbelievable particular person and unbelievable human being. I take a look at him like a father determine now like he’s similar to a second grandpa to me at this level. He offers me life recommendation, racing recommendation, all the things.

However developing on this sport, clearly, my father was the largest [influence] as a result of he acquired me into racing. He raced 360s burning vehicles, late fashions again within the day, like he’s raced his whole 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 whole life however I didn’t know drive efficiently. And like he taught me from the bottom up—from go kart tracks to all the best way as much as late fashions. So he was positively an enormous asset to have in my life together with his talent stage and his expertise within the sport. So shout out to Dad.

After I was 17, he instructed me that I might make it in racing via advertising and promoting. I believed it was baloney. On the time I stored considering a scout was going to come back to the racetrack and choose me up, similar to every other sport. After which it took me like, six years to appreciate that he was 100 % proper.

He knew approach earlier than lots of people knew that that’s what it was actually going to take until you have been truly within the sport. These on the grassroots stage suppose it’s about lap time, however it all comes all the way down to the way you market your self. Clearly talent issues, however it’s additionally extra of a advertising factor. In order that all the time caught with me, as a result of he was proper, and I hate telling him he’s all the time proper. However he normally is.

Encompass Your self with These You Belief

I feel the largest mistake I made in racing was nicely 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. It’s important to notice who has your finest curiosity at coronary heart and who doesn’t.

These 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 nicely. 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 impression—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, similar to different sports activities. There’s additionally some unhealthy individuals who don’t have your pursuits at coronary heart. That thus far, 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 may and may’t belief and being a very good decide of character, as a result of it’s going to have an effect on all the things  that you simply do transferring ahead and your fame.

Now I do the alternative at a time the place I have to in all probability begin delegating and asking for help as a result of I nonetheless do all the things myself. However you bought to search out that completely satisfied medium.