Kaylee Bryson: Making History On Asphalt & Dirt!

Summary

Podcast Title: Herm & Schrader
Episode: Kaylee Bryson: Making History On Asphalt & Dirt!
Hosts: Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader
Release Date: April 10, 2025

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Introduction

In this electrifying episode of Herm & Schrader, hosts Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader sit down with the trailblazing 24-year-old race car driver, Kaylee Bryson. Known for her prowess on both asphalt and dirt tracks, Bryson shares her journey, challenges, and aspirations in a candid and engaging conversation.

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Background and Racing Beginnings

Kenny Wallace opens the discussion by highlighting Kaylee's impressive background:

[02:29] Kenny: "So for a lot of people that don't know about Kaylee, she's from Muskogee, Oklahoma. She's a complete badass, 24 years old and she can drive anything."

Kaylee traces her roots back to Muskogee, Oklahoma, where she grew up racing at local tracks with her family. From go-karts to micros, her early involvement laid the foundation for her racing career.

[04:00] Kaylee Bryson: "I started racing for my family in micros and go karts... It was just me as a race car driver. I want to be a race car driver."
[05:25] Kenny: "You are a Trans Am champion last year, 2024. You are USAC's first and only female winner."

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Career Progression and Achievements

Kaylee's career trajectory is nothing short of remarkable. After excelling in micros and midget racing, she secured a fully funded midget racing opportunity with Toyota, which catapulted her into the spotlight.

[04:35] Kenny: "I like it that you said he let me put cameras on his car. Now, are you the one that puts these cameras on your helmet on your car?"

Her dedication and passion earned her significant milestones:

• USAC's First Female Winner
• 2024 Trans Am Champion
• Qualifying for the A Main at the Chili Bowl, a historic first for a female driver.

[13:26] Kaylee Bryson: "That was the best feeling ever after the checkered flag, let alone making it in the show."

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Racing Techniques and Experiences

Kaylee delves into the intricacies of racing both asphalt and dirt, emphasizing the physical and mental demands of each.

[22:48] Kaylee Bryson: "Wing sprint cars on pavement are the most physical cars I've ever driven. They're tanks."

She discusses the challenges of adapting to different car types and surfaces, highlighting her favorite techniques and the importance of team support.

[25:02] Kaylee Bryson: "It's just how aggressive you can drive these cars... They're so much fun. It's a blast."

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Transition to Different Racing Types

Expanding her repertoire, Kaylee transitioned from open-wheel midgets to stock car racing, specifically in the Trans Am SGT and X GT classes. This shift showcases her versatility and ambition to excel across various racing disciplines.

[27:57] Kaylee Bryson: "It's all about connections... They turned into a family friendship."

Her move to stock cars was facilitated by connections within the racing community, particularly with Sam Pierce Racing, demonstrating the importance of networking in motorsports.

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Personal Life and Inspirations

Beyond the track, Kaylee shares insights into her personal life, emphasizing the strong support system provided by her family.

[36:25] Kaylee Bryson: "I have a really awesome family... They support my crazy dream 110%."

She acknowledges the influence of racing icons like Danica Patrick but maintains a focus on her personal goals rather than the broader impact of her gender in the sport.

[37:27] Kaylee Bryson: "I'm just out here having fun doing what I love to do."

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Future Plans and Aspirations

Looking ahead, Kaylee expresses her ambition to join NASCAR, balancing her passion for both dirt and asphalt racing. She aspires to drive in higher-tier series such as ARCA, Xfinity, or the Truck Series.

[35:26] Kaylee Bryson: "If I had the opportunity to go run a truck or an Xfinity car right now, absolutely, I would do it."

Her commitment to continuous improvement and adaptability positions her as a rising star in the racing world.

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Notable Quotes

• Kenny Wallace on Kaylee’s Social Media Presence:

  [12:13] Kenny: "You can use it. Listen up, everybody. Listen up. Mom and dads, she just told you. Especially kids, listen to what Kaylee just told you. That's the way she did it."

• Kaylee on Living Her Dream:

  [05:48] Kaylee Bryson: "I have never watched a NASCAR race before I started. I jumped in the car. I didn't know anything about it and that was my dream."

• Kenny on Kaylee’s Racing Mindset:

  [33:09] Kenny: "Everybody needs to go watch that video of you coming from the back. Do you think that just comes from open wheel, midget 8 lap heat races?"

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Conclusions

Kaylee Bryson exemplifies determination, talent, and versatility in motorsports. Her ability to excel across different racing formats, coupled with her strategic use of social media and networking, sets her apart as a formidable competitor and a role model for aspiring drivers. As she continues to break barriers and set records, Kaylee’s journey is a testament to what passion and hard work can achieve in the high-octane world of racing.

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Follow Kaylee Bryson:

• Instagram & X (Twitter): @Kaylee11B

Next Races:

• Terre Haute and Toledo in the Silver Crown car on May 13th and 19th, respectively.

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Thank you for tuning into this episode of Herm & Schrader. Stay tuned for more stories from the heart of the racing world!

Transcript

[Kenny]

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[Kenny]

UP devices early ct mobile.com hello everyone and welcome back to Kenny Conversation brought to you by jegs, the leader in high performance aftermarket car parts. Remember to go to JEGS.com to fix your everyday vehicle up or even your hot rod. The great Kaylee Bryson. Kayleigh, how are you doing?

[Kaylee Bryson]

I'm doing great today. How are you?

[Kenny]

I'm doing good. And you know I don't call people great lightly. You girl, you are everywhere. I follow you on social media. Celebrate you. Are you ready for that?

[Kaylee Bryson]

I. That's really cool. I appreciate it. Yeah, let's do it.

[Kenny]

So for a lot of people that don't know about Kaylee, she's from Muskogee, Oklahoma. She's a complete badass, 24 years old and she can drive anything. I think the first thing I want to say Kaylee is I want. I Want to apologize to you and all your fans because I've interviewed Jade Avedisian. Your fans have chewed my ass out.

[Kaylee Bryson]

I have some crazy fans. That's so funny.

[Kenny]

Yeah. Well, they love you, and I can see why. You have a wonderful, you know, Instagram X and man, oh, man. Can. Can you drive? So you're from Muskogee? Yeah. You're from Muskogee, Oklahoma?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yep.

[Kenny]

That. That's where Christopher Bell's from. So do. Do you talk to Christopher about driving or racing?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yeah. Yeah. Christopher is actually really cool. And it's. It's cool that we're both from Oklahoma and we both grew up racing at the same tracks and in the same cars micros. And even at the shootout, which was probably a couple months ago, you know, beginning of the year, we were on the same team. He was driving for my family with Sawyer Chassis, and we were teammates. I got to put cameras on his car and kind of pick his ear and ask him questions. So he's always been pretty cool. So it's. It's been cool to have someone like him and in my corner and kind of look up to him, too, because we grew up in the same area and done a lot of the same things.

[Kenny]

I like it that you said he let me put cameras on his car. Now, are you the one that puts these cameras on your helmet on your car? Do you do that yourself?

[Kaylee Bryson]

I do all of it myself. All my social media, all my videos, which it started as I wanted to take videos so I could go back and watch what I was doing and then, you know, learn from my videos. And then it got to the point where, okay, this video is pretty cool. I passed a whole bunch of cars. I think I'm going to share this with a couple people. And my fans, like, loved it, and so I just started doing it more and more and more, and it's kind of turned into a thing I do all the time now.

[Kenny]

There's so much to say, and I don't. I don't want to put it all in one sentence here, but one of my favorite is, I believe you're coming to green and the B main at the Chili Bowl. And you're right, your right front wheel hits the other guy's left front as you're going down the back straightaway, coming to green. Did you see that on your video?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yep. Yeah.

[Kenny]

How hard do you feel that in the wheel? Like in your steering wheel?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Do you.

[Kenny]

You feel that pretty hard in a midget or not?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yeah. And you know that too, because you've been there and done that. But yeah, especially whenever I catch it on video. And you know, you can turn off the stabilization stuff and really show how, you know, violent these race cars are and how aggressive it is to drive these race cars. I don't think a lot of fans realize how much goes behind, you know, getting behind the wheel and driving one of these things.

[Kenny]

So you're really rare. I want to introduce some of your accolades like this. You are a Trans Am champion last year, 2024. You are USAC's first and only female winner. And I love your bio because you also say I'm living the dream.

[Kaylee Bryson]

Comment.

[Kenny]

Living the dream.

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yep. So, you know, whenever I started racing, I did it because I fell in love with racing. I have never watched a NASCAR race before I started. I jumped in the car. I didn't know anything about it and that was my dream. Whenever I was a race car driver, all I wanted to do for the rest life was be a race car driver. And I think I'm really blessed that I'm able to do that at my age now. I'm 24 now and I'm able to be a full time race car driver. And I think that is living the dream. So I like including that in my bio every now and then, make post about it and I just feel very fortunate that I am able to drive all these really cool race cars and do what I love.

[Kenny]

Yeah, man, you really do. You know, I. I saw this post you made months ago. But you know, I was just driving along, I thought, man, I really need to reach out to Kaylee. And once again, I've apologized for not interviewing you.

[Kaylee Bryson]

No, thanks for having me on. I love it.

[Kenny]

Well, thank you. But one post you said that really caught my eye because I think every race car driver dreams of this. You know, I just want to say this before I brag on you. I'm an asphalt racer and I was flying with Kenny Schrader and I said, schrader, teach me how to race dirt. And a week later, Kenny Schrader looked at me and he goes, you are right in the middle of your NASCAR cup career. Why do you want to learn how to run dirt? And I thought about that. I didn't know how to answer Schrader. And I said, you know what? I'm going to tell you right now why I want to learn how to run dirt. I said, A.J. foyt, you know, sitting on the pole of the Indianapolis 500 and the night before, he's at Indiana Fairgrounds. A.J. foyt off the cushion, on the fence and he wins at Indiana Fairgrounds. And the next day he's on asphalt and he's winning the Indy 500. That was my answer. Now I'm going to ask you this. I just wanted to give you a little bit of example. You said this year you will be driving more different cars than ever. And you said, I'm going to be driving road course racing. Silver dirt and pavement now. Silver champ cars. Those are huge. Yeah, those, those are big boys.

[Kaylee Bryson]

They're tanks.

[Kenny]

They're tanks. Yeah, but you're, you're, you are incredible. And we're going to get to that. Sprint cars, dirt and pavement, midgets, dirt and pavement. That is living the dream. Yeah, I mean I'm lucky just to run asphalt and dirt.

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yep.

[Kenny]

How are you able, here's my specific question. How are you able to meet up with these car owners and put all these different types of cars together and drive them?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yep. Yeah. So I started racing for my family in micros and you know, go karts and stuff like that. And it was kind of, that was my, for fun. I didn't know it was supposed to be that serious. And that was what made me love racing and was really passionate about it. And then I went up to, I saw that midgets were a big thing and I saw that the Toyota thing was a big thing. I was like, okay, I want to go. I was racing at Chili bowl for my family for the first year. We had no idea what we were doing. I've never sat in a midget. So I go to the Chili bowl and I see like the Toyota development program. That's the way to move up. So I'm like, okay, I'm going to go talk to these guys, see if they'll sponsor me so I can, you know, get a ride. Like, my family doesn't have the money to just go put me in whatever ride I want. So I have to go get out of my comfort zone a little bit and talk to these, you know, you know, the people that run Toyota. So I went up and talked to him at Chili bowl and made contact and then, you know, from that conversation turned into three years of fully funded midget racing. I got to do some late model stuff and it kind of that, I mean that right there totally changed my career. It's just getting in with Toyota, which I'm not with them anymore, but they totally jump started my career and made it known to people that I want to race and I want to drive their cars and kind of got my name out there a little bit more and I got to do what I love. Got to learn more about, you know, how important it is to be professional in your image. And I got to learn all kinds of things and I got to drive really fast race cars at the same time. So then from then on out, I think I stopped with Toyota in 20, 21 maybe. So then I got messages on Facebook from people wanting me to drive their cars. And then so I would get to, you know, come to all these people and like my Silver Crown team, that's how it started was a message on Facebook. They messaged me and said, hey, do you want to come run at Port Royal? And that has turned into, you know, I'm still running with that team now. And same with the midget team, they reached out that I ran for at Chili Bowl Abacus Racing. I'm going to do like the BC 39 with them this year and maybe a couple other races. But, you know, it's all about connections, making connections, trying to, you know, make a good name for yourself, be competitive in the race car because obviously, you know, performance matters, but at the same time, you know, just making good connections and being genuine with people and being who you are. And that, that's played a big role in how I get a lot of the rides that I do now.

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[Kenny]

That was absolutely perfect. I have so many mom and dads come up to me and say, my kid's 8 years old, he's won 12 championships, but nobody knows him. And I'm like, you, you know, use the tools in front of you. Go, go to the Chili Boat. You know, go. Go there and meet people, introduce yourself. And you're so good at all that. And your social media is free. You can use it. Listen up, everybody. Listen up. Mom and dads, she just told you. Especially kids, listen to what Kaylee just told you. That's the way she did it. Okay, let's start right here. I love this part. You, you made not just, I guess I would say, worldwide spotlight because we have so many dirt racers from New Zealand and Australia. You were the first lady ever to qualify for the A main at the Chili Bowl. Yeah, that. That leaves me speech. That leaves me speechless. Take me through that, that moment in time. You can start at the first of the week and take me to the end, but just take me to that whole dynamic being. I mean, that's pretty big.

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yeah, that, that race I was, that was the most nervous race I've ever been in my life. I was so nervous because I wanted to make that feature and I never really even thought about that. There hasn't been another female to do it. And that, that wasn't on my mind. It was just me as a race car driver. I'm driving with one of the top teams at the Chili Bowl. If I want to be known as a good race car driver, I need to put it in the show. Like, that's. I want to be a race car driver. So performance matters. So I felt like there is a lot of pressure in that aspect, but at the same time, I was trying to stay calm and just drive the car and do what I can do. And there's, you know, that was a really important race to me. I've always been really passionate about the Chili bowl because I've been going there since I was a little kid. I never even dreamed of being able to compete in it, let alone make the feature. But, you know, a lot went into that. I had a good team behind me and, you know, one of the best midget Teams out there is Keith Coons Motorsports and I got to drive for them and we put it in the show and that was the best feeling ever is after the checkered flag, let alone making it in the show. But we won the B feature and driving around on, you know, the outlap whenever you're done and seeing all the fans jumping around, that, that was the best feeling I've ever felt in a race car.

[Kenny]

I recognize talent and you know, I've run my modified with the open wheel midgets during, you know, Illinois, you know, midget week and I am amazed how some drivers have the talent to not bike and, and some do bike. I see your talent. Where did this talent come from? A mom, a dad, a friend. Why do you have this talent?

[Kaylee Bryson]

I don't know. I wouldn't say that. I've just been passionate about racing so I've been really passionate about learning and getting better and watching film and whenever I make a mistake on the track I think about it for so long and it eats me up throughout the week that I've made a mistake at the last race I could have won. And I think it just all that I think about and I think I put a lot of work in to try and be better and you know, and I've also gotten a lot of good advice from a lot of people. I've been surrounded by a lot of really awesome people throughout my career and getting advice from them and just really working at it is really, I think a lot of what helps me get to that point. And you know, whenever I started I wasn't really that good whenever I started in midgets and kind of just worked my way up there and getting more comfortable and getting advice from people, watching film and doing everything that I, I can to be better.

[Kenny]

Wow, that's incredible. You're wise beyond your years. Hell, it took me, I was 29 and I'm like, oh, you know, I gotta learn how to drive my car looser. I gotta, you know, give it more leeway. And here you are at 24 years old. I, I think, you know, it's kind of like I'm not exaggerating but I believe some people are gifted, you know, by God and I think you, you got a gift. So, okay, so we started just now at open wood midgets. I want to go to what you say and, and I agree with you. You said the best night of your life. I, I have raced at Belleville, Kansas in a mod and I, I ran wide open in an eight lap heat. Race wide open. Like Daytona. Yeah. I had a big spoiler on the back and. And I was wide open. I'm like, holy moly. You know, maybe I don't even get like that, really. At Eldora, right? You won that night. You won in a. What was that? A silver crown?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yep. Silver crown.

[Kenny]

Yeah. I just take a little more time. So in case people don't know you, I'm. I'm begging my producer, Charlie Mahler, to call Flo right now. And Michael Rigsby is good to me, and hopefully we'll get that video. You got the great. The great ones racing you, and you are riding high. You're not afraid to die. I mean, you're digging. I mean, your right rear is in the cushion, and you're holding off. And you win. You win at the most dangerous dirt track in the world. Tell me about that whole night.

[Kaylee Bryson]

I was passionate about that night. I love. It's close to home. It's not too close, but it's the closest one to home that we race at. And sometimes you show up to race and you kind of got a different feeling than you normally do. You got a good feeling about it. And I was passionate. I wanted to win. I think all the race car drivers know that feeling that you get whenever you're feeling good about it. But also, I had a really good team. I had a really good spotter in my ear, and we went out for qualifying. And I honestly haven't raced a whole lot of dirt that year. I was feeling a little, you know, rusty because I was doing a whole lot more pavement the year before. So I felt a little rusty going into that year. And I was like, okay, I know what to do on dirt because I grew up racing dirt, but it's been a little bit. And so we go out for practice, and we're okay in practice. I think we were like, 8th or something in practice. I'm like, okay. I really. I know what I need to do. I know where I messed up in practice. I. I was lifting a little bit too much on entry. And so my spotter's in my ear, and he's like, if you want to go quick time in qualifying, you can't lift. Like, you can't lift at all. Go. Go out there, hold it wide open. And it's crazy, but he said. Chris Santucci was my spotter at the time. He said, don't lift going in on entry. And that was where I was slower in practice. So we went out there and did that and ran a perfect lap, got the pole. And from then on out, I was feeling the jitters. I was like, okay, that's the first time I've ever qualified on the pole in the Silver Crown series. That felt really good. The car, like, that's when I really realized how much of a good balance we had on the race car. And so we got the pole in qualifying and started first in the feature. I was nervous, but I was like, okay, there's a job that I need to do, so I need to lock in, try and get this done. I want to win this race. I've been trying to win a Silver Crown race for a while. I was like, I know that I need to get this done. This is the best opportunity I have. So I had a really good team, really good car spotted my ear, kept me calm, did an amazing job, and it was a really, really good race. And then there at the end, CJ Leary was catching up to me, and I was almost running, like, a diamond line. I'd enter high and then, like, come off early because the top was so treacherous, and it was getting really curved up, and it was far around there. You could hit the wall easily, like, just one slip up. So I started running the diamond line because I had a comfortable lead, and CJ was pounding the top. Like, he was catching me, reeling me in. And I think we had, like, three to go. And my spotter was like, all right, you need to get. You need to get up there and write it, because this is. Whenever it counts, ride the top. Don't mess up. Don't bike it. Don't, you know, throw the nose. And we just ran three good laps and ended up winning. We had a really good car and a really awesome team behind me.

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[Captain]

Race the Rudders. Race the sails. Raise the sails.

[Kenny]

Captain, an unidentified ship is approaching. Over.

[Captain]

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[Kenny]

Man, oh, man. And now we're. Now we're finding out, everybody, why I say she's a badass. So we've gone from open wheel midgets, we've gone from her walking up the Toyota, talking to them, paving your own way, Silver Crown sprint cars. And now let's. You know, I always tell the young kids this. You're a kid. You're 24. I can't expect to interview you for an hour because you're still so young. You know, if you release 30, we could get to 45 minutes or so. Okay, let's, let's go right to asphalt now. Okay, so I'm watching you and I'm thinking, okay, this is nuts. You're running wing sprint cars, you know, and we're going to talk about your, your Sebring race here in a little bit, but let's, let's go to these winged sprint cars that you made some videos of it. And I liked what you said. You said, I'm racing against Cody Swanson, Justin Grant, Logan Seavey. I mean, there's no bigger names than that, you know, I mean, those, those guys are incredible.

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yeah.

[Kenny]

And now, now you're racing those guys. What does it feel like? And Charlie's going to drop a picture in here. These machines, I call them, they're unbelievable. Tell me about the G force. How do you hold your head up? These, these things are ultimate. Why do you run them and tell me this experience? Wing sprint cars on asphalt?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yep. Yeah, they're, you know, I, so I grew up racing dirt, obviously. And so then the opportunity arise to go run some pavement in the Silver Crown is. Whenever it started, I was like, okay, I don't really know how much I'm gonna love pavement because, you know, pavement was for getting to the racetrack is what I always told myself.

[Kenny]

I saw you say that on an interview.

[Kaylee Bryson]

That's what I always believe. I was like, why would anybody want to race on pavement? Like, I grew up racing dirt. That's the fun thing. And so I got out there for the first time and I actually really enjoyed it. I had a lot of work I needed to put in to get better, but it was really fun. And once you get in a rhythm and you're at one with your car, like, that's the best feeling out there. And you said, how do you hold your head up? So I never had that issue in dirt. So the first time I went out there, my neck was so sore because I had so much room on my headrest. And the next race actually duct taped some towels right here to hold my head. So I never had that issue again. Now I got an insert in there to Help me out a little bit more. But yeah, racing with those guys, those guys are good. Those are really talented drivers. So to be able to go out there and have the opportunity to go run a, you know, wing sprint car, which everybody says that makes you a really good qualifier because you have to drive those cars so hard. You can drive them on entry, so hard on pavement because they have the big wing to hold you. So I think that's helped me in qualifying in other series, but they're also, they're fast and they're fun to drive.

[Kenny]

I see that you went to Citrus Speedway and got yourself a. I mean, it's hard to do. Yeah, you got a podium finish and I watched, you know, I watched you with your in car camera and you just touched on a little bit. You know, I'm sure you want to let off, but that, that feeling of, okay, I've got all this wing and I've got to use it. I guess that takes a lot of nerve. Tell me about and all the other races that are listening. When you got that aerodynamic and you don't use it and, and then do you. Do you know when you feel it? Do you know, like, oh, my God, I drove into the middle of the corner and I finally got sideways. Tell me about that dynamic of that downforce.

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yeah, it's. It's crazy. And like, obviously you have to preserve your tires. You have to save your tires. We had like a 50 lap race or whatever it was, and it was my second start, so I was still trying to figure out the limits. But in qualifying, you can drive that car so hard and you almost drive it like a dirt car. You're sideways in the center of the corner. You drive it in so deep and you want to get sideways. You're not worried about abusing your tires and qualifying because you just need a good spot. I mean, there's so much stability in that car. You can drive them so hard, and it's almost hard to drive them over the edge. Like, it's just. All right, how crazy do you want to be? Can you drive it that hard? That's kind of how, you know, wing sprint cars are on pavement. But they're. They're so much fun. It's a blast.

[Kenny]

Yeah, that amazes me. Those things scare me just looking at them. So. So once again, that's why I think you're pretty incredible. I don't think I want to drive. I'm too old and they'd wear me out. Do they wear you out?

[Kaylee Bryson]

They're. They're. I Think that they're the most physical car that I've ever driven, really. Which is strange. You know, wing sprint car on pavement. I mean, it's a 410. It's got a big motor in it. And you're really hustling those cars, I think is why it can take a little bit more out of you than most cars. Like, like in silicon, you're still hustling them, but, you know, you're saving your tires. And it's a big car. You're trying to take care of your car. And you're not hustling it as much as you would a wing sprint car.

[Kenny]

Yeah. Okay. Open wheel, guys. I'm sorry to all the open wheel fans. We're going to make the. We're going to make the turn right now. So hopefully, hopefully you all will stay with us. But we, we play. We paid tribute to all open wheel. And this is what I'm excited about. So as I tell everybody, we're changing subjects in 20, 23, 24, you, decide to go stock car racing is what I call it. You go trans am, the s. GT class. And I've seen the videos and, man, I, I want to drive one of those.

[Kaylee Bryson]

They're fun.

[Kenny]

You win, what, three races and the SGT championship. Is that right?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yep.

[Kenny]

Yeah. And, and it's awesome. I mean, because your, your videos are so good. I, you know, I was studying for having this conversation with you, and, man, I couldn't turn the video off. I'm like, I'm in the car with you. You know what I mean?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kenny]

Okay. Okay. How do we make this transition now? And, and I, I, I stayed with the open wheel wing sprint car Just to finish off our open wheel segment.

[Kaylee Bryson]

But.

[Kenny]

And now you're in the stock cars. And, and for everybody that wants to see what I'm talking about, Kaylee's got a wonderful instagram and x go to. Go to Kaylee 11B. That's K A Y L E E 11B. She's the best she's got. You're in the car with her. So now you go to trans am. How did you get that ride?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Same thing is all about connections. So turned out I. So the silvercon team, I'm driving for, you know, Sam pierce chevrolet and the whole crew, they were friends. And Aaron drove those cars. He was like, hey, do you want to come out and practice this car and, you know, learn a little bit? I didn't know anything about road racing. I've never even really watched it. So I went out and Drove this car and absolutely fell in love. I was like, okay, I want to do more of that. Like, let's put that on my schedule if possible. And lsi is a really good sponsor. They're the whole reason I'm able to do it. My spotter and silver crown, Chris santucci runs the whole trans am program, does an amazing job. And, you know, it went from one test session to one race to a whole season. And now I'm in my second season now, so it's been an absolute blast. I'm even able to do it. These cars are really, really nice cars, and I have a really good time doing it.

[Kenny]

Yeah. You know, and I was going to bring sam pierce racing into this. Who. Who is sam pierce?

[Kaylee Bryson]

So Sam pierce. So I drive for sam pierce chevrolet at sam pierce racing. And aaron pierce is kind of ap driver development. He got me into the silver crown, and that was where I took my step. After toyota and after keith hoons motorsports, I went to silver crown racing. So that's how I got my next opportunity to go racing was aaron pierce reaching out to me on facebook saying, hey, do you want to come drive my cars? And I got to meet him and the whole crew and his family. And it's really turned into, you know, less of a team and more of, like a family friendship. And I think that's all about what it's about in racing is, you know, the friendships and the family that you get to meet people that turn into family. And it's really turned into that. And we've done a lot of racing together and had a really good time together.

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[Captain]

Race the Rudders. Raise the sails. Raise the sails.

[Kenny]

Captain, an unidentified ship is approaching. Over.

[Captain]

Roger, wait. Is that an enterprise sales solution?

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[Kenny]

Yeah. So. So 2024, last year you win the SGT Championship and you announced this year, 2025, you said, hey, everybody, I'm going X GT. It's a more powerful car. I love your your social media. You explained to everybody, the difference between last year and this year, and it's just, go, go on. Kaylee's social media explains everything. It's just. It's just a more powerful car in every way. You go to SEBRING, you start 23rd in this new X GT car, and you finish second not long ago. Yep. Tell me about that.

[Kaylee Bryson]

That. That was a tough one. And so SGT to XGT is a big jump. It's like going from, you know, like a midget to a world of outlaw wing sprint car. It's like a crazy jump. So I'm still learning the car. This is really fast. This is a lot of power. I'm trying to learn my shifting points. The car's lighter. It's got so much more horsepower, so much more torque. So I'm still trying to get comfortable. And, you know, practice was okay. I'm still trying to get comfortable. We didn't have a whole lot of session to go out. And we go out for qualifying, and I think I'm sitting like, fourth and qualifying, but I spin out because I'm trying to, you know, get everything out of the car. I don't hit anything, but I just flat spot the tires because I'm pushing the car to the absolute limit. So I flat spot the tires. So that's a penalty if you change your tires. So you have to go to the rear. So we start from the rear because we want to put on fresh tires. I don't want to run, you know, 100 miles on tires that are messed up. So we start at the rear, and it's like, okay, I don't know what to expect. Like, this is still, like a really fast car. I'm still trying to learn it, but, you know, all the fast cars are way ahead of me. And so I'm like, okay, we're just going to, you know, dig, see where we end up halfway and kind of, you know, try and put a plan together. So I had some really good spotters talking to me the whole race, and we kind of just went to work early, just didn't save at all, just went for it. And we got to a point to where we were probably halfway in the race, and everybody was so far ahead of me. I think I worked my way up to fifth at that point, and everybody else was so far ahead of me, I couldn't catch them. And there happened to be a caution, and so it stacked us all back up together. And the caution helped me get my way back up to second. So that was a really good race. I Got really comfortable in the car in that session. I think I just needed laps to get comfortable. We had practice sessions, but it just wasn't enough. 100 miles was enough, and I felt really good about it. We had a really good car and wound up second.

[Kenny]

Everybody needs to go watch that video of you coming from the back. You. I say you're nervy because you were filling every hole. You didn't wait for nobody. I mean, you inside, outside. That mentality that you have. Do you think that just comes from open wheel, midget 8 lap heat races? Is that where that comes from?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yeah, absolutely. Like. Like going into, like, all these different series. Like, nobody drives as aggressively, urgently as like a USAC driver or an open wheel, you know, dirt sprint car driver. Like, these guys, like, realizing going to other series, nobody drives that aggressive, and they kind of look at you like you're crazy. Like, you just sent it like five wide into the corner and didn't even care. Like, that's just. I don't know. I guess that's just an open wheel mentality people have.

[Kenny]

Oh, I agree. I agree. And I got to tell you a quick story. When Ryan Newman, obviously, I'm 61 years old. You're. You're 24. But Ryan Newman, you know, he won a lot of USAC sprint car races, and I didn't know. I didn't know much about Ryan Newman. Well, we're going down the front straightaway at Pocono, and we're running 2, 200 mile an hour, and we're 3 wide, and we're, you know, we downshift at turn one in Pocono, and out of my peripheral vision, I see Newman make it four wide, and I'm like, holy. Well, this went on. And I'm like, later on, I'm like, oh, he came from those open wheel sprint cars, you know, where you just. Yeah, I started learning you guys, you don't have time and. And you send it and.

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yeah.

[Kenny]

Anyway, once again, go. Everybody go to her video at Sebring. It's really good. Okay, so we're coming down to the end here. It is that time to ask that question everybody's dream. And if they don't, you know, they don't answer it right. They're usually lying. Most everybody I ask whether it's Jonathan Davenport or any dirt racer, and you've come from dirt, do you want to go nascar? Do you want to start out in arca, Xfinity truck? What. What is your plan?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Well, obviously, everybody wants to go to nascar. That's everybody's goal, really, that you ask. Whenever I was a kid, I wanted to go to nascar. That's what I wanted to do. And I grew up a little bit. I'm like, man, I want to do wing sprint cars, too. Like, I'd love to do that full time. And then I got to the point to where I was like, man, if I could be like, you know, Kyle Larson, Chris Revelle, and do both, like, that'd be, like, a dream come true. But a lot of it depends on, you know, sponsors. So if I had the opportunity to go run, you know, a truck or an Xfinity car right now, absolutely, I would do it. 110. That would be a dream come true. Obviously, I would be very passionate about it. I love it. I love racing. And that's kind of where it all started, was just from the love of racing.

[Kenny]

Yeah, let's end like this. I don't know what you're up to right now. I don't know where you live. What. What is your lifestyle like right now. Mom, dad, brothers, sisters. What's up in your personal life?

[Kaylee Bryson]

Personal life. So I have a really. I have a big family, and I have a really awesome family. And, you know, I grew up in Oklahoma. I'm actually at my mom's house right now. I live in Indiana, and I have an apartment in Indiana because that's where our shop is, And I live 30 minutes from our shop and definitely want to be in the center of racing. Hug. But my family's from Oklahoma, and we grew up racing, and that was what we did every single weekend. We were at the track Saturday, I was at the shop all week. I was passionate about racing. That's the only thing I ever cared about was, you know, either being at the shop or being at the racetrack. So I was very fortunate to have a family that supported my crazy dream, because it is pretty crazy. Most kids don't coaching be like, oh, I want to drive race cars whenever they're nine years old. But, yeah, I've been very, very blessed and fortunate to have such great people around me that support my racing career and love what I do and are behind me 110%.

[Kenny]

What lady racer before you, what lady racer do you look up to the most?

[Kaylee Bryson]

That's a tough question. There's. There's a lot. Like, I've looked up to a lot of girls and, you know, no matter if they're current drivers or past drivers, whenever I was a kid, I love Danica Patrick. I loved everything about racing, and then, you know, I learned more about racing, and it wasn't even just the girls that I looked up to. I looked up to a lot of guys, too. And anybody that was good at racing and won racing was. Won races was a pretty big deal to me.

[Kenny]

Do you realize how rare you are? Do you? I mean, Danica Patrick once said this. She said, there are. There are not very many of us girls, so it's harder because you. You get a thousand guys, but there's only. There's only two or three of you girls.

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yep. Yep. I don't. You know, I really don't ever think about it, to be honest. I just. I know that I love racing, and I try never to think. Like, even whenever I won the u. SAC race, I try not to think that I was the. That night. I'm not thinking that I'm the first girl to do it. Like, I'm just thinking as a race car driver, I want to win this race, and that's the only thing on my mind. So a lot of that really doesn't even CR. Cross my mind. I'm just out here having fun doing what I love to do.

[Kenny]

Well, you're rare, and I. I like the way you think your brain is in neutral, so that way you can, you know, get maximum speed. You're. You're not saying, well, I'm a girl, and I admire you for that. Kaylee, congratulations on all your success. I'm following you. I was following you on X. Now I'm following you on Instagram. I will be paying attention this year to every thing you're doing. What's your next race?

[Kaylee Bryson]

So we have Terre Haute and Toledo coming up in the silver crown car.

[Kenny]

Oh, my God.

[Kaylee Bryson]

Yeah. That's the 13th and the 19th, I believe. So Terre Haute's the next one coming up.

[Kenny]

I run, I run. I've run Terre Haute, and I grew up running ASA stock cars at Winchester and in Salem and Toledo, all that. So. Well, listen, do good, and thank you for being on Kenny conversation.

[Kaylee Bryson]

Well, thank you for having me. I appreciate it.

[Kenny]

All right, everybody, you just listened to Kaylee Bryson, upcoming superstar. Only 24 years old. She's setting records left and right until the next Kenny Conversation. We'll see you next time. Goodbye, everybody.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

Check out dirty mo Media on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.

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