Dani Ben-Ari
The Driving Range

Reigning champ Kristen Yeley (wife of driver J.J. Yeley) will look to defend her title as she and other wives and girlfriends of NASCAR drivers look to compete in the 5th annual Better Half Dash on October 8th at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This year’s lone-up also includes: Denny Hamlin’s girlfriend Jordan Fish; Sandra Greenfield, wife of NASCAR driver Clay Greenfield; Shannon Koch, wife of driver Blake Koch; Tatiana Papis, wife of NASCAR driver Max Papis; Jenna Robinson, wife of NASCAR pit crew member Clay Robinson; Brian Scott’s wife Whitney Scott; Melanie Self, representing Motor Racing Outreach; Ashley Stremme, married to NASCAR driver David Stremme; Katelyn Sweet, Klye Larson’s girlfriend; and Wendy Venturini, NASCAR analyst for Fox Sports 1 & PRN.

The husbands and boyfriends will not only be cheering their ladies on, but also serve as crew chiefs and spotters for them, before attempting to qualify in knockout rounds to set the field for the only Saturday night race in the Chase, the Bank of America 500. Bojangles’ Pole Night. The evening wraps up with the ground-pounding action of the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour doing battle on the front stretch quarter-mile as the best modified drivers on the planet race to decide the championship. Early afternoon practice sessions for Sunday’s Drive for the Cure 300 presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Xfinity race.

The women, who will be driving US Legend Cars International Bandoleros for 25 laps (a total of 6.25 miles) along CMS’ ¼-mile front stretch oval will be out to show that they can be just as competitive and aggressive as the men in their lives as they raise money to support organizations such as Motor Racing Outreach and Speedway Children’s Charities. In fact, the winning driver will earn $10,000 for charity: $5,000 for her favorite charity, as well as $2,500 each for Speedway Children’s Charities and Motor Racing Outreach.

“As a BHD veteran and 2014 champion, I look to defend my title and support my charities: MRO and Beds for Kids.” Yeley said in a media release
Qualifying for the Better Half Dash will take place Monday, Oct. 5.Fans can help determine the polesitter by visiting www.go2mro.com/betterhalfdash and donating to their favorite driver. The driver with the most donations will lead the field to the green flag. For more information, go to either www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or www.go2mro.com/betterhalfdash

Note: Bandaleros (aka Kids stock cars) are built with tube frames welded with a solid overhead protection and extra support in the driver’s side, and measure 11-feet long by 45-inches wide with a 70-inch wheelbase, and can reach top speeds of 70 mph. To learn more about them, as well as women racecar drivers, check out Diana’s book “Girls Go Racing: Driving to Esteems”available on Amazon.com