Brandie Jass's Page

Published Thursday, October 15, 2009 6:05 AM

By DAVID CAMPBELL
david.campbell@theeagle.com

On Wednesday, Brandie Jass began her trip to the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine in Virginia.

Not surprisingly, she's driving.

The Bryan High School junior has been a racing phenom since first sliding behind a steering wheel as a child, but the combine marks what could be a huge move in her burgeoning career as a racecar driver.

"I'm excited, but I'm kind of nervous," Jass said. "There are two days that we will be on the track testing in a car, and we will be in the garage. It's a really intense practice session in the cars. They are also taking us to the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte on the 17th for [the NASCAR Banking 500]."

Jass joins 28 other drivers from different racing series throughout the nation. Ten drivers will be selected to receive their ride in NASCAR's developmental series. The drivers, ranging in age from 16 to 25, will get a chance to showcase their driving skills at the historic Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.

The top 10 drivers will land one-year contracts with a chance to take part in the NASCAR Camping World Series and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. The 909 Group, which has taken over operation of Drive for Diversity, will own and operate those teams. Minority and female drivers are highlighted. Current and former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers will serve as coaches and mentors to the drivers who advance.

The combine itself will be held Monday and Tuesday, but the experience is all-inclusive with training for media sessions. It also will spawn a reality program to be broadcast on BET.

"It's a new series that will air early in 2010," Jass said. "It's about the struggles of trying to make it into NASCAR, and all of us will be featured in the first two episodes."

Despite being among the youngest at the combine, Jass doesn't lack experience. She has been racing competitively since she was 7.

"I started when I was little," Jass said. "My Dad had a history in racing, but when I was born, he gave it up. As I started growing, he started seeing how much I liked it. Mom wanted me to do all of the girly stuff with dance and softball, but when I was 7 I drove my first go-kart and, oh my gosh, I fell in love with it."

Jass has been competing regularly in Livingston in a 360 sprint car at the 105 Speedway.

"It's my first year in a fullsize sprint car," said Jass, who last raced in Vivian, La. "The motto is if you can drive through dirt, you can drive anything. Jeff Gordon is my idol, because he has done the whole sprint car-midget thing."

Jass first learned about the Driving for Diversity program through her contact with Lyn St. James, the seven-time driver at the Indianapolis 500 and the 1992 Indy 500 rookie of the year.

St. James founded the Winner's Circle Foundation for aspiring young women racecar drivers.

"She is so nice," Jass said. "She flew me to Boston with her, and three or four drivers tested an iracing.com simulator. A lot of people I know don't understand the whole aspect of racing and don't know what's big. When I started flying out to places they went, whoa, this is amazing."

Her father, Robert Jass, will accompany Brandie because she is still a minor.

"He's my Dad, my best friend and my crew chief," said Brandie, who is ready to soak up the experience. "Maybe we can get there a little early and look at the NASCAR shops. I've never been to the heart of racing."

Jass said the support of her family and her sponsors, Tiremax and Mark Barnes of Barnes Motorsports, have made this attempt less daunting.

"My Mom [Anabelle] is always there for me, too, and yes, I do have that girly side," admitted Jass, who will miss a week of school at Bryan High. "I'm very excited about going, but my teachers aren't excited about me missing a week. My teachers have my e-mail address, and they can let me know anything I'm going to miss. Any question I need answered, I can ask over the computer."

After 10 years of competition, Brandi Jass may be on the cusp of shifting her potential into a higher gear.

If she is one of the 10 selected, Jass will be forced to leave her hometown of Bryan.

"Racing starts back in March and April, and I would do it in a heartbeat," Jass said. "I guess that means I would be a senior somewhere in North Carolina, but I've always wanted this."