"Learning as much as I can, be competitive, keep those top tens coming" – 23-year old Stephanie Moyer has a clear plan for her rookie season in ARCA. Two top-tens in as many races are proving her right.
The 2021 ARCA Menards East season has seen the rise of a new female talent: 23-year old Stephanie Moyer, from Pennsylvania, who made her debut in one of the most competitive feeder series on the stock-car environment after becoming 2020 Evergreen Raceway Factory Stock Driving champion.
In January, Moyer was approved for competition in the series after a two-day test at the world-renowned Daytona International Speedway, as she lapped at 175 mph at the wheel of the #10 Fast Track Racing Ford.
One month later, she would make her racing debut in the ARCA-sanctioned event at Pensacola, Florida, on the Five Flags Speedway.
With practice being rained out and at her first visit at the track, Moyer qualified in 10th position for her first ever race in the ARCA Series East championship and went on to claim eighth place on the half-mile oval, despite being tagged and spun around during the race.
The young woman continued to impress in her second participation: at Nashville, the rookie clinched her second top-10 in just as many races.
Starting from 11th, Moyer continued her learning process and battled with some technical issues, but was nevertheless able to finish tenth at the 0.596-mile paved oval of Nashville Fairgrounds.
"The Crosley Record Pressing 200 presented by T-Mobile at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway was only my second race here in the ARCA Menards Series East Series." – she told us after the event.
"The day started looking better for me being that the rain had passed us. I was hoping to get practice and qualifying in, because I had never been there before."
"I had qualified eleventh and fought the car pretty much the whole race. The car was tight in the center of the turns so it was pushing so badly that I struggled to get a good line. The car had mechanical issues towards the end but I still managed to bring home another top ten finish in the tenth position."
As she tries to put together a partial campaign on short tracks, the driver of the #12 Toyota announced a last-minute entry in the upcoming Southern National 200 presented by Solid Rock Carriers at Southern National Motorsports Park, which is set to get underway on June 12th. It will be Stephanie's third race of the season.
We caught up with the talented lady from Sheppton, Pennsylvania; we discovered more about a driver whose passion for motor racing is ingrained in the family's DNA, as well as a hard-working and determined young woman eager to learn and improve one step at a time as she climbs the ladder of the American stock car scene.
"I am a twenty-three year old female stock car racer in the ARCA Menards Series East." – this is how Stephanie introduces herself, highlighting that she is also proud to represent women in the sport.
"I am very passionate about women empowerment and grew to learn at a young age that us ladies are strong and can do anything." – she adds.
Moyer, a second generation racer, started to move her first steps in Champ Karts at the age of 12, before starting to earn victories and titles.
"I have a very strong passion for motor racing. This is something that I have always wanted to do as a kid." – she explains. "I wanted to make racing cars my future and occupation."
"Being that my father and late brother were once racers, this mission to carry on the Moyer last name is what gives me the ambition to take on this learning curve. From watching them race to finally being behind the wheel encourages me to make them as proud as possible."
In 2012, Stephanie made her debut in the Factory Stock division and continued to impress in local competitions, until her championship winning campaign in 2020.
From there, the road to the top will be a winding yet extremely rewarding one.
"The ARCA program is such an enormous step compared to my previous racing experience." – says Stephanie. "I have never gone over 80mph in a race car and never had the handling that these cars have. I have only raced on 1/3 mile asphalt oval race track."
"Being that my home track only allows a one way radio and no mirrors in my division, it is a bit difficult to adjust to now finally being able to use those resources. There are so many factors with these ARCA cars that I have to get used to, such as air on the spoilers, drafting, handling, set ups, throttle and braking control, etc."
"My goals for the rest of the season and for the future are learning as much as I can, be competitive, keep those top tens coming, make a bit of mistakes so I can see first hand and learn from them, and just to better myself as a driver." – Moyer wisely states.
"Without mistakes, you will not learn. We can only get better from here."
