UNDER THE HELMET - A Conversation with Sierra Romo

Photo by Dirt Nation

A Conversation with Sierra Romo

By Mike Ingalsbee

Sierra Romo experienced immediate success once she started racing. She landed on the podium at her fi rst event. Possessing both a need for speed, and a strong competitive drive, she inspires other women, and has earned the respect of her fellow competitors. We sat down with Sierra to fi nd out what’s under her helmet.

Sierra Romo is driven by her need for speed and competition as seen at the UTV Legends Championship. Photo by Dirt Nation

Mike: So, how many years have you been racing?

Sierra: I have been racing for six years now. I started when I was 15 years old.

Mike: What, what caused you to get into racing?

Sierra: My family. They’ve played a huge role in me getting into racing. I grew up going to the dunes and basically doing anything that involved a motor. Before I could even walk, I was already riding a quad. For as long as I can remember, I was either riding snowmobiles, or quads, or just anything that involves a motor. I just had the need for speed at such a young age. Going through the dunes with our friends and family, I was always the most competitive. I was always riding with a bunch of dudes, and I was always rubbing tires with them and bumping, so I knew I had this need for racing. I stumbled across Sara Price’s Instagram, and I saw that she was a racer as well. I was like, oh my goodness; this is the greatest thing ever. I was instantly inspired. I didn’t even know that females could race side by sides. I didn’t even know that was a thing. I showed my parents her Instagram and I was like, I want to be like Sarah Price one day. I’ve never met her, but just liked what she was doing; this looks like so much fun. I begged my parents for a racecar; this is my calling. I know it is. My Mom was like, heck, no, you’re never racing it for as long as I’m alive, you will never be in a race car. So it took a little bit of convincing and stuff . My dad fi nally was like, you know, I think we should just let her do it. Let her try it. So we went and got a fully built race car. I raced my fi rst race and I took third, so I was like, Well, I’m good at it. It’s a sign. I have to keep going. I never looked back after that.

Mike: I was going to ask you, and you kind of already answered it, but what draws you to racing? Is it the speed? Is it the problem solving? Or is it the competition? And it sounds like you like the competition and the speed?

Sierra: Yeah, I mean, it’s a little bit of

Sierra reeling in another pass for position. Photo by desertracingphotos.com

everything. I love competing against the best of the best. I’m in the Pro Turbo class, and those dudes come from all over the world. You’re literally competing against the best of the best. I like that aspect of it, because it makes me a better driver. It makes me push myself and my car more than I normally would. I think all around that makes me a better driver, but I mean, I love the adrenaline; the unknown. You show up to the starting line and you never know what’s gonna happen next; you don’t know. You can crash, you can get hurt, you can break, or you can win. There’s so much unknown. I think that’s what keeps it interesting; everything combined, and the people of course. The people that you meet in racing, it’s like we’re one big family out there; it’s pretty cool.

Mike: Yeah, I agree. One thing that I’m curious about is when both you and your father are racing, do you have any team orders or anything like that. I remember at several races you were both running close together. Does he want Sierra to win, or is there competition between you two?

Sierra: I know that we are Father and Daughter, but when the helmet goes on, that doesn’t matter. We’re competition to each

other. It’s kind of funny because we always say it makes family dinners a little awkward because it doesn’t matter when we are racing. He’s my Dad and I’m his Daughter, but we’ll still bump each other, we’ll still fi ght for the win. We’re always constantly nagging my mom; who’s the better driver? Who’s your favorite? She’s always; you guys are both equal, I swear. We are like, who are you rooting for today? Are you gonna wear red? Are you gonna wear teal? I’ve learned a lot from him, and my driving style is exactly his style to a tee. It’s pretty crazy actually. No matter where we start, like if I start, 50th and he starts 5th, we will end up right next to each other every single race. Our pit crew hates it because He and I are always together. So when we come into the pit they’re scrambling. They’re like, oh, no, they came in together again. The crew has to deal with both at once. But yeah, when we are on the track, we’re competition to each other.

Mike: Your Mother was originally against you racing. So how does she feel about it now?

Sierra: It was pretty chaotic at fi rst with all three of us being out on the race course. It was fun, but it was also nerve wracking because I was constantly wanting to make sure that they were both okay. Then of course, I was competing against my own Mom and Dad; that’s crazy. She had some health issues come up, so she was like, I’m just going to sit out and watch you guys. Having three cars out on there, literally the whole family on the racecourse, it was chaotic. We defi nitely created a lot of memories. Now she follows us around, and we do a lot of fun driving like dune riding and trail rides with her; stuff that’s a little bit easier. She’s always asking us; oh, can I get in the racecar again? Can I coach for you guys? Can we do a desert race? She and I are planning on doing the Race For A Cure together. She wants to either drive or co-drive with me. I think that’ll be fun to get her back out there.

Mike: You sure have the racing gene in your family. What do you like better; what do you prefer? Do you like short course racing or desert racing?

Sierra: I like the desert racing better. I started out with short course, and that was fun. It defi nitely taught me a lot when it came to driving and handling the car, especially in corners. Going from short course to desert; I wouldn’t have traded that for the world. I enjoyed short course so much, but I think I enjoy being in the car longer. In short course racing you’re only in the car for 45 minutes, and it’s pedal to the metal the whole time. Desert racing you get more bang for your buck, you’re in the car, anywhere from, let’s say, three hours to 12 hours like at Vegas to Reno. There’s a lot more time to fi x your car. If you make a mistake, say a fl at or belt breaks, there’s a lot more time for recovery versus short course racing. When you blow a tire and you’re already tense, the desert at least gives a little bit more forgiveness and time to make up for those mistakes. In the desert you get a lot more seat time. The more seat time the better. I just love being in the car. Being able, like say Vegas to Reno, being able to be in the

Sierra drove her dad’s car to a top 10 fi nish out of 43 entries in Pro Turbo at this year’s Parker 250. Photo by Dirt Nation

car for 12 hours is so much fun.

Mike: On a long race like that your mind wanders. It’s really tiring and mentally taxing. What do you do to keep yourself motivated and really concentrated on the race?

Sierra: Vegas to Reno, for instance, that can take anywhere from I mean, I’ve done it in 11 hours, I’ve done it in 19 hours, depending on how the car is or how the race is going. You’re in the car for a very long time, whether you have a perfect day, or there’s mistakes, whatever. I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned, and I’ve done Vegas to Reno four times; the second year, I remember around halfway, I was exhausted. I was like; I need to get out of the car. I can’t go any further. Somebody said oh, I have an energy drink. I had always been against energy drinks and racing because I feel like you crash; your system just crashes after a while. I was like well, I mean, I have nothing to lose at this point; I’m exhausted. So I chugged an energy drink, and oh my gosh, it was the best thing ever. I was instantly refreshed, and I wasn’t making mistakes anymore. Now every single year, around the halfway point I pull into the pits, I chug an energy drink and then I’m good to go for the rest of the race. A lot of the guys, they have diff erent drivers, they do driver swaps, but every single year I do the whole race myself. That’s 550 miles driving all by myself. I think the biggest thing is just the

energy drinks. I mean, I don’t know if that’s the best advice, but it’s what works for me. Mike: Do you do special training, any physical training or special diet to supplement that?

Sierra: Yes, a few months before Vegas Reno, I usually start doing CrossFit, to make sure that my body is in the best shape possible, because you are starting in the hottest part of the U.S. And you’re starting in August. Your body has to be ready for that physically. The month before; we live in Vegas, so of course it’s hot there. We get our bodies acclimated to the heat. My Dad and I will prep our cars outside. We’re just drenched in sweat, but then our bodies get used to it. By the time we hit the starting line for Vegas to Reno it’s not a shock to our bodies. We’ve been through it; we’ve been preparing. We usually do IVs the night before, or two days before with the whole team, all the co drivers and stuff , just to make sure that everybody’s ready to go. We work out, we prep in the heat, we do IVs, all that fun stuff .

Mike: For people who have never worn a race suit, does it get hot in the race suit just standing around?

Sierra: Oh, yeah, that’s probably the worst part of Vegas to Reno; the starting line. You get your race suit on, and you’re ready to race, but then you’re just standing there in the heat. I know a lot of people aren’t used to

Photo by Dirt Nation

that, especially with the race suit on because once you get going, you get in the car, and it starts to cool off a little bit because the wind is hitting you. Staging, and the waiting; you have to stage a few hours before the race even starts; that’s where you’re baking the most.

Mike: I bet you’re really thankful once the green fl ag drops, and you’re ready to go. Right?

Sierra: Defi nitely. Because you know, once that breeze hits you, it’s 10 degrees cooler already.

Mike: What about driving in the dust? I know, that’s really challenging. Are you good at that? Or do you regret having to do that? How do you feel about that?

Sierra: Driving in the dust is defi nitely not my favorite part of racing. Over the years I’ve learned the tips and the tricks to it. No matter how many years you do it, it doesn’t get easier. It’s still scary. You’re literally driving through blinding dust at, say 60 miles an hour. You don’t know where you’re going. But my biggest thing is I look at the vegetation on the sides of the course. You can kind of tell where the course is going. That’s the biggest thing that I’ve learned, but it’s still scary. It’s like you’re driving on the freeways blindfolded. You have to rely on your co driver to tell you exactly where to go, and hope that it’s correct; it’s not easy. I think over the years, I’ve became really good at it. In the Pro Turbo class, you have to be able to do that. All the top guys, they have no fear. They put it all on the line. That’s one thing that you have to become good at in a pro class.

Mike: You must feel real comfortable with your co driver, right?

Sierra: Defi nitely. I’ve had the same co driver (Wes Lefl er), since I started desert racing. We’ve defi nitely learned to trust each other a lot over the years.

Mike: Without that trust it would be really diffi cult to try to go fast.

Sierra: Defi nitely, I think it would be nearly impossible because without trusting your co driver you’re slowing down in the dust because you don’t trust what they’re saying. You have to trust exactly what they’re saying. Trust that they know what they’re doing, and just go for it.

Mike: Does your co driver trust you as far as letting you go as fast as you want or do they try to hold you back sometimes?

Sierra: No, I defi nitely think my co driver has a lot of trust. He says it a lot. He tells me “I think I’d rather drive with you than any other driver out there.” The guys have so much testosterone so they always want to just go for the lead right away, and that’s where a lot of mistakes happen. Being a female, I don’t have that side of things. I’m always really cautious on the start, I know that I can start picking them off one by one because the guys start breaking, because they’re pushing

The view of her rear bumper is all many competitors ever see. Photo by Dirtfocus.com

too hard in the start, and there I am, I just creep up through the field. Towards the end, I start to pick it up and make more passes; gaining positions. I think being a girl is a huge advantage when it comes to desert racing.

Mike: So do you think being a woman in, we have to be honest, it’s kind of a male dominated sport, do you think it’s helped you or hurt you during your career?

Sierra: I think being a female has helped me. It’s a little difficult; difficult coming into the male dominated industry, because of course, the guys don’t want to be passed by girl. That’s just how it is. I just had to come to the realization that’s how it was. Trying to pass guys was a little bit difficult. They would not take it easy on me at all. When I started racing, they kind of thought I was just another girl out there, just doing it for fun. Over the years, I’ve had to prove myself to them and prove that I’m out there because I belong out there. I’m not just out there cruising on a Sunday stroll. I’m out there to compete. I’m out there for podiums. Over the years, I have gained so much respect from the guys, and they always tell me that, which is really cool. They’re kind of like my second Dads or like my Brothers. It’s cool to have them out there supporting me. I’ve proven myself by having the results and showing them that I can do it too.

Mike: You looked up to Sarah price, which a lot of people do; she’s amazing, but you know a lot of young girls are looking up to you now.

Sierra: I know that’s pretty crazy. I remember at the last race when George the announcer at the finish line was telling me that he was interviewing girls throughout the day. They kept saying that they looked up to me and Hailie Deegan. To even be mentioned as an equal to Hailie Deegan, It’s pretty awesome. There are so many girls that are

up and coming in the sport, and they’re always asking for advice; how to drive or sponsorships. I just love being a mentor to them, and being able to do what Sara Price did for me. I was asking Sara Price the same questions and she was always right there being the best mentor for me. To be able to do that to the future incoming girls is pretty awesome and heartwarming for me.

Mike: What would you tell a young lady or a woman who wants to be involved in the sport? What kind of advice would you give them?

Sierra: Honestly, the biggest thing is to stay true to you. If you want something, go get it and to do everything you can to make that happen. It is a male dominated industry, so it’s intimidating sometimes. You may think, oh, I’m a girl. I don’t know if I can do that, but you stay true to yourself. You stay true to your dreams. You focus on that and you work hard at it and anything is possible. Mike: That’s fantastic. Speaking of that, what are your goals? What are your short term goals and your long term goals?

Sierra: I just got the brand new Polaris Razor Pro R, so I will be making the jump to the unlimited class. I really, really want to get podiums this year in that class with a new Pro R to show how good the new platform is. As far as long term goals, I think my biggest one is to be racing a Trick Truck or 6100 one day. Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to do that, and it’s still a huge goal of mine. Another goal is to be doing that with my Dad. We’re bumping doors in razors right now, but to do that in Trick Trucks would be a dream come true.

Photo by Dirt Nation