In the words of the NASCAR legend Richard Childress, “Once you’ve raced, you never forget it…and you never get over it.” This is the most fitting quote to explain the near obsession so many students and engineers competing in the IAC develop. The intoxicating call to the racetrack easily proves there is a racing driver in all of us. 

Today, on the inside track, we sit down with team leader Stephanie Meyer of Autonomous Tiger Racing at Auburn University to explore this idea. At first, she didn’t feel the pull of racing in the ways that more traditional gearheads would, but as we will find out, working on the Luna car sparked the interest that has kept her on the track. Later, she discusses how to overcome the various levels of anxiety that come with sending out a car to race, even if you’re not sure the car is ready to compete.