The thrill of racing enchanted Sarah Montgomery from a very young age. And now, at the still tender young age of 25, as one of only a few female professional race car drivers, Sarah is pursuing her passion for speed, as well as the pursuit of excellence in all she does.

In this episode of Discover Lafayette, Sarah shares her experience behind the wheel of her first car, a Barbie Jeep, and the sets of tires her dad, Robert Montgomery, had to change out as she barreled down the street in Lafayette LA. (I've learned on the side that Robert remembers Sarah being 6 years old and announcing it was time once again to rotate the tires on the Barbie Jeep!)

It was her first visit to an Indy Car Race at the age of 10, however, which enticed her to actually jump into the racing circuit.

Starting with go-kart racing, Sarah and her dad toiled to transform used carts into race-worthy vehicles. Sarah eventually met Brent Mosing, a local businessman, car collector and racing enthusiast who offered her a starter race car named Captain Nemo. Mosing shepherded her into professional driving classes and the world of competitive racing and still serves as a mentor today.

Supportive parents, Robert and Laura Montgomery, have nurtured Sarah's racing career through it all.

At the time of our interview, Sarah was pursuing the opportunity to enter the nationally televised Continental Tire Sports Car series, to gain exposure to a much wider audience.

Since our interview, Sarah has moved to Atlanta to work with Porsche and be in closer proximity to other racing professionals. It is noteworthy how few professional female drivers there are in this competitive sport, and Sarah has written a moving blog about her experience in motorsports being the only female at many of the races. You can read her blog here.

Driven by a love of speed as well as her deep faith, Sarah Montgomery is a young woman who inspires all who meet her.  We hope this interview inspires you to get to know Sarah better and follow her career.

Professional racing is a very expensive sport, and Sarah is grateful for all of her sponsors, which include Lafayette Travel and Lemons of Love Chemotherapy Support Organization out of Chicago.

This post was updated on August 28, 2019 to reflect new information. In 2019, Sarah signed with Sick Sideways to compete in the Global Mazda MX5 Cup Series Presented by BFGoodrich Tires

If you are interested in sponsoring Sarah Montgomery, opportunities are available.  For more information, please visit http://www.sarahmontgomeryracing.com.