Need a New Facebook Cover Picture?

I was introduced this week to this really fun website that allows you to design a Facebook Cover picture. It's free and there is no REGISTERING!! No new password and username to remember. Check it out at http://www.picmonkey.com/. It's basically as easy as choosing a layout, uploading your pictures and dragging them to the spot where you want them. The one that I created for our racing Facebook page is shown above.

Creating a Free Racing Website

 

Creating a Free Racing Website

 

 

I originally used the GoDaddy website you can purchase that was supposed to be easy and inexpensive. I didn't find it easy or convenient and of course there was a cost involved. When our subscription for the year was up I did some research on creating a free website. Let's face it the sport of racing is expensive enough I don't need added costs that I can avoid. I'm sure most of you are in the same boat. I came across another racer's website that was created by Weebly. I decided to check out what this system had to offer. To my surprise it was extremely easy and best of all FREE!!

 

I signed up for the free website. It offered 5 pages and allows you to customize your pictures, text, layouts, etc. Check out our website www.opaticracing.weebly.com I still have my original domain name www.opaticracing.com through GoDaddy which I will now point to the Weebly site (still working on this aspect.) Weebly can also help you register your own domain name. I am so impressed that I wanted to share this info.

 

Try it today and let me know what you think!!   

Athletic Apparel

                                                        

 

FORMER MISS MICHIGAN TEEN USA AND PROFESSIONAL FITNESS MODEL SARA MARIE LAUNCHES FIRST OF ITS KIND SHEFIT SPORTS BRA

Company to raise funds through Kickstarter campaign for product manufacturing

 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mi., Aug. 1, 2013 – Shefit, a Michigan-based start-up athletic apparel company, announces the launch of a Kickstarter campaign to secure first production run and manufacture its U.S.A. made introductory line, including the adjustable Shefit sports bra.

Designer/Creator, Sara Marie crafted SheFit more than 10 years ago while pregnant with her first daughter and struggling with breast pain that caused her workouts to lose intensity.

 
“I was so self-conscious and frustrated every time I went to the gym to run or do anything high impact because my chest started to define what I was capable of doing,” said Sara Marie Owner/Creator of SheFit.  “After observing other women in the same situation, I created my first prototype with a hot glue gun and Velcro.  Ten years later, we’re ready to launch a patented, fully customizable sports bra geared towards bigger busted women of all ages, to help them feel confident while staying active.”

A woman’s back and shoulders carry the most weight of her breast.  The SheFit™ patented two-inch wide back band gives women comfort and security underneath the bust.   The 15-inch fold-over shoulder straps allows for maximum adjustability.    Women can adjust the fit of the bra based on comfort and intensity of their workout.  SheFit gives women eight inches of adjustability, compared to the standard 1 – 2 inches hook-and-eye fit.  

 
“If a sportsbra does not provide a truly supportive and comfortable fit, women, including post-surgical patients, won’t wear it,” said Dr. Bengston.  “SheFit is the first bra I have found that has the perfect balance of firm support without being overly constrictive. Other bras really miss the mark when it comes to a proper fit.”
 
Sara hopes to fund her first production run by pre-launching her company through Kickstarter.com, a funding platform for creative projects, Aug. 15 through Sept. 29 Packages for the campaign range from $2 to $2500.  Money raised also will allow Shefit to continue manufacturing in the USA.   Supporters can pledge and be the first to experience SheFit by visiting www.shefitsportsbra.com.

About Sara Marie

Sara has been an advocate for fitness and a healthy lifestyle since her teenage years.  She carries the titles of Miss Michigan Teen USA (1999), 1^st runner up Miss Michigan USA (2001), and as a wife and mother she wore the title of Mrs. Michigan America (2008). Earning these titles led her to the fitness world where she quickly climbed the ranks and created a name for herself.  In 2011, Sara secured top spots in the Fitness America circuit, winning the Arnold Classic (2011) and in the same year earning her pro card leading her to a 3^rd place world finish with the World Beauty Fitness and Fashion (WBFF).

Sara has been featured in several national publications including Success Magazine and as the fitness contributor Pageantry Magazine.  In 2012 she was highlighted in Oxygen Magazine four times, once as a contributor.  Sara resides in Grand Rapids, Mich. with her husband and four daughters.

 

 

About SheFit

SheFit™ empowers the strong beauty in every woman by developing athletic apparel with the highest level of support, comfort and style specifically designed to enhance your workout.  Based in Grand Rapids, Mich., SheFit is proudly produced and manufactured in the USA.

 

Sprint Car Girls

Sprint Car Girls

The Sprint Car Girls concept was established to help a group of ladies promote themselves and their racing to a broader range of audience, as well as attract potential sponsorship opportunities for their individual programs.

The intent of the group is focus on several drivers from a given region or class. They have members spread all across the country, including eight states and Canada! There is a mix of 305, 358, 360 and 410 drivers throughout the group, as well as an up and coming 600cc mini sprint driver. Many of the ladies run multiple divisions, with some even taking the wings off on occasion.

Their members include Lexi Adgate, Ashley Cappetta, Ashley Lewellen, Sarena Paul, Alysha Ruggles, Miranda Throckmorton, Brittany Tresch, Jordan Weaver, April Wilson and Tiffany Wyzard, representing Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New York, and Washington, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario.

Please show your support by visiting their website www.SprintCarGirls.webs.com, “like” their Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/SprintCarGirls, or Twitter: @sprint_girls, Instagram: @sprintcargirls

 

Radio Interview

Racing Diva Radio

Racing Diva Radio airs live on Tuesdays from 6-8pm central on blogtalkradio.com . On Racing Diva Radio we cover all types of talent within the many different racing industries. If you miss a show, you can always go back and listen, we archive them. We are also on iTunes, facebook, and twitter. 

Here is the link to my radio interview with hostess Tiffany Welch: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/racingdivaradio/2013/05/28/girls-race-2-with-blogger-liz-opatic

Heels On Wheels Radio Program: Welcome to our blog!

Heels On Wheels Radio Program: Welcome to our blog!: Hello to all of my lady racers, Why are we here? Well to talk about racing of course! We want to have a place for our awesome fans to co...

Promote Yourself With Trading Cards

Promote Yourself With Trading Cards

Market yourself and support this great company. Get your very own Trading Cards. Get the price of your membership back by entering the coupon code "GTTC2013" when  you order your trading cards. Offer good through April 30th, 2013. Check out the website here Girls Torque

Indycar Minnesota: Fast Five with Pippa Mann

Indycar Minnesota: Fast Five with Pippa Mann: Here is another establishment in the driver interview segment called Fast Five! Once again, I am very lucky! This time I get to interview In...

Book Review: Dead Man's Switch

Dead Man's Switch: A Kate Reilly Racing Mystery

Ok so I finally did it...I finished reading this book! It is no reflection on the book by any means..well maybe it is. I really did like this book. If I didn't, I can promise you it would have never finished it. Reading is just not at the top of my hobby list. Tammy did a great job of taking you on the journey of this murder mystery while guiding the readers through the Le Mans racing experience. I feel like I understand more about this type of racing that I was completely unfamiliar with. You felt as though you were in the car with Kate in her racing experiences. Overall it was a quick and easy read. I would recommend it! Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the main character, Kate, that pertained to her outlook on females in the world of motorsports:

"In football or hockey the athlete's size is everything. You wear sized equipment and your mass helps you advance or defend. In racing Mike (her male co-driver) and I wear the same size car. Once you get into that car, we're all the same in bulk and power. Racing is about concentration. About always driving the correct line through a corner, driving the car at the edge of it's capabilities, more than it's about sheer muscle mass. Sure, the C6.R is heavy- heavier than most cars- and you can feel that, but it's really well-balanced- besides, I have to manipulate it, not carry it. It's more about concentration, hand-eye coordination, and general fitness than the ability to bench press your own body weight."

"Cars don't care if you're male or female. The strength you need most isn't physical- it's mental. Competing, thinking ahead down the racetrack, and concentrating on just one thing for a couple hours at a time."

You can purchase this book on Amazon. I bought the Kindle version but there is also a paperback version.

What to Read...

What to Read...

I'm not much of a reader, in fact I have a hard time sitting down to commit myself to read magazine articles. In this off season I'd like to learn and give some real effort to reading some racing related books, especially some from a female's perspective.

Here are some that I am considering:

Fast Girl: Don't Brake Until You See the Face of God and Other Good Advice from the Racetrack, By Ingrid Steffensen, http://www.amazon.com/dp/1580054129

 

Publication Date: September 11, 2012

Life in Ingrid Steffensen’s New Jersey suburb was safe, comfortable, and predictable. A college professor, wife, and mother of a preadolescent daughter, her carefully cultivated world was comprised of the usual suspects: family, work, book clubs, yoga classes, and date nights. Then, one day—thinking she’d be a good sport and maybe learn something about what made her car-crazed husband tick—she put a helmet on her head, took her Mini Cooper to the racetrack, and learned how to drive it really, really fast. Soon, what began as a whim became a full-blown obsession—and a freeing journey of self-discovery.

In the eventful, exhilarating year that followed her first lesson, Steffenson dove head-first into high-performance driving. In the process, she discovered the terrifying and addictive thrill of pushing her limits, learning an entirely new set of skills, and tackling danger head-on—and found that doing so liberated her in a way that she hadn’t even known she needed. Fast-paced and fun, Fast Girl is the quirky, real-life chronicle of how one woman stepped outside her comfort zone, shrugged off the shackles of suburban conformity, and changed her entire perspective on life through the unlikeliest of means: racecar driving.

The Art of Racing In The Rain, By Garth Stein, http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Racing-Rain-Novel/dp/0061537969

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope--a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.

 

 

Dead Man's Switch, By Kate Rilly, A racing mystery (this one is just for fun and looks interesting!!!) http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Mans-Switch-Reilly-Mystery/dp/1590588819/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1290606789&sr=8-3

Aspiring racecar driver Kate Reilly goes looking for a full-time ride in the American Le Mans Series—and stumbles over a dead driver. When she takes that driver’s job just hours later, she also takes pole position on the list of suspects in his murder. Suddenly she’s in the hot seat with little time to clear her name and get ready to race a Corvette at Lime Rock Park.

Amidst suspicion, Kate buckles down, quickly getting to know the racecar and team, bumping into plenty of suspects who might have committed murder. Clues fly at her as fast as the turns on the track, including a cryptic list of blackmail victims, unexplainable car performance at racing speed, a jealous husband with an adulterous wife, and drivers and crew who are openly happy her predecessor is dead. Kate finds exhilaration and hazards exist on- and off-track as she throttles up both the Corvette’s V8 and a murder investigation.

The green-flag countdown ticks away, and Kate must decide who she can trust to help probe alibis, untangle rumors of team breakups and personal betrayals, and determine whose drive to win also constitutes a willingness to kill. Because what’s at stake in Kate’s race to the truth is her career … only by uncovering a murderer can Kate restore her reputation and prove she belongs in the racing world.

Happy reading!!

The Glass Hammer Racing Experience

 

The Glass Hammer Racing Experience

Greg Gaich has always loved racing he wanted to share his passion for the sport with his 3 girls. Since he did not have expereince in the kart racing arena he sought out a racing school that would basically be the motorsports equivilant of a YMCA program. Sadly he soon found out that no such thing existed. That's where the concept for Glass Hammer Racing began. His school is now in their 3rd year of existance. They are located in Indianapolis, IN. The unique concept of this school is that it is female drivers teaching female students. The exciting thing about this is that girls are able to actually see there is a future for women drivers in this sport. Their teachers are out there succeeding they have that potential as well. The Glass Hammer Experience has 3 stages from beginner to advance (http://ghrexperience.org).

The goal of the school is to not only develop drivers but to also help girls realize there is a place for females in all aspects of the sport. Most recently they had a girl scout troup earn their way to experience the class. The girls had a blast. You can read about it on his blog (http://blog.beatbyagirl.org).

I love their mission and their dedication to young girls. Below is their mission statement. It's extremely important to them. 

Glass Hammers' Mission Statement is as follows:

The Glass Hammer Racing LLC was created to encourage the interest and participation of young women in motorsports. We will do this by:

1. ★Developing and sponsoring introductory racing experiences geared just to young women. They will provide a completely positive and supportive environment that will give a young woman a chance to develop her driving skills, have fun, and come away with the huge smile and second helping of self-esteem that motorsports can bring. They will include both off-track and on-track instruction tailored to each young woman’s skill level.
2. ★Exposing young women to role models in all areas of motorsports. Not everyone can be a driver, or even wants to. But there are women in virtually every aspect of motorsports from engineering to marketing to team owners. We’d like to make a career in motorsports a viable option in a young woman’s mind. There’s nothing more powerful than the “I want to grow up to be just like her” moment to spark anyone’s interest in a career.
3. ★Supporting the advancement of young women in their motorsports careers through scholarships and sponsorships. Whether it’s a formal education in engineering or the on-track driving experience and coaching needed to become a professional driver, it doesn’t come cheap. We’d like to help advance the careers of young women in motorsports who will become the role models and inspiration for the next generation of little girls.

For more information on the Glass Hammer Experience please visit their website at http://www.beatbyagirl.org

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/glasshammerracing

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlassHamrRacing