Kim Crosby is a "regular" in the NASCAR Busch Series garage area. She isn't driving, as yet, but she is dedicated to seeing that happen with team owner Frank Cicci with Jim Kelly.

Crosby comes to the NASCAR arena from a different form of racing...via 15 years of drag racing in the NHRA and IHRA leagues. She was bitten by oval track competition, so to speak, in 2000 and following graduation from the advanced racing class at Buck Baker Racing School, was asked to be an instructor for them.

Kim, while maintaining her "regular" job as principal of Slidell Junior High School in Slidell, La, drove limited schedules in both the ARCA and NASCAR Busch Series. In 2004, she decided to follow the advice she had given her students...to follow their dreams. She resigned as principal and has been diligently working to fulfill her dream of racing full time in the NASCAR Busch Series.

After several disappointments with various teams, Kim has teamed up with Frank Cicci in hopes of, finally, making her dream, not only a reality, but, a successful one.

"I've been working with Frank since late November." Crosby explained, "and we've been trying to put together a sponsorship package that will get me on the track. There isn't a female in the series right now that is running any more than 4 or 5 races. It's what NASCAR needs. Speaking to everyone, fans, officials, other drivers, owners and you name it, that come up to me in the garage area, all say that I would be good for the sport. Everyone is very positive, it's just getting the right package together and marketing it. It needs to be a win/win situation for the company that we sign with as well as for our race team."

"Part of my job in doing that has been to be at the track every single week, keeping my name out there, keeping my face visible to the people there and learning everything I can. I'm there for all the practices, I'm there for all the qualifying, I'm there in the pits with the #34 team for the entire race and learning as I go. I spend a lot of time here at the race shop with the race cars, also, talking with the guys and listening to conversations while being involved with them. I feel more prepared, now, than ever before."

"One of my good friends, Fred Vanderploug, is a big supporter of mine and is helping Frank and I with work on some sponsorships. He's been a real big help to the team and we're looking forward to continuing that relationship. I need to make that investment in time, to show that I'm interested, to get to know the guys in the crew and to get to know Frank and Christina and Diane a little but better. It's all part of it. Becoming a part of the team means more than just showing up on race weekend."

"There are so many aspects with just being a female in the garage and being involved with a race team, whether it be a tire person, someone who does scoring or whatever the job. Women are scrutinized just a little bit more sometimes and you really need to be prepared and on your game every single time."

So, what is the hold back with corporations funding, and I mean well funding, a female driver in the Busch Series? After all, racing is, now, the largest and most popular spectator sport in America. Does corporate America still believe women incapable of the talent and performance? Or is it that they do not realize the amazing potential return to such an investment?

"I think they do realize the return on investment they could get with promoting a female driver," she continued. "My personal opinion is that they are all waiting to see who's going to step up first. Once that happens there's going to be a firestorm. Danica Patrick is just starting, I think, to scratch the surface with some of the female products out there. When you're the only female at the track in a competitive car, the media is going to be there. They're going to follow you around. I seen it before, experienced it personally and seen it happen to other people."

"I just want the companies that we're working with right now to realize that and also to be there when that happens. The potential is absolutely unlimited. We're working as hard as we can right now to make sure we get the sponsorship that we need. I can promote anything. I can sell anything. We just need that one big sponsor to come on board, so, we can make this happen. "

I've spoken with Kim on several occasions at various points and opportunities in her racing quest. This current Kim sounds different somehow...wiser, stronger, definitely tougher and more gutsy, I guess.

"Probably more determined than ever," is her perception. "After the last year. going through what I went through with the teams that I was with, I saw another side of the sport. I was able to experience being in equipment that wasn't as competitive as I would have liked it to be, but, you learn from that and you take what you can from each experience in life and use it for something positive. That's what I'm doing. I'm using what I learned from GIC and Keith Coleman and using that, now, to improve not only my driving ability, but, everything in my life that is revolving around that. I've learned a lot of great life lessons in the last year, being away from the life I was used to every day, and that's something I needed to do to learn and grow. I believe you have to go through some really bad stuff in order to enjoy the good stuff when it comes along."

"I met Frank Cicci years ago when my husband and I were thinking about starting our own team and doing it the hard way, basically. He met us at his shop and showed us the cars, the shop and all he has here. We left here with a really good feeling about who he is and the way he has done this. Frank has been around the Busch series longer than any other owner and that in itself speaks volumes to me. If you get to be involved with someone like that and to be able to take that back to the sponsors, that says a lot to those sponsors to have someone who has been involved for that length of time. Getting involved with him was a really good move. We have a lot of great ideals. a lot of ways to help sponsors that come on with us sell and market their products in ways that some of these other teams may not be able to do. Frank is just a genius at marketing products and getting a company to see the benefits of being involved in racing, not just putting that decal on the car, but, getting a return on their investment. I remember him saying that you can never get comfortable, that you can never stop selling. That's true."

"I believe in my abilities. I do need more experience on the track. I need more seat time, but, I do believe I have the potential to be an excellent driver given the right opportunity and given the right team. I do believe this is the right team and Frank is willing to help me get where I need to be. He's trained some of the best and brought them up to be champions. I have every confidence in his ability and I know what I am able to do. I'm willing to learn and listen."

Apparently Frank Cicci believes in Kim, as well. "I saw Kim last year in inadequate equipment and she's got the ability, but, she couldn't get the seat time she needs because she was in that situation. She couldn't even practice, let alone make the field," he explained. "There were several times when she didn't even have a spotter up there. I took her aside and told her the only way you're ever going to get anywhere is to get with a team that either has a champion or has points and is in the field and can put you in, in the event that you can't qualify yourself, you'll get in the show and get seat time."

"I've been doing this for 20 years and all the guys I've had to start out, and I'm talking about guys like Jimmy Spencer, Todd Bodine. Mike McLaughlin and Randy LaJoie. They all were champions and race winners in other divisions, but, when you get in this car it's a different car. These Cup cars and Busch cars are just like driving Checker taxicab in New York City and they just don't want to turn. Anything goes down the straight-away, but, there's a finesse to making them turn. Anybody that comes from another division has to learn that. That has always taken, maybe. a year and a half or 3 thousand miles before these guys can figure out in their head and make the transition."

"A good example is Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley. It took those guys 2 years to figure that out. That's what it takes to make this situation go and that's what I told her. If you stick with me and we can get in a sponsorship situation then I think I can make you successful here. So, she stuck around, but, so far we haven't been successful in finding that sponsor and the way I approach that is 'what can we do for you?' " Not here's what I want...I want this amount of money and I want you to do this and do that. I've been doing this for 20 years and I've got enough marketing years that I can convert any company to a NASCAR racing program that's going to affect their bottom line."

"45 percent of the people attending these races and watching these races are female. That's a heck of a market out there. The other thing is it's just not right that it's an all male business. There should be a female in the division there every week and there are no females now. What I emphasize is you just can't put decals on a car and have the car run around the track. I come up with a marketing plan using the driver and, in this case there are more benefits as a female driver, to help sell their products. That's what we're about...coming up with a true motorsports marketing plan that affects their bottom line and not just putting those decals on. If that's what a company wants then we're the people to call. I know the business and I know everybody's marketing plan, how they do it and how to apply a different company to a present successful marketing plan."

This team is ready to race and Kim Crosby is ready to take her rightful place in the NASCAR Busch Series. Frank Cicci knows she is. She has the talent and, Lord knows, she has the looks and personality to sell any product for any business. She is simply gorgeous, but, don't mistake those good looks and calm manner as any weakness or shortcoming. This gal is race tough, race determined and past ready to get on the track. She has a well known and successful team owner who believes in her...they just need the funding to make this all fall in to place. She's ready to give this series a run for the money...literally. I, personally, can't wait to see it happen.

To learn more about Kim and Frank Cicci Racing be sure to check out their websites at:

Frank Cicci Racing with Jim Kelly - #34 Sport Clips Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR Busch Series Racing

CrosbyMotorsports.com || The Official Website of NASCAR Busch Series Driver Kim Crosby

You can reach Marty Tyler at:MTyler@Catchfence.com


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