(June 9, 2015) It wasn’t all that long ago that stock car racing was considered a man’s sport. But those days sure have changed at Speedway 660. For years Heidi Cooper was the lone female racer in the Geary Woods, but now there are several successful young ladies taking the sport by storm. Wade Wilson recently caught up with one of them.

A Conversation with Destiny Enkel

 

Wade: Hey Destiny tell us a little bit about yourself, especially how you got involved in racing, where you started and how you got to where you are now?

Destiny: Well it’s kinda funny how it all started. One night back when I was about seven, my Dad wanted to go to the races. I wasn’t all that interested, but a night out with Dad is always a fun time so I decided to go. We ran into one of Dad’s many friends and found out his daughter Kate (Gorman) raced go-karts. To make a long story short, they invited us out to watch one of her races and it looked like a lot of fun, so Dad asked me if I’d like to go racin, so I figured I’d give it a try. We bought a go-kart from the Gormans and started racing the next season. Then I went on to the Bandolero division and now am running Street Stock. About a year ago Destiny landed in the Riverview Ford Victory Lane in a Street Stock race. That win gave her a lot of confidence and helped earn the respect of the other drivers.

Wade: Heidi Cooper used to be the only girl racing and I know she influenced and encouraged a lot of girls to take to the track.

Destiny: I remember watching Heidi when I first started going to the races at Speedway 660. I was always impressed at how she held her own out there against all of those guys. When I was karting and racing Bandos I kept thinking how cool it would be to be out there racing with Heidi. When I decided to move up to the DMR Auto Sales Street Stock division, I was very excited to have the chance to race with her and get to know her a bit better. Heidi is a real trail blazer and on behalf of all of the other girls who race, I want to thank her for being a great role model for all of us! Heidi Cooper is one of the most popular drivers in the history of Speedway 660. She’s had a big influence on many young drivers including Destiny Enkel. 

Wade: Racing is loud, smoky and greasy. What is it about going around in circles that appeals to you?

Destiny: I love racing because it’s challenging and thrilling. It sure is a challenge to keep the car running strong and to be out on the track with all of the fast drivers at 660. It’s also a thrill to wake up on race day, get everything ready to go, drive up to Geary and race in front of our awesome fans. It’s hard work too. When you run as close together as we do and are slipping and sliding around like we do, it’s hard to stay focussed and hard to get to the front. Another thing I love is being part of the Speedway 660 family and hanging around the track meeting the fans as well as the other drivers and their families. It’s a lot of fun!Part of the fun in racin is hangin around the track, although sometimes when the hood comes up there’s cause for concern. But Destiny’s got a great team and they usually get things figured out. 

Wade: Late last season you started to mix it up with a five-time Street Stock champion. Our fans loved the fact that you weren’t intimidated.

Destiny: I’ve got a lot of respect for Rick Cashol and all of the other drivers. He’s a five-time champion! What happened between us last year was just one of those racin deals. We got into each other and you know how it goes, at the time we both probably figured the other was to blame. All I was doing was standing my ground. This is one tough division and sometimes you’ve just got to push back a little. I must say all of the drivers have treated me great and some have even given me a few tips and a little advice. Hopefully I have earned their respect out on the track.At SpeedWeekend 2015 Destiny (#52) gets around Rick Cashol after putting the bumper to the veteran driver. It was a little pay-back for an incident earlier in the race!

Wade: Street Stock racing is pretty hard-nosed. Those old cars are a handful and it’s about as old school as it gets these days.

Destiny: I learned a lot from watching Heidi all those years. She was the only girl out there and she earned the respect of all of the other drivers and the fans. If I can follow her example and do the same thing, I’ll be happy. Those old cars sure are a handful and our division is old-school, what-ever that means! My generation is not used to rear-wheel drive cars and you got to be careful because if you gas it too soon the thing will spin out. And the tires we use don’t get the kind of grip fans see the Pro Stocks and Sportsman get out there. So us Street Stockers are always sliding around and making a lot more contact than everyone else, well everyone except the Enduros! Destiny is sporting a new paint scheme in 2015, but she’s kept her patented number 52. 

Wade: Tell us about your racing team. Who supports your efforts in the garage, in the pits and who are your sponsors?

Destiny: I read all of these Conversations on the Speedway 660 web site and like all of the other drivers I’ve got to say my racing would not be possible without my family, crew and sponsors. My Dad (Ron) of course is my crew-chief and we’ve also got Bill (Grandfather), Austin, Rob and Andrew helping out. My Step-Mom Ray and sister Jamie Lynn are my biggest fans and love coming to the races to cheer me on. My sponsors include: Enkel Trucking, the family business; Pizzano’s Pizza and Donairs, which are so good; RJB Building and Renovating, Musquash Fire Department; Hunters Hi-Tech Auto; Saint John Spring Works and; Honey Due Landscaping. I also want to thank DMR Auto Sales for sponsoring our Street Stock Division at 660.  Destiny’s Dad Ron is the one responsible for getting her interested in racing. Enkel Trucking, the family business, is one of her biggest sponsors!

Wade: What about the future? Do you think you’ll be moving up someday or are you happy in the DMR Auto Sales and Service Street Stock Division?

Destiny: I’m pretty happy in Street Stock right now. But just like most of the other young drivers, someday I would like to get behind the wheel of a Sportsman or Pro Stock. We’ve got incredible racing at Speedway 660 in all five weekly divisions, so no matter what kind of car you drive it’s an honour to be part of the show in the Geary Woods.

Wade: If I don’t ask you this next question, people will give me a hard time, so here goes. Your nick-name is “The Port City Princess”. Where did that come from and how do feel about that handle?

Destiny: Well Wade, being a girl in a so-called man’s sport, I thought maybe I should have a nick-name that would make me seem tough. So I asked your friend Tim Terry, from www.Tim’sCorner.ca if he could think of a name and the next thing I know he puts it up on Twitter and then your former announce partner Jesse Thompson comes up with “The Port City Princess”. It doesn’t seem too tough to me, but it is catchy!Destiny is keeping some pretty good company out there. Roger Slocum (#15) is the 2013 DMR Auto Sales Street Stock champ; Rick Cashol (#54) has won the title five times; Luc MacLaughlin (#11) is the defending champ and; Rob Raynes (#41) has just missed the championship by three points in each of the last two years! 

Wade: I’ve talked with some of your fellow drivers and they tell me “that girl just wants to have fun!”

Destiny: You’ve got to have fun, why else would you do this? I’m pretty lucky to race with a great group of people who make it fun. It takes a lot of work and money to go racing every week and if it wasn’t fun I would be off doing something else. I like racing because it’s something I can do with my family and friends and speaking of friends, you seem to make new ones every time you go to the track. So the hard work is worth it and I’ll keep racing as long as I continue to have fun.

Wade: On June 27th you’ll be running a 50 lap race and you’ll go 75 on July 11th. You normally do 30. How do you feel about having to muscle that car around the track in those longer races?

Destiny: Yeah I’ve got those dates circled on my calendar. It is going to awesome. We’ll really give the car a good going over before each of those events to make sure it is ready for the longer races. Those extra laps gives us a chance to take a little more time to get to the front, but not too much because if we don’t get many cautions you could end up getting lapped! I love racing and I love those longer runs. I hope everyone comes out to see us on June 27th and July 8^th.

Wade: What kind of car are you actually driving this year? I’ve heard it called a lot of things, but my favourite is a Crown-Mus-Vic-Tang-Toria. So what’s the story?

Destiny: That’s quite a mouthful – try saying that ten times in a row! Actually my car is a Crown Victoria with a Mustang body. We call it a Clydesdale, because it is now a very big horse!So exactly what kind of car is this? It’s got the Mustang stickers on it, but is it really Ford’s Pony Car? Destiny says it’s a Clydesdale – Ford’s WorkHorse!

Wade: So what else do you like to do besides racing?

Destiny: In the fall I will be going into my second year of bachelor of Arts at St Thomas university, in hopes of becoming a teacher someday. I am a life guard and swimming lessons instructor, and my favourite NASCAR driver is Jimmie Johnson. Destiny enjoys watching NASCAR with her Dad. Her favourite driver is six-time champ Jimmy Johnson. Jimmy’s latest win came in Dover on May 31st! 

Wade: Thanks for doing this Destiny and good luck out there, especially in that big Street Stock 75.

Destiny: Thanks Wade, this was lots of fun. We’ll be ready for the 75 lapper and try our best to have a good finish.