Fighting Boredom With Passion: A Conversation With Marshall Pruett

“I suffer from getting bored easily”. In just a few words, Marshall encapsulates the restless energy and drive that has defined his entire career. He is always looking for new opportunities to, as he put it, “keep his mind active”. From his early days as a race car mechanic and engineer with prestigious series like CART, IRL, and IMSA, to his current role as a motor racing writer, reporter, filmmaker, and podcast host, Marshall’s journey is marked by a constant desire to learn and evolve. His path has been anything but conventional, blending technical expertise with a passion for storytelling, and driven by an unrelenting need to push beyond his comfort zone. 

Early Career

Marshall Pruett began his career working across major motorsport series, where he took on roles as a mechanic, engineer, and team manager. When asked which role challenged him

the most, he replied, “There are no roles of substance that would not challenge you.” For Marshall, every role has been a “serious challenge,” but that is what makes a job in motorsports so appealing.  This drive for constant stimulation and growth led him to believe in stepping out of his comfort zone, eventually founding Advantage Racing Technologies (ART) in his early thirties.

When we asked about the inspiration behind ART and whether he was filling a gap in the industry, he responded candidly, saying, “I’m filling zero gaps...” and that the company was born from a desire to own something of his own. This desire for autonomy, combined with his technical expertise, set him apart from many others in the media space. As a journalist with a background in racing and mechanical engineering, he offers insights that many with purely academic credentials can’t provide. He explains, “Blending my racing and mechanical background informs everything that I do.” None of this would have been possible without the support of his wife, who believed in ART's potential even when they were living on “pennies.” As Marshall humbly puts it, “We were both willing to commit to see if it would work out,” and work out it did. 

Evolving World of Media

In 2008 or 2009, Marshall Pruett attended his first Indy 500 as a media member for what is now Fox Sports One, then the largest racing website by traffic in North America. Despite this, he was denied proper credentials. “We don’t provide vests to websites,” he was told, a response that highlighted just how much the motorsports media landscape was still rooted in outdated gatekeeping. Not long ago, simply being an online outlet meant you weren’t welcomed in the paddock.

Since then, the shift has been massive. While Marshall still contributes to a few print magazines, he says, “98% of what [he does] on a daily basis has gone from feeding print to websites.” A major factor in that evolution is the rise of influencers. While he acknowledges their role in attracting new fans, Marshall remains critical of the influencer economy in motorsports: “You wouldn’t find this influencer culture in any other profession.”

Over the past five to seven years, the rigid line between professional journalists and fan-based media has blurred. Podcasts, fan pages, and independent content creators are now seen as legitimate forms of media, and Marshall genuinely enjoys “seeing the passionate people being heard.” However, the imbalance in recognition and resources is frustrating. He points out that while influencers are flown out and hosted for race weekends as “fan recruitment” tools, some dedicated journalists  doing deep original reporting, are sleeping in their cars just to be at the track. Having once been one of those reporters, Marshall empathizes deeply. In his view, it’s not about keeping people out, it’s about making sure the ones doing the work are respected and supported.

Chasing Curiosity

One conversation that left a lasting impression on Marshall was with one of his heroes-turned-friends, the late Dan Gurney, a legendary racing driver and team owner. Despite being the most popular athlete in America during the 1960s, Gurney was known for his relentless curiosity and drive to keep learning. “He was always curious about development even with [his] notoriety,” Marshall recalled. That mindset deeply resonated with him. “The moment you start losing that curiosity is the moment you suck,” he said, connecting Gurney’s outlook to his own need to constantly seek out new challenges to avoid boredom.

Marshall gravitates toward big personalities in motorsport, those who are outspoken, self-aware, and comfortable enough to have fun in interviews. While he’s grown to appreciate introverts, thanks to his wife’s influence, he admits that it’s often the interviewees who can joke around, roast you a little, and not take themselves too seriously that truly stand out. He particularly praised drivers from New Zealand and Australia, like Scott McLaughlin, who “always give their thoughts” and don’t hold back.

What frustrates Marshall most are overly polished interviews and the added interference of PR reps. For him, authenticity is key. “If I can’t have a normal conversation with another human being about a shared interest, what is wrong with the planet?” While he acknowledges that PR reps may just be doing their jobs, he views the process of scripted interviews and added layers of control as unnecessary and inefficient. His advice to young journalists? As you gain confidence, don’t be afraid to say no to PR reps. Noted.

Advice For Women in the Industry

Marshall is heartened by the growing inclusivity within motorsports, especially for women and newcomers to the industry. He’s encouraged by what he describes as the “ongoing holding up of the welcome sign,” and he “loves seeing education valued highly,” particularly when women are coming straight from university and heading directly into IndyCar or IMSA pit lanes. That path mirrors the journey of our own CEO, Amanda Perez, who entered the field on the engineering side. But Marshall is clear—this isn’t about checking boxes. The reason women and people of color are being welcomed, he says, is simple: we’re “amazing” and “badass.” Period.

For anyone hoping to follow a similar path, whether in racing, media, or somewhere in between, Marshall says the key is finding peace with imperfection. “Arriving at a level of peace when you can acknowledge your own mistakes,” he explains, is essential. He wishes, looking back, that he’d been more comfortable admitting when he didn’t understand something or asking for help.

Though he doesn't envy those starting out today, especially in an era dominated by social media and instant scrutiny, he finds hope in seeing veteran women like Margie Smith Haas and Lynn St. James finally witnessing their long-held dreams become reality. Their persistence paved the way for groups like Building Speed and the rising generation of women in motorsports.

A huge thank you to Marshall Pruett for taking the time to share his insight, honesty, and humor with us.