Uncovering the Insider Secrets of the Motor World: An Exclusive Interview with Elana Scherr

Elana Scherr: a senior writer for Car and Driver

Elana did not grow up interested in cars or Motorsports; however, her mother had a love for all things vintage. Elana grew up with the notion that vintage things can be very personal and that everything can be fixed. While she did not begin driving herself until the age of 21, her first car was a 1973 Plymouth Duster, which she was constantly restoring with friends. Through this process, her friends introduced her to racing, specifically NASCAR and NHRA. The rest is history: she was hooked, and recalls thinking, “Oh my god… this is the best… I want the rest of my life to be this.” For those just getting into Motorsport, Elana says, “It is for you.” She stresses that it cannot exist without the fans and that there is no wrong way to get into Motorsports. She says, “You could do it because you love the color of (a) car,” or because you like a driver's politics or support the brand of car that you drive, for example. Elana says that in the beginning of her career, she wishes she had said “Yes” more often. She urges  “…say yes and then figure out what to do.” She stresses that this applies to all fields, not just Motorsports. She recalls saying “no” to opportunities that arose because she was “… worried that (she) wasn’t qualified, or that (she) would embarrass herself, or that (she) wouldn’t know what to do.” However, she stresses,

Elana Scherr diving head first into the motor world.

all of these insecurities are irrelevant: “… what I would see is that people who had no better qualifications, and often worse qualifications (than herself)… said yes and then got to do something really awesome.” Say yes to driving the car, say yes to learning stick, say yes to everything. When asked about her favorite project from throughout her career, her answer is aspirational: “I feel like every day has been a favorite project.” She goes on to call her job and career in Motorsport in general “magical”. “Nothing is ever the same day,” she says, while explaining that travel, new challenges and successes, and new opportunities arise every day. When she writes for Car and Driver, which is “…primarily focused on consumer cars…” she has a list which includes various statistics on the car including engine, transmission, and fuel efficiency options, just to name a few. After the technical aspects, she says that the storytelling really begins when describing what it is like to be in and around the car. For example, she recalls a former Car and Driver writing that a car had “serial killer eyes,” based on the appearance of its headlights. With the rise of social media, Elana says that there are “…so many more places to tell a story now.” Social media already existed when she joined the industry, and she is sometimes still wistful for the time when writers in the industry just had the one story, while social media and the internet are “boundary-less.” While she celebrates this accessibility and reachability to a point, she also stresses the importance of personal boundaries when working with social media. If Elana could cover any race she has never covered before, it would be the Nurburgring 24 hour. She enjoys 24 hour races on and off-track, and appreciates the intensity of the Nurburgring itself. The love Elana has for her job is incredibly poignant, saying, “I can’t tell you guys enough times how good this job is.” Every day is rewarding, from the big to the small, but she says

The Building Speed team

that being reached out to by Building Speed “…felt amazing,” because she had been recognized as an impactful and far-reaching female influence.She says that Motorsports is a niche that many do not understand, and that making contacts with Motorsports professionals who already have contacts is very important. When Elana started out in the industry, she recalls often being the only woman in the room or on track. The men who she worked with were always very supportive of her; however, she acknowledges that the opposite can often be true and encourages women “…to find their protectors,” aka people you can trust, “…to help you navigate a situation that isn’t ideal.” In terms of men supporting women entering the industry, she says it is “crucial”: “There is only so far you can take it if half the people aren’t helping you.” She is excited by the fact that it seems like the industry employs many men who do want to see women in the industry. If Elana could give our readers and viewers one piece of advice, she would say that you should not wait for confidence to come to you; you have to go get it. “Don’t wait to do the things you want to do, just plow ahead.”

Looking to join the industry we've all grown to love? Don't miss our exclusive interview with Elana Scherr on our Youtube channel! Learn the in's and out's and gain crucial advice to succeeding in motorsport.

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