This is an amazing article in the Late Model Racer that Chris Romano wrote and I would like to thank Craig Murto & Chris for allowing me to be apart of there Magazine!

1. 12 October 2010 Late Model Racer
H
er story is unique in as much
that this remains a male-domi-
nated sport, and Candace
Muzny is an attractive, intelligent, hard
working, and talented female driver.
That’s pretty much where the differ-
ence ends. In virtually every other way
she’s your typical Saturday night racer,
fighting for turf and respect.
“I grew up around Sprint Cars,” said
Candace. “My cousins all raced, my dad
owned a dirt Late Model he raced at the
Oklahoma City Fairgrounds. For some
reason my family didn’t think a girl
belonged in a racecar, so I had to go out
and make some money. I helped out my
mom and dad in their business and I
actually made some money in the stock
market, so I sold some stock and start-
ed doing research. It took me about a
year to find someone I could trust, but I
started racing a speed truck at the
Bullring in Las Vegas.”
She finished 14th in her first race, a
200-lap event.
“I was stoked,” said Candace, “I
knew I had to do this full time.”
She met Del Dalrymple, a Late
Model owner, and they went to Mesa
Marin.
“It was awful,” said Candace. “It was
my first time in a stock car and I was
terrible.”
Candace returned to Oklahoma City
briefly, and then “packed up everything
in my truck, including my cat, and went
back to California. I lived in a 500-
square-foot room for three years.”
She started working with Dalrymple,
building racecars, and returned to Mesa
Marin to finish seventh in points.
“I raced at Orange County and the
Bullring for four-and-a-half years,” said
Candace. “I did well, but not as well as
I’m doing now. I think that was mainly
due to time and experience.”
Their professional relationship
turned romantic, and Candace and Del
became engaged. His sudden death on
Thanksgiving Day, 2007 was devastat-
ing.
“My life drastically took a turn,”
recalled Candace.
One of their customers was Jesse
James, of Monster Garage.
“Del had started helping him and
building his figure-8 cars,” said
Candace. James told her to come back
by Chris Romano

2. Late Model Racer October 2010 13
East, gave her some contacts and helped with sponsorship.
“I packed up everything in my truck again and moved to
North Carolina, found a shop, and started building racecars,”
said Candace. “I rented a shop from L.W. Miller’s dad. The
first year I was doing everything myself every day, I couldn’t
hire anyone to help at night. L.W. and I worked around each
other for a year; he raced on the Southern Modified Tour and
offered to help out. Now everything has turned around. He’s
been a huge help for me as a crew chief.“
Her home track now is Hickory, and it took some time to
get used to the track and the Late Model Stock Cars that race
in the Southeast. Candace made a strong showing in the
track’s 2009 finale, The Fall Brawl, coming from the back sev-
eral times to score a top-10 finish. This year it finally started
to come together, with several top-five finishes and at mid-
summer she sat fifth in track points.
“I like beatin’ and bangin’,” said Candace, “so I love
Hickory. Kevin Piercy (Hickory promoter) is awesome, he’s as
honest as the day is long and it’s great to race for a promoter
who you can trust and is there for you as a driver. I feel at
home at Hickory. I love it there. It’s a hard track, it’s a worn
track. At first I hated it. I couldn’t’ get around. The more I
drove, the more I got comfortable and the more we pro-
gressed. I can get a little loose or I can push a little bit.
“I love long runs because my car usually wouldn’t come in
until lap 45 or 50,” said Candace. “In the last few weeks
we’ve hit on something, so my car’s right on the minute we
take off. Now we’re great in short runs.
“I’m not the best qualifier, so a 200-lap race gave me a
chance to make it up to the front. That being said, last week-
end if we had a 50-lap race we would have won. That was the
first time I ever wanted it to be a 50-lap race.
“I like the strategy in racing,” said Candace. “Last year at
the Toyota Showdown we just missed the show. I couldn’t
believe it. We had a Gene Price kick ass racecar and we did-
n’t make the show? I had to run the non-qualifiers race but
that wasn’t bad because it gave me more time in the car.
That got me into the show and we started 39th. We got up to
10th and then Ryan Truex took a bunch of us out.
“I think I was meant for heavy cars and I think I’m ready
to move forward, but I’m also someone who does the best
with what they have right now. Jimmie Johnson never won a
Late Model race. Dale Junior only won one and he raced them

3. 14 October 2010 Late Model Racer
for, like, six years. (Earnhardt, Jr. ran
159 Late Model races and won three
times.) They were better in a heavier car
and I think that’s the case with me.
“But, that being said, I want to win.
I’ve been told I don’t need to win, just
get sponsors, and I’ve said that’s not the
point. I want to win at this level. But the
experience at Irwindale gave me the
confidence that I can do this and the
heavier cars fit my driving style better.
“I’m definitely ready to move for-
ward, but I’m just waiting on finances
and that’s the case with everybody. I’m
not the only one in that boat.”
Candace is realistic about her gen-
der and the role it plays in the sport.
“There’s a double-edged sword in
everything,” said Candace. “Yes, I’ve had
some marketing opportunities but I
don’t think they’ve gotten me any further
than the guys. I think I’ve earned the
respect of my fellow drivers, and that
was especially true in California. They
treated me like a racecar driver, not a
girl. When I came out here you’ve got to
start over in every division no matter
where you go. I got pushed around a lit-
tle bit when I got here and I had to show
that I’m not one to be wrecking with.
The car doesn’t know if I’m a girl or a
guy. We’re running good now, and doing
good now. I don’t like to get beat by a
girl anymore than guys do, and I race
with four other girls. I don’t try to make
myself any different.
“Jesse helped me because I busted
my butt working on his cars, not
because I was a girl. I’ve gotten more
sponsorship from building personal rela-
tionships than from cold-calling.
“It’s the same with anyone new com-
ing in, it doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or
a guy. They are going to wait for you to
mess up, or to prove yourself. Gender
has nothing to do with it.”
Looking ahead, Candace sees her
options as ARCA or K&N East.
“I think either of those series would
be good for me,” said Candace. “The
Truck series is great and I do think a
driver can learn a lot there, but you can
also get stuck there and never make it
to Nationwide.”
So, is she ready for the move up to
bigger cars?
“Nobody’s ever ready,” said
Candace, “You just have to go do it.”
Which is pretty much what she’s
always done.

4. Late Model Racer October 2010 15
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