Most race car drivers begin racing as young as two years old, but it’s never too late to get started at something and be good at it. That’s the case for 21-year-old Sierra Herden, a Crown Vic racer from the Midwest who’s cutting her teeth on the scene and turning heads every chance she gets behind the wheel.
“I’ve been into racing for a long time. I don’t have any family or friends in racing, which makes me a first-generation racer. I started watching NASCAR and then got into some local stuff. I’ve been working towards finally being able to start racing myself, after visiting North Carolina three different times in 2024. I started talking to Joe Ryan Racecars, looking into Legend Car racing, and shadowed them a couple of times. I’ve even shadowed an ARCA Menards Series driver, following her along to see if this is really something I want to do, learning about it, and helping them with their organizations.”
Most drivers’ careers are funded by wealthy parents or self-investments from businesses, high-paying careers outside of racing, or from stock market earnings and cryptocurrency. Herden is a real estate agent, and her racing expenses are funded by this pathway.
“I’m a Realtor where I live, and another Realtor that lives near me was working at a racetrack. I finally reached out to him. When I asked if there was anything he could do to help me, he pointed me in the direction of the Crown Vic Series, since the series is the ‘pride and joy’ of my hometown and they’re always looking for more racers. My mentor sold me his car after buying a Late Model, and I’ve since made friends with the owner of the racetrack, who lets me keep the car parked there when I’m not racing.”
The majority of racers who are just getting started want to make it to the top ranks, which consist of the NASCAR Cup Series, the IndyCar Series, Formula 1, and the IMSA Sports Car Series. Herden is no exception, having big dreams to make it to the pinnacle of professional auto racing.
“I can’t think of anything I want to do other than being involved in motorsports. Like I said prior, I’m a Realtor and have been licensed for a few years now, since I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to do, other than driving a race car at some point. My end goal is to be in NASCAR, and I’m hoping to get to shadow some drivers at Kansas Speedway later this year. I want to run Street Stocks after the Crown Vics, then I’ll go into Late Models.”
Most drivers in NASCAR have been racing in some form since they were barely out of diapers, but as we all know, there’s always an exception to the rule. Herden began racing at 20 years old, and she’s still going to turn a lot of heads and make a name for herself on the local racing scene before climbing up the ranks.
“I got a bit of a later start, and that’s okay. I don’t think of it as a step back, I’ll just have to make it work. I was born in Austin, Texas and have since moved to Missouri. I’m glad I did, not because of racing, but if I didn’t move out here, it might not have happened. I moved here a couple of years ago for family, but this was a move that worked out for me. I want people to follow along on my journey, and I’m hoping to build a personal connection with everyone, building content and networking in the process. I don’t want to just be one of those people who posts online; I want people to like what they see and follow me. I’m working on moving up, and hopefully, NASCAR is where I’ll be at. I hope people follow along on this journey.”
Herden’s journey can be followed on her Instagram, @sierraraces. She posts race highlights, markets herself, and gives insights into what goes on both on and off the track in her life. If you’ve made it this far in this piece, you’ll definitely want to follow along on her journey!
Every Man on Every Crew, LLC. 
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