06-30-2007 | TruckSeries.com Report
Deborah Renshaw was part of a group of talented female racers to grace the NASCAR scene when she first entered the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Kentucky Speedway in the summer of 2004. "It's all about the money," explains Renshaw, who recently wed NASCAR Busch Series Crew Chief, Shawn Parker. "Sponsorship is the key to motorsports. I have been trying to land a sponsor to get back to the track, either in the Craftsman Truck Series or the Busch Series, but to this point, there have been no firm commitments and no firm sponsorship, other than maybe a one race deal." Renshaw hopes to get back to racing in one of NASCAR's top-tier divisions someday, but until then the 28-year-old native of Bowling Green, Kentucky will hone her skills behind the wheel of a late model car at the Music City Motorplex in a seven race deal with Hooked Up Motorsports which is owned by late model driver, Andy Johnson. Renshaw has secured associate sponsorship from askpatty.com, an allpurpose vehicle website catering to women. AskPatty.com shares advice on vehicle purchases, maintenance and other automotive related topics. Renshaw will drive the No. 112 AskPatty.com Chevrolet for each of her seven starts at the Music City Motorplex. In addition to her seven events at the Music City Motorplex, Renshaw and the Hooked Up Motorsports team plan to race in the United Auto Racing Association (UARA) event at Bristol Motor Speedway on July 28th. "After being out of the race car for over a year and a half, it's definitely great to be back," said Renshaw who is genuinely excited about the opportunity to get back behind the wheel. "It's an honor to go back and race against these teams in Nashville, where the competition is tough!"
Later that year, Renshaw became the first female to lead a lap in the competitive Truck Series at the track "too tough to tame" - Darlington Raceway. In 2005, she moved to Bobby Hamilton Racing where she competed in 24 races before hanging up her helmet due to lack of sponsorship, with her best finish being 12th at Dover International Speedway.