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Deborah Renshaw-Parker - Professional NASCAR Driver
Meet Deborah Renshaw-Parker:
“Dare To Dream” – that is exactly what Deborah Renshaw-Parker does everyday. As women increase their efforts and opportunities in auto racing, the 30 year-old native of Bowling Green, Kentucky continues to set new marks in the sport.
The dream began as a youngster at local race tracks around Kentucky and Tennessee where her father, Dan, was a team owner. Eager to learn the sport, Deborah attended races with her father and helped with anything she could – such as lap times, tire pressures, etc... With racing in her blood, she went off to college at Northwood (MI) University where in 1997 she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business along with an Associate’s Degree in Automotive Marketing. With this education in tow, Deborah chased that racing dream with the support of her family by competing at local tracks near Nashville, Tennessee.
The 1999 and 2000 race season saw Deborah compete in the Late Model stock car division at Highland Rim (TN) Speedway where she finished fifth in the points while earning a runner-up finish for the Rookie of the Year award. The dream became even bigger in the 2000 – 2001 seasons with participation in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series at the famed Nashville Speedway USA and Riverview (TN) Speedway. She made 27 starts throughout the season accumulating three top-ten finishes, six top-15 finishes and one pole position which also set a new track record at Riverview.
At the Nashville Speedway USA, Deborah earned her way to the top of the championship point standings and made history in the process by becoming the first female to lead the point’s race in a NASCAR – sanctioned series.
Deborah took her dream and emerging talent to the ARCA RE/MAX Series for the 2002 and 2003 campaigns where she impressed many with six top-ten starts and three top-ten finishes.
Determined to continue down this path, the 2004 season saw Deborah make another big step into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In 14 starts, she earned two top-20 finishes with a career best finish of 15th at Martinsville Speedway in late October. She also became the first female to lead a lap in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race after doing so in the race at Darlington Raceway.
As the dream progresses, so does this determined female racer. The 2005 campaign will see Deborah climb behind the wheel of the #8 DODGE from the stable of Bobby Hamilton Racing. She will compete in the full schedule of the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and will continue to wake up everyday and “Dare To Dream”.
Deborah married Shawn Parker, a NASCAR crew chief, in 2006.
