We are very grateful to Wendy Mathis for taking time out of her busy schedule this week to play our 10 Questions game. Wendy is packing up and heading to the Panhandle early to do some advance public relations work for the TBARA to help pack the stands at Five Flags and Mobile.

A tireless worker to help promote pavement sprint car racing, Wendy Mathis is the first female in the Southeast to win a sprint car race with a major touring series, a feat she has done twice with the TBARA. You also may not know that Wendy owns her own car, buying a new Hurricane in the off season, making her the only female owner-driver in any major sprint car touring series.

Easily the most popular driver in the TBARA, it’s not hard to see why. Wendy is very accomodating to her fans and always makes herself available to help promote races anyway she can. That’s most likely why she has a blue chip list of product sponsors that include Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil, K&N Filters, Bell Safety Equipment, Permatex, DWT Racing Wheels, Wilwood Brakes and ButlerBuilt racing seats.

It is with great pleasure, we present to you fine ladies and gentlemen…10 Questions with Wendy Mathis!

Who got you involved in Sprint Cars? Sonny Hartley is the guy responsible for giving me the racing bug atage 10. However, the first sprint car that I drove was that of Tommy and Bobby Rose. I knew then that this is what I wanted to do. Shortly after that, we bought an older Gambler dirt car that had been converted to pavement. Ironically, it was the same car that Doug Wolfgang had driven some years prior.

What is your favorite track to race and why? I used to love Ocala Speedway before they ruined it and covered it with dirt. It was such a challenge. I used to joke with people about it being “Road Ocala” with all the turns. But I always did really well there, winning three straight- two heats and a feature! But my favorite now has to be either Dillon Motor Speedway in Dillon, SC, because of the people, or Hickory Motor Speedway in Hickory,NC because of the history. And of course, I have to throw in Anderson Speedway in Anderson,IN just because it’s home to the “Little 500.”

Which track has the best food? I don’t get a chance to venture outside the hauler to eat. My mom always has enough food to feed everyone in the pit area, and it is always really good.

Dirt or Asphalt? No brainer !! Asphalt ! Dirt is for planting potatoes, not racing. And it’s too nasty. I like helping my friend Paulie work on his dirt car, but that’s enough for me.

Wings or Wingless? That’s a tough one. I like racing both ways. The winged cars are much faster and more exciting, but the non-wing cars put more emphasis on the driver, and not so much money or on the motor.

Have you ever seen snow? Just a few yards or so! I grew up just outside of Buffalo,NY. Need I say more ? We used to shovel snow away from the windows on the second floor, just so we would have a view.

What restaurant has the best Buffalo wings? Growing up in Buffalo makes me a critic on this subject. I actually have the the secret recipe from the original Buffalo wing joint, the Anchor Bar in Buffalo. So i make a pretty mean Buffalo wing. But when I’m too lazy to drag out the deep fryer , I go to O’Briens in Brandon, FL.

What was the last book you read? The one that my fabulous marketing guy got me for my birthday. But I’m not telling the name, I don’t want everyone to know our secrets to success.

What toppings do you like on your pizza? Cheese, cheese, and extra cheese. Maybe an occasional pepperoni or some sausage. But don’t put any fungus anywhere close to my pizza. No mushrooms for me!

Is Larry J Brazil Jr. really the TBARA’s sexiest driver? I think it would be inappropriate for me to look at my peers that way. Larry is a super nice guy, and I may be inclined to vote for him if there was a poll at FSCF.com. But I’m a huge Atlanta Braves fan, and my choice for world’s sexiest athlete has to be right fielder, Jeff Francouer. He is so hot!

So what did we learn? There must be something to this whole “mom cooking food for the races” thing because none of our drivers vouch for track food. Wendy is also our first driver to claim to know the top secret recipe for “true” buffalo wings, so we must do something about that to prove the theory of little Ms. Mathis. We do love our buffalo wings here at FloridaSprintCarFans.com.

And who knew her first car had some Doug Wolfgang lineage? If you’ve not read the Doug Wolfang biography, you’ve got serious problems.

To visit Wendy online, head on over to www.WendyMathis.com and check out her website as it is one of the best you will find for a sprint car driver in Florida. Also feel free to swing by her hauler some time and pick up a t-shirt.

And if you’ve got little Wendy fans, by all means, stop by and say hi. Wendy loves meeting her fans, especially the little ones.