Humility and passion are two extremes in an athlete where a balance within them is a struggle within itself. Yet, for 21-year-old Jessica Bean of Farmland, IN, she's as humble and driven about racing as it gets in sports.
Level headed, cognizant of what is meant to respect the game of motorsports, Bean has found immediate success in the tough and competitive series of the USAC Ford Focus Midget and USAA Kenyon Midget Series. She's experienced her ups and downs, always keeping a level headed approach even with the triumphs she's had in her young career.
In a sort of rare occurrence, Bean captured a motorsports "hat trick" in that she won a race, rookie honors, and the championship in the USSA Kenyon Midget Series - all of this happening this season. Additionally, she became the first female to capture the Kenyon Midget Series driver's title, stamping her legacy in that division as a prospect to watch up the racing ladder.
As if that's not enough, Bean is a racer who's also a college student, which has been her current focus with her racing season completed. When she's not hitting up the textbooks or studying for exams, she's got her mind on motorsports, dreaming one day to be the next big open wheel star for the United States.
For now, she's found herself in perhaps the hottest seat in racing, and that's as the latest subject in one of The Podium Finish's longest running feature otherwise known as "In the Driver's Seat!"
So strap up, put the driving gloves on, because we're going to do some crazy open wheel racing with Jessica Bean, USAC Ford Midget Series and USSA Kenyon Midget Series Racer!
Rob Tiongson : For a young racer like yourself who’s making a name for herself, you put together quite the year in the USSA Kenyon Midget Series by winning races, rookie honors, and the title. Not many racers can make that claim – has it been all a rush for you to accomplish so much in your career thus far?
Jessica Bean : It has definitely been a rush thus far. In only my second full season in midgets, I was given the chance to run two different classes in two different series. So I knew that the 2011 season was going to be a busy one. Going into 2011, the team’s main focus for the season was on the Ford Focus Midget.
In 2010, I had a decent rookie season and we wanted to capitalize on that in 2011. So the plan was for me to run all of the Focus races and then run the Kenyon Midget when I was available. But as the season progressed, one problem after another started to occur with the Focus. After a second engine problem had me sitting on the sidelines for a Focus race, priorities changed.
At that time, I hadn’t missed any of the Kenyon races, had already won a race, and was still in the chase for the Championship and Rookie Honors. So the Kenyon became my priority for the remainder of the season. Luckily enough for me though, after schedule changes by the series and thanks to rain-outs, I didn’t miss any races in either series due to schedule conflicts. I only missed one race in the Focus, which was because of mechanical issues.
After the priority change, it was clear that we had made the right decision. I went on to not only win the Kenyon Midget Championship, but I became the first female in history to do so.
Winning the championship, receiving rookie honors, and getting my first win has definitely helped to boost my career. Making all of this happen has been a whirlwind of a ride, and it only keeps getting better. I look forward to see what is in the next chapter of my career.
RT : Your journey in racing I’m sure has an interesting story. Tell the readers here a little bit about yourself in terms of how you got started and what you’re doing right now in your career.
JB : Well my younger brother actually started racing before I did. After a year of sitting on the sidelines watching him, I wanted to join in. So I got my start in racing in Quarter Midgets at the age of 12. I racked up six championships, 60+ feature wins, and three track records in six years of competition.
After Quarter Midgets I didn’t have any options for moving up the ranks in racing, and the focus became on school as I prepared for college.
I ended up being out of the driver’s seat for about a year and a half, until I was lucky enough to find a car owner looking for a driver. That’s when I got my start in the Ford Focus series.
I raced the last five races of the 2009 season, then competed the complete season in 2010 finishing 5th in points.
In 2010, I also got my first start in the Kenyon Midget when I was asked by Don Kenyon to run two races for him. I was later asked to run the complete season for him in 2011, while also running the Focus.
In 2011, I became the first female to win a Kenyon Midget Championship. I also got my first win and was named Rookie of the Year. I finished 7th in points in the Ford Focus.
As of right now, plans for the 2012 season are up in the air and the plans will be determined by sponsorship money.
Fans can keep up to date on my 2012 plans by following me on Facebook and Twitter.
RT : From what I know about you, racing seems to be something that you live and breathe, on and off the track. What’s the driving force, per say, that brings you back to the track, after a good week or a bad week?
JB : Racing is one of those things where when it gets in your blood, you can’t stay away from it. I have developed a strong passion for racing. I’ve been involved in racing for almost 10 years now; I don’t know what life would be like without it. I enjoy every bit of it, the adrenaline rush, the competition, just the whole experience. Those are my driving forces.
But I have always been a driven person. I don’t give up easily, never have. The bad weeks show YOU what you are made of, while the good weeks show everyone else what you are made of. The bad weeks force you to prove that you are meant to be out there, and the good weeks are the rewards for making it through those bad weeks. I may not have the best car out there week in and week out but I’m going to show you that car’s best potential.
If I were to quit after some bad weeks, I would have been gone a long time ago. But that’s not me - I’m not a quitter.
RT : It’s hard for racers to do so, being as they’re their own toughest critics. But from what your peers, family, and friends have observed with you as a racer, who do you remind most people of, at least when you’re out there wheeling your car?
JB : Not many people have actually told me who I remind them most of. I was once told that my driving style looked like that of Bryan Clauson’s. I race people with respect and race others how I would like to be raced, this has been compared to Mark Martin. I have also been told that I can wheel a car like Rich Vogler. You’ll have people agree and disagree with those comparisons but either way it’s an honor to be compared to three drivers of such caliber.
RT : For fans who may not quite understand or have yet to experience being behind the wheel of a racecar like you have, what’s that thrill like to buckle up, strap in, and let ‘er loose on an asphalt or dirt track?
JB : This is a common question, but one of the hardest to answer. It’s just one of the biggest adrenaline rushes that you could ever get. It’s so hard to explain. No matter how hard I try to explain the experience to someone, they will never understand or comprehend it until they actually jump in a car themselves.
RT : As we all know with racing, there’s that unfortunate chance of getting hurt at the track. Earlier this year, you got injured during a race with a concussion. How long did it take you to recover from that accident and how do racers at least compose themselves with that risk of injury at any given time?
JB : As racecar drivers we have a job to do, and that’s to go out there and drive the car to the best of our ability. We all know the risk when we strap into the car. If we didn’t love the sport then we wouldn’t be strapping in, knowing that we’re putting ourselves at risk every time we go out onto the track.
As for my injury this year, it was a minor concussion. That was my first injury in nine years of driving, this is a safe sport. It took me a couple of weeks to fully recover from the injury, although that didn’t keep me away from the sport.
The day after the wreck, with a concussion and only three hours of sleep, I was back out at the track working the USAC .25 Midget events at Eldora Speedway. Some would say that’s stupidity, but I’d call it dedication. I love being at the track and enjoyed working for USAC over the summer so I wanted to be there.
Then just four days after the wreck, I was back in the car. Looking back now, I should have taken the injury a little more serious and I wish that someone would have told me to take it easy. A head injury is something to take seriously, but I’m a driver and I want to be out on the track so that’s what I did.
RT : Now let’s kind of go off course and talk more about you – what’s a day in the life like for you, as a racer who also studies?
JB : I live basically a normal college student’s life, I’d say.
I go to classes during the week, study in the evening and workout when my daily schedule allows it.
Then during racing season, I’m gone during the weekends.
There’s not much difference between my schedule and any other student’s schedule, I just add in more time for “business” stuff which I add into my study time.
I can’t imagine how much stuff I can get done for racing once I’m done with school and have more time.
RT : If you had the power to just race at any track in any car out of the blue, where would you be at and what kind of vehicle would you be behind the wheel of at this random race?
JB : Easy answer. Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an IndyCar. If you’re looking for a specific race, that would obviously be the Indianapolis 500. There are so many other tracks that I’d love to race at, but Indy is the ultimate dream.
RT : Let’s just say that you’re at this track where you know it’s so far got your number, and it’s got you to the point where you’ve felt like you’ve thrown everything at it. Giving up is obviously not an option, so what do you do to dig deep and find the solution in at least conquering the circuit?
JB : Of course giving up isn’t an option, it never is. Well if we’ve already given it everything we’ve got at that particular race we’ll do our best for that race, then we’ll go home and talk about what needs to be and what can be done.
Sitting down as a team and discussing each race is critical. We all learn from each other, so putting our heads together is what we have to do to get better. If we struggle with a race, throw everything we can think of at it at that time, then we’ll go back and discuss what we think we can do differently next time.
I like to learn as much as I can every time I’m at the track, so I’ll go talk to different drivers and owners about what we can maybe do to better ourselves and/or the car. I use as many resources as possible to get better and to learn something new.
RT : Free Association for you, Jessica. Let’s see if you can handle this, champ! Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind with the following…starting now:
Favorite song.
JB : Tubthumping by Chumbawamba. (Laughter) It was the first song to come to mind. You can’t ask me to choose just one song - I like too much music to do that.
RT : Superstition(s).
JB : Lucky pennies.
RT : Indiana.
JB : Home.
RT : Winning.
JB : June 3rd.
RT : Family.
JB : Support.
RT : Spirituality.
JB : Christian.
RT : Media.
JB : Interviews.
RT : Hard work.
JB : Racing industry.
RT : My future in racing looks…
JB : ...promising.
RT : Open wheel racing seems to be something of a specialty for you. Do you plan to stay the course with these cars or would you be open to any good opportunity you earn along the way?
JB : I would like to stay the course with open-wheel, with the ultimate goal of making it to IndyCar. But I would be open to any good opportunities that I earn along the way. You can never pass up an opportunity that is good enough.
RT : Let’s settle this question once and for all – how come racers seem to be the most interesting breed of athletes in the sporting world?
JB : Racers have to be an interesting breed to love going around in circles for countless laps. (laughs) Racers are said to have a screw loose. We’re willing to go out and do what we love knowing that the risk of the sport. Not all athletes can say that. So there has to be something interesting about us.
Author's Note : Special thanks to Jessica Bean for allowing me to interview her during her busy offseason and also for providing the pictures in the interview piece. If you'd like to learn more about Jessica, you can follow her on Twitter and like her Facebook page! - RT
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