RPW Column: Winning Ms. Motorsports In 1997 Was Just The Beginning For Carrie Shuba

RPW Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – OSWEGO, NY – Carrie Shuba just loves the sport of auto racing.

She doesn’t love it because it was a stepping stone to where she wanted to be. She doesn’t love it because of what she could get out of it. She has had a passion for racing, and that’s what led her to compete in the Ms. Motorsports Pageant in January of 1997.

To top it off, she won.

Starting out as a race fan, Carrie knew exactly just what she wanted to do. She understood that going after the title could help the sport at a time that it was on the rise.

“The decision was quite simple,” Shuba said. “I’ve always been a people person and enjoyed being a public advocate. As a college student, I was a cheerleader, but also a diehard race fan. I wasn’t afraid of being in the public and saw this as an opportunity to support a sport I was a long time fan of. Also, in a way, I saw this as a way to become an advocate for it.”

Shuba was comfortable on stage, competing in several pageants before this one while running the Ms. DIRT Motorsports contest and also handling presentations at the Oswego Speedway. Even with that, she not only wanted to showcase the sport if she won but also wanted to give woman a better voice at the same time.

“I had been in pageants before and even ran for the crown of Miss NY,” she said. “I’ve always felt that women can make a difference when given a platform to do so. A woman can have both brains and beauty, especially in racing.”

What was the final push to get her to compete?

The pageant was suggested to my by one of my photographer friends, John Ferlito,” she said. “He knew my uncle (Roger Phelps) and cousin were local drivers and suggested I give it a try. I thought of it as a great opportunity to get to know other women who enjoy the sport and truly care about the racers on the track.”

Shuba wanted to showcase that, even in a sport that is predominantly male, females had a vital role in it as well.

“Women are a huge support system behind the scenes, especially at the races,” she added. “I found the pageant to be a great opportunity to get more involved and to be even more supportive than I was.”

So she entered, and when her name was called as the winner, you would have thought you’d seen the world come off her shoulders.

“Of course I felt nervous waiting for them to announce who had won,” she said. “However, when I heard the name, I felt my breath hitch for a moment and my heart swell.”

Then, in a split second, nerves turn to excitement about what was to come.

“I was so proud to be chosen to represent the sport in this manner,” she said. “I was eager and excited to begin my travels and adventures at tracks across the country.”

With the title came several appearances that the folks from Area Auto had put together. This was something Shuba had never really experienced to this point, but could not wait to enjoy.

“Most of my work was at local dirt tracks or expo centers,” she said. “Being from the Syracuse, NY area, I had many local tracks and expos that kept me busy. I worked in Rochester modeling for an agency for a while. They sent me to places within an hour’s drive from home so I could keep up on my school work. The year I won title, however, was also the year I graduated from college, so the timing worked out really well for me.”

Most of the time, she hardly even remembered what her hometown looked like.

“I kept an exhaustive schedule,” she said. “I was traveling for months without returning home, but it was an amazing experience.”

What were some of the places that Carrie got to enjoy?

“I was able to be a Bud Girl at the NASCAR Cup Series event at Watkins Glen that year,” she said. “That was pretty amazing. I was flown in by helicopter so that we could avoid the traffic. AARN also sends the winner to the Knoxville Nationals. That was the big opportunity as well.”

Was there one experience that stands out, even to this day?

“I was given the opportunity to go to London with Skip and Lois Matczak to represent their company, Seals-It,” she said. “That was the most amazing trip of my life!”

Stay tuned for part two of Carrie’s story. In that, you’ll learn more about what she hoped to accomplish during her time as Ms. Motorsports, her work after her reign ended, what she learned from the experience and what she hopes to pass on to girls who may be looking at doing events like that in the future.