Fast Laps and Fast Friends: Discovering the Racing Lifestyle
What’s it like to juggle school, siblings and a stacked race schedule at just 11 years old? In this episode, host Heather Wilson Schiltz chats with rising star Cole Peterman and his mom, Kristen, about life behind the scenes of youth roadracing. Cole races in the South Florida MiniGP and WERA series and already has multiple wins and championships under his belt.
From managing race-day nerves to wild battles on the track with friends, Cole shares what he’s learned on (and off) the track.
Kristen gives a candid look at what it takes to support a young racer, including the chaos of her and her husband, Nick, hauling four kids, a dog, and a trailer full of motorcycles around the Southeast. If you’ve ever wondered how kids get started in roadracing, or what it’s like to be a motorsports parent with no racing background, this episode delivers.
🎧 What You’ll Hear:
• Cole’s first race experience
• How he stays calm during a packed race day
• Friends, rivalries and crashes
• Cole’s favorite track to compete at
• His mom’s perspective on managing family and a busy racing schedule
• Advice for parents who want to get their kids into racing
• Cole’s goals for the rest of the season and beyond
• A science fair project focused on tire pressure and temperature
📲 Connect with Cole Peterman on Instagram
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“Obviously you’ve met a lot of friends, but do you have a favorite part about racing? Why did you grow to love it so much?” -Heather Wilson Schiltz, Host
“Going fast and also battling with all my friends. Gabe Datis is one of my favorite friends to battle with.” -Cole Peterman, Youth Roadracer
“So do you guys have a little rivalry sometimes about who’s going to beat each other?” -Heather Wilson Schiltz, Host
“It’s mainly like friend rivalry. So we’re both like pushing and then one of us stands each other up to pass. But it’s not really like serious, like ‘Oh, I’m going to win this and crash you.’ It’s just like in practice, mainly we’re just like passing each other…” -Cole Peterman, Youth Roadracer
“Just for bragging rights.” -Heather Wilson Schiltz, Host
