Five Surprising Facts about ‘Your Mom Races Rally’
Kelly Conroy, author of Your Mom Races Rally, shows off her racecar Nessie.
Our latest book Your Mom Races Rally by Kelly Conroy is about challenging stereotypes, chasing joy and subverting expectations. It’s a true story about what it takes to reinvent yourself.
Along the journey, Conroy encounters all sorts of surprises and “A-ha!” moments that made the experience truly one of a kind. Today, on the book’s official release day, we share a few of those inside stories.
1. Conroy had never driven stick before
When we say she started from scratch, she really did start from scratch. Learning to drive a manual transmission was the first big, scary obstacle that Conroy had to overcome on her rally racing journey. It meant overcoming the fear of “sucking at something,” she writes.
2. She replaced her own springs
A stock BMW E30 is no rally car. Conroy needed to upgrade the suspension as quickly as possible. That can be dangerous. As she writes, compressed suspension springs are “like charged bombs,” and usually left to pros. But over the course of several weeks, she and her husband accomplished it together. Completing the task inspired a critical moment of awe when Conroy needed it most.
3. Written, edited and designed by women
Much more than a one-person effort, Your Mom Races Rally came together with the help and support of an extremely talented team. Conroy worked with Emma Hutner on project management, Sarah Bennett on drafts and edits, and Taylor Gmahling on cover design. This is a car book led, concepted and executed authentically from the female perspective.
4. Beginners welcome here
Conroy was expecting an uphill battle in a male-dominated landscape. What she didn’t expect was a vibrant community of women already in place, ready to welcome her with open arms. Whether it was the smiling instructors at DirtFish rally school, the badass adventurers that run the Rebelle Rally, or the inclusive ethos of the Northwest Rally Association, Conroy discovered that while motorsport has a long way to go, many in the culture are happy to lend a helping hand. “With community,” she writes, “getting better is a little easier.”
5. Fun takes precedence
There’s no greater tagline for the book than Conroy’s own car. She chose it not for speed or precision, but because the BMW E30 is rear-wheel drive. Rally is filled with all-wheel drive cars for the best possible traction and performance. But rear-wheel drive is more fun. And to Conroy, fun was the whole point. “I didn’t know what it would take,” she writes. “I just knew it was mine.”
Your Mom Races Rally is available now wherever books are sold. Copies signed by the author are in stock here, while supplies last.
Praise for Your Mom Races Rally
"I was hooked from the moment I started reading. Kelly's writing is engaging enough to make me step away from my own race car for a bit to live in her world — complete with the same ups and downs I've been feeling. Such a relief to know I'm not the only one who feels like a doofus and it's great to celebrate her wins vicariously!" - Emme Hall, off-road racer and automotive journalist.
"A radical reimagining of what it means for a mother to reclaim her own life. Through Kelly Conroy’s elegant, courageous unraveling of expectation, the memoir becomes a compass pointing every reader back toward the authentic selfhood they thought they’d lost." - Elizabeth Blackstock, motorsport journalist and author of Racing with Rich Energy.
“A lively look at what happens when a mother dares to embrace joy, space, and speed in a world that often expects her to slow down. Kelly Conroy’s story combines humor and honesty as she traces her unexpected journey from exhausted parent to rally driver, using the sport to reconnect with herself. The book begins with Conroy describing the weight of modern motherhood, capturing the chaos, pressure, and fierce dedication that fill her days. The opening chapters create a realistic picture of life stretched thin, not in complaint, but in understanding. Her voice is warm, insightful, and brave as she explores the internal struggles that rise and shrink under the constant demands of caregiving... This book will inspire every tired mom.” - Readers’ Favorite.
Frequently Bought Together
Building your library of the best motorsport books? This pairs perfectly with Life At Shutter Speed or Waiting for the Sun to Come Down, available now.
