USA Today: 'It's important for the future': Openly gay NHRA driver prepar to make history - Travis Shumake | NHRA Drag Racer

Contents:

• 'IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE': OPENLY GAY NHRA DRIVER PREPAR TO MAKE HISTORY
• TRAVIS SHUMAKE STRIV TO BEE FIRST OPENLY GAY NHRA FUNNY CAR DRIVER
• TRAVIS SHUMAKE: NHRA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY DRIVER TO BUT FRIDAY
• THIS OPENLY GAY NHRA RACER BUTS FRIDAY TOPEKA. HERE'S WHY GROUPS ARE LG UP TO ENDORSE HIM
• DON GAY, DRAG-RACG LEGEND, LAID TO RT
• GRDR ANNOUNC SPONSORSHIP OF GAY NHRA DRAG RACER
• TRAVIS SHUMAKE IS READY TO BEE THE NHRA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY RACER
• AUTHENTICY FUNNY CAR RACG: TRAVIS SHUMAKE TO BE FIRST OPENLY-GAY NHRA DRIVER
• THIS GAY MAN IS TRYG TO BREAK TO A DIFFERENT KD OF DRAG RACG
• TRAVIS SHUMAKE STRIV TO BEE FIRST OPENLY GAY NHRA FUNNY CAR DRIVER
• USA TODAY: ‘IT’S IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE’: OPENLY GAY NHRA DRIVER PREPAR TO MAKE HISTORY

'IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE': OPENLY GAY NHRA DRIVER PREPAR TO MAKE HISTORY

Nearly two years ago, Shumake had planned his but to the eic, high-octane world of Natnal Hot Rod Associatn drag racg as the erng body's first openly gay the son of NHRA Funny Car drag-racg legend Tripp Shumake, the younger Shumake had grown up that world, havg attend drag rac each summer at the Kansas Speedway and racg shifter karts wh his father the late the s sce his father died  a 1999 motorcycle accint, though, somethg kept llg Shumake back to the sport — back to followg his father's he started drivg. At a separate race Las Vegas, Shumake failed to qualify, markg the first time the Myer's dragster that he was drivg failed to qualify over eight all that, Shumake has learned to manage his expectatns, even as he prepar to qualify as the first openly gay drag racer at the NHRA Campg World Seri at Heartland Motorsports Park on Friday.

We’ll see where go, " Shumake as he gets ready to race qualifiers Friday, Shumake is exced at the prospect of makg through to the elimatn rounds on Saturday and Topeka, Pri Kansas play role Travis Shumake's but as gay racerAs Shumake set out to make his but, one of his early challeng was fdg a sponsor. "One of my hunch was that I would fd somebody willg to sign me who was makg cisns wh the pk dollar md — maybe a gay marketg officer or someone wh a marketg foc on the LGBT piece, " he he reached out to Sean Dixon, print of Vis Topeka, Shumake found someone who was not only willg to sponsor him, but also someone who was willg to vt a racer who uld crease visibily for a cy and sport that historilly have been characterized as nservative and unwelg to LGBTQ people.

TRAVIS SHUMAKE STRIV TO BEE FIRST OPENLY GAY NHRA FUNNY CAR DRIVER

"His journey and beg the first openly gay sanctned driver really ronated wh , " Dixon said. "But the race r don’t know if I'm a boy or girl, or gay or straight, or Christian or Jewish. Although they never talked about before his father died when Shumake was 15, his father knew he was gay.

There’s 40 ln fans who self-intify as drag racg fans, and there jt should be a gay driver. Travis Shumake is the son of former NHRA Funny Car driver Tripp Shumake, who was killed a motorcycle accint 36, Travis Shumake hop to bee the first openly gay driver the NHRA Funny Car class.

Shumake plans to h the racetrack by season’s end, memoratg his father’s last NHRA Funny Car victory 40 years ago at the Fals—and beg the Campg World Drag Racg Seri’ first openly gay June 15, Shumake earned his Nostalgia Funny Car license at the Frank Hawley Drag Racg School Florida.

TRAVIS SHUMAKE: NHRA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY DRIVER TO BUT FRIDAY

But they're not givg me a mulligan for beg gay bee my dad was great or whatever. ”Curly, he has gotten oppose advice om mentors about whether to tra on the fact he’s gay.

THIS OPENLY GAY NHRA RACER BUTS FRIDAY TOPEKA. HERE'S WHY GROUPS ARE LG UP TO ENDORSE HIM

You don't want to be the guy who was gay and terrible. Shumake said, “So I'm back and forth on playg up the gay rd, but I thk 's a good bs mol. ”Tripp Shumake didn’t live to see his son bee a foster parent and an advote for homels gay teens through his work Arizona wh one•n•ten, a non-prof anizatn dited to helpg LGBTQ youth ag 14-24.

Now is the time to show the world there is a place for gay petors and fans motorsports. I affectnately ll the Gay Mafia. There's about 10 people I know the sport that are gay that haven't taken the steps like I am takg, jt bee of that fear, ” Shumake said.

“There have been so many more gay people, but we don't talk. “Maybe if, for some reason, someone is able to e out of the closet or enter the sport—gay, lbian, transgenr—bee of my attempts at this, that would certaly be rewardg enough to me. “I'm like, how do people not know you're gay?

DON GAY, DRAG-RACG LEGEND, LAID TO RT

’”Devon Roe, 22, a dirt-track sprt-r veteran om Wt Burlgton, Iowa, is a iend of Shumake, and they enurage one another as Roe embarks on his NASCAR journey as the first openly gay Campg World Tck Seri driver.

12 (UPI) -- Travis Shumake will make his but Friday as the first openly gay driver history to plete a natnal event on the Natnal Hot Rod Associatn racg circu. Any number of thgs should have stopped Travis two years ago, Shumake had planned his but to the eic, high-octane world of Natnal Hot Rod Associatn drag racg as the erng body's first openly gay the son of NHRA Funny Car drag-racg legend Tripp Shumake, the younger Shumake had grown up that world, havg attend drag rac each summer at the Kansas Speedway and racg shifter karts wh his father the late the s sce his father passed away a 1999 motorcycle accint, though, somethg kept llg Shumake back to the sport — back to followg his father's he started drivg. At a separate race Las Vegas, Shumake failed to qualify, markg the first time the Randy Meyer's dragster that he was drivg failed to qualify over eight all that, Shumake has learned to manage his expectatns, even as he prepar to qualify as the first openly gay drag racer at the NHRA Campg World Seri at Heartland Motorsports Park on 's how to get tickets for the 2022 Menard's NHRA Natnals TopekaHe'll do so a rabow-lored dragster — plete wh rabow parachut — thanks to a first-of-s-kd sponsorship al wh Vis Topeka, the cy's statn marketg anizatn, and Pri Kansas as the anizatns look to promote the cy as an clive way"Nothg has ever gone exactly my way, so that’s why I’m simply exced to have a great time — to have a great r, and to have my fay at the track.

We’ll see where go, " Shumake as he gets ready to race qualifiers Friday, Shumake is exced at the prospect of makg through to the elimatn rounds on Saturday and Kansas State rearch program is helpg HBCU stunts bee agricultural scholarsVis Topeka, Pri Kansas play role Travis Shumake's but as gay racerAs Shumake set out to make his but, one of his early challeng was fdg a sponsor. The gays are drag racg – but not jt for Ru! This month, Travis Shumake ma history as the first out gay driver to pete a natnal event on the Natnal Hot Rod Associatn (NHRA) racg circu.

GRDR ANNOUNC SPONSORSHIP OF GAY NHRA DRAG RACER

Now, his son Travis is makg history on his own terms as an out gay man a straight-centric sport such as racg.

TRAVIS SHUMAKE IS READY TO BEE THE NHRA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY RACER

Travis has also been outspoken about his g-out story and how he's planng to reprent the LGBTQ+ muny this the historic nature of Travis' reer as an NHRA driver, he has now land a rporate sponsorship om none other than Grdr, the lotn-based datg app for gay through to check out pictur of Travis Shumake, and follow him on Instagram - @travihu - to see even more!

Don Gay died June 30 of heart disease at his home League Cy.

AUTHENTICY FUNNY CAR RACG: TRAVIS SHUMAKE TO BE FIRST OPENLY-GAY NHRA DRIVER

Courty photoDon Carl Gay, former profsnal funny-r racer known as the "Texas Teenager" and nsired a pneer by the Natnal Hot Rod Associatn, was laid to rt Tuday died June 30 of heart disease at his home League Cy. He was a teen, Gay watched dozens of rac at the now-closed Hoton Internatnal Raceway Dickson. Gay boldly drove off wh the blue 1958 Bonneville that graced the showroom floor of his father's r alership and won his first race.

THIS GAY MAN IS TRYG TO BREAK TO A DIFFERENT KD OF DRAG RACG

AdvertisementArticle ntu below this adAt that moment, Gay knew hot rods were for him.

"When my grandparents got back to town he showed them the trophy, " said Gay's son Don Gay Jr.

"A year later, Gay beme one of the youngt drivers drag-racg history to w a natnal tle. AdvertisementArticle ntu below this ad"Gay began his drivg reer his teens wh a Pontiac stocker, " the NHRA obuary stat, "and later swched to altered-wheelbase mach that ultimately beme today's funny rs...

TRAVIS SHUMAKE STRIV TO BEE FIRST OPENLY GAY NHRA FUNNY CAR DRIVER

Later, Gay and his parents teamed wh the Angel brothers, Greg, Gary and Glenn, to found the Hoton Raceway Park Baytown more than 20 years ago. "Hoton has never had a nice facily, " Gay said a 1988 Hoton Chronicle article. "Gay also worked for the fay r alership until recently, his son said.

Jt a few days before Gay died, a fan stopped off at the alership to ask for Gay's tograph, Don Gay Jr. Is also survived by his mother, Marie Gay; three other sons, Shane, Darren and Glenn; two grandchildren; and former wiv Dawna Gay and Peggy Gay. As the sport's first openly gay driver, he also ma history a sport not typilly known for diversy.

USA TODAY: ‘IT’S IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE’: OPENLY GAY NHRA DRIVER PREPAR TO MAKE HISTORY

A sponsorship om a big name the gay muny like Grdr is sure to brg a wir dience to the fold.