Who is super competitive, strong-willed and doesn’t mind driving 160 miles per hour, just a couple of inches from another car? For Hannah Grisham, this is the stuff that life is made of.
Female Leads
Breaking through barriers, Hannah has been inspired by Lyn St. James (former IndyCar racer). Lyn St. James had quite a few roadblocks in her own career, but Hannah sums it up nicely, “Lyn just has such a strong will and is such a determined person, I respect that a lot. And she has helped out a lot of young, upcoming female drivers.” Hannah has adopted that same spirit and ‘never give up’ attitude.
Apparently it has served her well. Hannah is barely 23 years old and she already has numerous wins to her name.
Talking to Hannah was so refreshing. She may be young, but she is no stranger to hard work. Her days on the track can be long and grueling, but she meets the challenges head-on, “I know it’s cliche to say, but don’t give up. There’s a lot of ups and downs, and sometimes there’s some really low lows, but you have to have the lows so that you can have the highs, so you gotta just keep trying.” She went on to say that this way of thinking is exactly what she would tell any young female aspiring to be in this industry.
A Day at the Track
So just how grueling are those days at the track? According to Hannah, that answer can vary. “It depends on the task, whether it be Motorsports or an OEM test, you usually have a program that you’ll work on for a day or so.” She gave me an example of working with an OEM, “You would have like six sets of tires.Then there’s the engineers that design the tires and you have certain submissions you give them, depending on your feedback, they will tweak the tires to do different things. You do soft handling, which is the steering, the ride, the comfort, and then next you’ll do wet handling; and from there, we rate in categories and provide detailed feedback with that tire. You’re pretty much on repeat until you find what you’re looking for.”
Pirelli’s First and Only Female Test Driver in the World
When Hannah isn’t busy rating tires, she is busy being Pirelli’s first and only female test track driver. A title she is proud of. I asked her about the challenges she may face holding that title, she replied, “It was definitely a learning curve for me in a lot of ways, but it feels good. I bring a different perspective to a male dominated industry, but it will be cool to hopefully get more women into not only racing, but male dominated careers in general.”
Pirelli Proud
When I asked Hannah what were the obstacles of breaking into this career as a test track driver, her response was one of sheer satisfaction, “No, for the most part, the people who I work with at Pirelli are very welcoming and have done whatever they can to help me succeed,” she continued, “They have given me the training I need and so there was not a big roadblock or anything of the sort.”
Racing Career
Where it all began? When you have an energetic, super competitive toddler, most would look for places to spend that energy. At age three, Hannah says her dad, who raced motorcycles, wanted to get her into ‘some kind of racing.’ Her parents opted for something a bit safer than motorcycles and so on her sixth birthday, they gifted her with a go-kart. The race was on!
Early Years
Karting quickly became her sport and by age 15, (insert pun), she had ‘shifted’ her way to the top with two national championships. I paused and circled back to Hannah’s earlier comment regarding driving at a speed of 160 MPH, inches away from another car, she elaborated, “There’s just something about when you’re driving a race car and you’re going 160 miles per hour and you’re an inch away from another car and you get into this zone, this subconscious state of mind. And I think to me, that’s really my favorite part of racing. It’s almost therapeutic in a way and everything else just goes quiet.”
Pre-Race Jitters
While Hannah has gone on to race and win the 2019 and 2020 Southern California Teen Mazda Challenge Championship as well as become the Southern California Regional NASA (National Auto Sport Association) Spec Miata Champion in 2019, I asked her if there were ever any ‘Pre-race jitters?’ She replied, “Of course you always get Pre-race jitters and stuff but it’s like once that helmet goes on, once I’m driving, it all kind of fades away into the background.”
Father Knows Best
Hannah credits her dad for getting her into racing, as well as a few other things…. luck, competitive spirit, knowing the right people, and her nickname, “Hannah-Zillah.” While this term of endearment came from dear ‘ol dad, she says another nickname she is asked about is, “The Closer,” given to her by an announcer at the racetrack when she was a kid. Hannah says that she would “come alive” the latter part of the race and that’s when she performed her best, thus the nickname.
Home Sweet Home
Home is currently Rome, Georgia, (Pirelli’s U.S.-based headquarters), but home sweet home is Southern California. When Hannah isn’t on the racetrack, she can be found with her family doing something ‘Outdoorsy,’ such as hiking or camping, swimming and going to the beach.
Another piece of home? City of Hope. This is a world class treatment center that Hannah works with that helps raise funds and awareness of childhood cancers and is based near her hometown of Glendora, California. “I am very interested in childhood cancers because it seems under represented. I want to bring some excitement and smiles to kids who may never get to do the things I am doing,” Hannah states.
For the Good of Others
No matter if she is training or competing in a race, test driving new tires or using her platform to be an ambassador of hope for pediatric cancer, Hannah is a winner. What ‘drives her’ on and off the track should be an inspiration to us all.
