"When you are fully focused; you're 100 percent concentrating on the track, on the race car, on what you're feeling. That's when you are at your best."

Time: Preseason 2007
Place: Daytona International Speedway
Event: ARCA Testing

Erin Crocker drives for Evernham Motorsports in the highly competitive NASCAR Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series while trying to work her way to the top in NEXTEL Cup. Crocker, a graduate engineer and only female driver to win a World of Outlaws race is in her third year of the NASCAR team driver development.

Among female drivers Crocker is closest to stepping up to a NEXTEL Cup seat. Many await that next big step for any female. Perhaps season 2007 could be the year for a valid breakthrough. As with all steps not taken uncertain time will pass before female footprints on pit road precedes: gentleman (and lady) (and ladies) start your engines.

For now, words start faster.

Do NASCAR champions and motorsports champions have common traits and abilities, and if so could you identify a few?
"I think for sure they do. They've got determination. They've got passion. I think they all have it. Whatever the sport, business, music or whatever, every one of them has traits in common."

Do race car drivers ever stop learning?
"No. I think that is what Tony Stewart will tell you and I think Kasey Kahne will tell you. I know myself, I'm always learning and there is always more to learn."

Can you compare the challenges you have now to challenges you've had in the past getting here?
"Yeah, along the way you have a lot of different challenges. At some point the challenge is to find money and sponsorship, at other times it is to learn a track or the work on me. Learning the driving and the skill, like I said is something you can always learn. But there's definitely challenges, there are challenges being a women in this sport. There are challenges competing at the level of NASCAR. Life is full of challenges, especially when you're trying to make it to the top level of the sport."

You mention challenges of being a female in NASCAR. You've probably been asked this question a thousand times, but is there a special challenge there?
"Of course there is. I'm different. I'm unique. It's not just me. There are a few other female drivers. There are a lot of advantages too. I'm not one to complain, oh poor me I'm a girl. I might not have had the opportunity to drive for Evernham Motorsports. I might not have had a sponsor like General Mills if it wasn't for a fact that I was a woman. But at the same hand, you're playing against a bunch of male egos. There are advantages and disadvantages."

How do you compare the driving part of your job to the job as a representative of your sponsorship?
"I think that's one thing that I can compare. You asked me to compare the challenges now to the challenges past. In the past, racing sprint cars you didn't really have to deal with media as much. There wasn't as much pressure from sponsors. At this level of racing it's whole different ball game. Your job is not just to get in a race car and have fun and do your best. Now you have performance clauses and contracts. You have media obligations. You have appearances, so life becomes more challenging because scheduling becomes an issue. You're not just working on race cars going to the racetrack; you're now arranging appearances and scheduling your time to get to the shop. So it definitely changes things, but it's a part of it."

Focus is so important; did you acquire that or bring it with you?
"I think that's something that you have to have. I think that comes with passion. If you have a passion for the sport then you want to learn. You want to be the best at something, but you have to be focused. There is no other way about it. When you are fully focused; you're 100 percent concentrating on the track, on the race car, on what you're feeling. That's when you are at your best."

Do you know where you get your fire, your desire to drive?
"Honestly, I don't know where it comes from. I've always been very competitive. I've played every sport in the book. I've played ice hockey, and I've played all of these sports with my brothers. I've always just had a really competitive fire inside me."