Whitefish Pilot
Kimberley Barreda, of Whitefish, is a fast girl. She thinks fast, firing off
frequent quips and pointed retorts. She talks fast, covering a lot of
ground over the course of a typical conversation.
She skis fast, placing in the top 5 percent in the Big Mountain Big
Vertical. And next month she’ll have the opportunity to drive fast —
like NASCAR fast.
“Once I got pulled over on Highway 93 coming into town. The cop asked
me why I passed him going 20 miles over the speed limit,” she said.
“And I said, ‘Because I didn’t see you.’ It just slipped out.”
Barreda, who has lived with a disability her entire life as a double
above-the-knee amputee, works as an advocate for people with
disabilities and as associate editor for “Active Living” magazine. She
first got involved with Accessible Racing to write a story about the
company, which builds modified NASCAR cars for use by people with
disabilities.
Accessible Racing, started by Brian Hanaford and Peter Ruprecht, seeks
to provide the ultimate driving experience to people with
disabilities. On June 13, in Andover, Mass., and Woodstock, N.H.,
Barreda and a team of five other celebrity drivers will be among the
first to test it out. None of the drivers will have driven the racecar
before that day.
“I don’t want to crash,” Barreda said. “I probably won’t. I think
girls are better drivers than men.”
And while Barreda’s theory may or may not be true, the racing event
next month will pit able-bodied drivers against drivers with
disabilities.
The drivers will attend “skid school” on a skid pad and autocross
course the first day and graduate to an oval course for the race that
afternoon. The final runoff will feature the Accessible Racing Drivers
versus the Pedal Pushing All Stars.
“Right now, we’re testing the racer to see if it’s super speedway
compliant,” Hanaford said. “That’s the direction we’re headed.”
Just like NASCAR drivers, each of the Accessible Racing team drivers
will have to drum up his or her own sponsorships. Hanaford pointed out
that racing is expensive and in order to succeed, drivers need to
figure out how to attract corporate America. The event is slated to be
filmed as a reality show and broadcast on PBS.
“There’s not a Sunday afternoon NASCAR driver who funds their program out of pocket,” he said. “They can go
faster with more money.”
This first event is meant to bring awareness to the opportunity and
introduce the nation to the idea of modified racing for people with
disabilities. Each of the Accessible Racing drivers is paying his or
own way to the events and donating their time to the cause.
“Just because I can’t stand up doesn’t mean I can’t step up,” Barreda
said .
Hanaford said he selected Barreda because of her unmatched drive and
don’t-take-no-for-an-answer enthusiasm. He said she’s precisely the
type of person he wants on his team.
“Nine times out of 10, I’d take someone with a disability and the
right attitude over someone able-bodied with a piss-poor attitude,” he
said. “Kim always does as much as is humanly possible.”
Incidentally, Barreda never wrote the article on Accessible Racing.
But she feels fortunate to have taken on a more integral role with the
organization. She approaches the whole event as an opportunity to make
a statement.
“To me, it’s about getting even one person out of bed and into the
car,” she said. “It’s a success if one kid with a disability sees this
on TV and thinks, ‘Maybe I can do that, too.’”
frequent quips and pointed retorts. She talks fast, covering a lot of
ground over the course of a typical conversation.
She skis fast, placing in the top 5 percent in the Big Mountain Big
Vertical. And next month she’ll have the opportunity to drive fast —
like NASCAR fast.
“Once I got pulled over on Highway 93 coming into town. The cop asked
me why I passed him going 20 miles over the speed limit,” she said.
“And I said, ‘Because I didn’t see you.’ It just slipped out.”
Barreda, who has lived with a disability her entire life as a double
above-the-knee amputee, works as an advocate for people with
disabilities and as associate editor for “Active Living” magazine. She
first got involved with Accessible Racing to write a story about the
company, which builds modified NASCAR cars for use by people with
disabilities.
Accessible Racing, started by Brian Hanaford and Peter Ruprecht, seeks
to provide the ultimate driving experience to people with
disabilities. On June 13, in Andover, Mass., and Woodstock, N.H.,
Barreda and a team of five other celebrity drivers will be among the
first to test it out. None of the drivers will have driven the racecar
before that day.
“I don’t want to crash,” Barreda said. “I probably won’t. I think
girls are better drivers than men.”
And while Barreda’s theory may or may not be true, the racing event
next month will pit able-bodied drivers against drivers with
disabilities.
The drivers will attend “skid school” on a skid pad and autocross
course the first day and graduate to an oval course for the race that
afternoon. The final runoff will feature the Accessible Racing Drivers
versus the Pedal Pushing All Stars.
“Right now, we’re testing the racer to see if it’s super speedway
compliant,” Hanaford said. “That’s the direction we’re headed.”
Just like NASCAR drivers, each of the Accessible Racing team drivers
will have to drum up his or her own sponsorships. Hanaford pointed out
that racing is expensive and in order to succeed, drivers need to
figure out how to attract corporate America. The event is slated to be
filmed as a reality show and broadcast on PBS.
“There’s not a Sunday afternoon NASCAR driver who funds their program out of pocket,” he said. “They can go
faster with more money.”
This first event is meant to bring awareness to the opportunity and
introduce the nation to the idea of modified racing for people with
disabilities. Each of the Accessible Racing drivers is paying his or
own way to the events and donating their time to the cause.
“Just because I can’t stand up doesn’t mean I can’t step up,” Barreda
said .
Hanaford said he selected Barreda because of her unmatched drive and
don’t-take-no-for-an-answer enthusiasm. He said she’s precisely the
type of person he wants on his team.
“Nine times out of 10, I’d take someone with a disability and the
right attitude over someone able-bodied with a piss-poor attitude,” he
said. “Kim always does as much as is humanly possible.”
Incidentally, Barreda never wrote the article on Accessible Racing.
But she feels fortunate to have taken on a more integral role with the
organization. She approaches the whole event as an opportunity to make
a statement.
“To me, it’s about getting even one person out of bed and into the
car,” she said. “It’s a success if one kid with a disability sees this
on TV and thinks, ‘Maybe I can do that, too.’”