Pro Racer Leah Pruett In Driving Gear Says “Happy Hemi Day”

Professional drag racer Leah Pruett is celebrating an important day in the automotive world—Hemi Day, in honor of when the 426-cubic-inch HEMI V8 engine was launched in 1964. Pruett, 35, shared a picture of herself wearing a black tank top that perfectly accentuated her ripped shoulders and arms, walking with her driving suit on. “Wishing you all a Happy #HEMI Day! 🎉 #HappyHemiDay #HEMIDay #426,” she captioned the post. Here’s what Pruett’s intense strength and health regimen looks like.

1. Endurance Training

For Pruett and other professional racers, racing is very much about endurance, so she mixes up cardio with strength training. "Race weekends often mean sixteen hour days," she told Inc. "Running from event to event, meeting sponsors, packing parachutes, mixing fuel, doing media... race days are extremely high-paced and intense. I can't operate at that level if I don't condition for that level." "The number one premise behind my fitness and conditioning is reaction time," she says. "Your leg can't be shaking from holding the clutch in for a long time, you can't be tired, you can't be lethargic..."

2. Careful About Diet

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Pruett is careful about her diet as any fluctuations could impact her driving. "In the off-season the team may spend weeks shaving 5 pounds off a particular spot on the car," she told Inc. "But if I'm capable of shaving 5 pounds off of me (laughs) just through my time and my work ethic... why wouldn't I? When I eat a normal meal, within 30 minutes I feel myself start to get lethargic. So I maintain a protein and leafy diet: For example, grilled chicken with as much hot sauce as I can to put some flavor in (laughs) and broccoli."

3. Plank Variations

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Pruett does her own “knee to opposite elbow” variation of a plank. “The pure adrenaline of driving produces the ultimate thrill,” she told SELF. “I love not only the speed, but the competition and intensity of getting everything right on every pass. Every move inside the car counts… I like this move because it works all the muscles in your core, including the abdominal, back and pelvic muscles. When these muscles are strong, you feel better, look better and have more energy.”

4. Wakesurfing For Fun

Pruett wakesurfs in her free time, finding it a perfect complement to her racing. "I started wakesurfing two years ago," she told Inc. "Every time I'm on the board I'm pushing for my mind to understand what my feet are doing and to develop better foot control. When you're balancing on a board, balance is something you don't think about. You just do it. But to do tricks I literally have to 'tell' my feet try this, try this a little more. In the car when my mind says go my feet have to say go... and wakesurfing helps me build that connection between my brain and my feet.”

5. Diversity In Racing

Pruett is proud to be a role model to up and coming female drivers, and has plenty to prove. “From a driver’s standpoint in the space, I feel like I’ve always had to prove myself more as a female,” she told Engine Builder. “One, my dad told me I would never be as good as the boys, so I focused on being better than the boys. To further prove my worth, I said I would never want to be a helmet back driver, much less a female helmet back driver. That has pushed me to work on the cars, build them from a chassis standpoint with the Funny Car crew, perform clutch work, etc.”

Professional racer Hailie Deegan is giving fans a look at what a typical day is like, both on the track and off. Deegan, 22, shared a reel of herself wearing a black tank top and hat, ready to hit the ground running. “The average day at the dirt track 😉,” she captioned the post. “Nice. You are definitely a wheel girl,” a fan commented. Deegan says she was into cars when other girls were playing with dolls—and she’s only just begun her journey. Here’s how the racer stays fit, happy, and focused.

1. Boxing Workouts

Deegan says working out is necessary for her mental and physical state. “I love working out,” she told ARCA Racing. “I feel like I get a lot of emotions built up racing. It’s a very emotional sport. So working out is the way I can take it out. Boxing I love it. If I have a bad race, that’s how I take it out. Let’s go boxing. My trainer even knows. He’s like ‘you’re having a bad day aren’t you, I can see the anger on your face.’”

2. She’s a Foodie

Deegan refuses to eat spicy food or chicken but everything else is on the table. “I get on kicks, like kicks of certain food,” she told Jeff Gluck. “I’d say two months ago, I was on this California Pizza Kitchen kick, where like I went there and ate a gluten free pizza like every single day. And now I’m on this P.F. Chang’s kick. But like, I’m on a sushi kick too; I love sushi. And honestly, I love Mexican food. I love everything. Everything.”

3. Race Day Workouts

Deegan relies on caffeine and workouts to give her an energy boost. “I always like to work out on race day and get my body moving,” she told ARCA Racing. “I always drink a lot of pre-workout. It’s probably a problem and I know when I don’t have any I get a headache but I live off of caffeine and coffee. Before a race I always get a double or triple scoop of pre-workout and put it inside my bottle for my car but I always end up drinking it under one caution at the very beginning.”

4. Put the Work In

Deegan credits her father with her love for racing. “He’s the reason I’m good at this,” she told Salisbury Post. “He’s always like, ‘If you’re not 110 percent into this you’re not going to make it.’ “So I train my butt off when I’m off the track. I work out all the time. I’m always watching film. I practice all the time. I have a dirt oval in my backyard that I practice on, and a road course. I race late models, go karts. Anything I can get in.”

5. Always Be Prepared

Deegan says preparation is crucial for success on the track. “It takes a lot of time and a lot of hard work. It’s not just a race weekend thing,” she told ARCA Racing. “It’s not just a race day thing. It is all the work that goes into it. The buildup into it. That is why Daytona was so special to me, because there was so much work that went into it. There were so many deals that I had to get put together. It took a lot of time and a lot of sacrifice. We spent a lot of time going to Daytona before the race, practicing and testing and simulator time, day after day, and different things I did to prepare for that race.”

Model and professional racecar driver Lindsay Brewer is lending her time and racing skills to a very good cause. Brewer, 26, shared pictures of herself wearing black leggings and a cropped athletic jacket, flashing the peace sign for the camera. “What a great day with @kart4kidsproam raising money for Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital🏁 I got to battle it out on track with some great drivers all while supporting a great cause🤍,” she captioned the post. Brewer has big dreams and some serious goals to reach—here’s what her training and wellness routine looks like.

1. Building Strength

Brewer switched up her workout routine to focus on building strength and muscle. “I´ve had to up it significantly,” she told Behind the Helmet. “I do a combination of a CrossFit-type regimen along with help from the people at PitFit. As a smaller driver at 5’4” and 105 lbs, I need to get my strength up to that of my teammates and competitors who are 150 lbs or so on average. I plan on pushing myself harder in the off-season in order to make sure strength is not an issue.”

2. Endurance Training

Brewer’s training is also heavily focused on endurance. “Racing is much more physical than people think,” she told OK!. “People think you just turn the wheel but it's so much more. There are so many G force, there’s no power steering — it’s the most physical sport I’ve ever done. So there are certain workout routines I do as a race car driver that aren't typical. I do a lot of bodyweight training and a lot of cardio because your endurance is a big deal. I also do grip strength exercises for the wheel. But the best training I can do is track time. It works specific muscles you just can’t hit in the gym.”

3. Inspired By Danica Patrick

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Brewer is inspired by Danica Patrick’s success. “We're around the same body build, and if Danica could do it, why can't I?" she told PEOPLE. “I'm a different person [behind the wheel]. I'm super nice off the track, and then as soon as I put my helmet on I'm much more aggressive and different than what people would assume. It's been cool to push myself. I know I can do anything that these guys can do. I know I'm quicker. I know I can do it."

4. Casual Style

Brewer’s personal style is laid back. “It’s very casual, very simple,” she told OK!. “I like to keep things very chic, I like neutral colors. If you look at my page, there are definitely a lot of jeans and black crop tops. Cool and casual. I don't wear anything too extravagant, but I’m trying to get better at that. I’ve been experimenting with my style… I just ordered a Ferrari racing jacket for myself. I actually want to implement that style more into my everyday fashion. And I want to put more fashion into the racing world. I just designed my own racing suit. It’s all white with rainbow chevron. I’m also designing some new merch now.”

5. Proud Role Model

Brewer hopes more women take an interest in the racing world. “I think it's a sport where men and women can compete on a relatively equal level,” she told Behind the Helmet. “Most other sports are so different in physical demand and strength, and motorsports, although holds a differential, still gives us a relatively equal chance and I really think that’s a cool thing, that we have a coed sport that is one of the most followed sports in the world.”

Racing driver Katherine Legge is British but moved to the United States years ago, and clearly loves her new home. Legge, 43, shared a picture of herself on social media, wearing a bikini while posing on a boat with two friends, looking happy in the sunshine. Her caption highlighted how much she appreciates the friends she has made while on the other side of the pond. “Beyond grateful for the freedom and opportunities this amazing country and special people have afforded me. Celebrating surrounded by friends and fun and sunshine,” she captioned the post. Legge trains hard to be a champion—here’s what it takes.

1. Child Racer

Legge has been racing for a very long time. “I started karting when I was 9 years old,” she says. “Ever since then I love the adrenaline rush, the competition with others, the speed, the focus it gave me, the need to be smart about engineering the car to be fast, and the competition with myself to continue to grow and get better. It’s pretty much my identity at this point.”

2. Avocado Toast

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Legge starts the day with either avocado toast or a protein smoothie. A recent study from UCLA shows eating avocado can greatly benefit skin health. “In the bigger context, skin is a part of the body and you can’t just rely on topical treatment to keep your skin in great health,” says Zhaoping Li, MD, chief of the division of clinical nutrition at UCLA. “Skin health is only going to go so far, especially if your body is not in the best condition. What we have learned from this study is that avocado is a very unique fruit. It has a lot of fibers, monounsaturated fatty acids and phytonutrients and it has an impact on many, if not all, of the organ systems inside of our body.”

3. Off-Track Training

When she’s not racing, Legge stays active through her workouts. “I’m either training, running, riding my bike or in the gym, doing racing-related business activities or in the yard or playing golf!” she says. “In my heart, I have always been focused on racing – making the most out of the opportunities I have had, and fighting for new opportunities. Like all professional sports, it is difficult to succeed in racing. I wasn’t always sure at the beginning of my career if I would make it to the top levels of the sport, but I always was single minded and focused on doing so.”

4. Running and Stairs

Legge loves to run outside and do the stairs when the gym is not an option. “Running! You can do that anywhere and I need to do cardio for racing,” she says. “Racing is an endurance-based sport. You are in a hot cockpit for hours at a time, dealing with high-g loads under braking, acceleration and cornering; very heavy steering and even greater braking forces, so it’s important to do plenty of hot sweaty running outside in the heat to adapt! There are also a lot of stretches and core exercises you can do on the road too. I need to do more stretching!”

5. Coffee First Thing

Legge enjoys a cup of antioxidant-packed coffee every day. “There aren’t a lot of downsides to drinking moderate amounts of coffee — and in fact, it can have positive effects on your health,” says registered dietitian Devon Peart, RD, MHSc, BASc. “The latest research is showing that it’s not the antioxidants per se that make coffee, in moderation, beneficial. It’s actually the phenolic compounds… Coffee is made from beans, a plant food. Research is showing that the phenolic components in coffee provide health-promoting effects similar to those in vegetables or fruits.”

Danish racing driver Christina Nielsen is fearless both on and off the racing track—not even sharks faze her. Nielsen, 31, is passionate about diving in the ocean and shared pictures of herself underwater in a wetsuit, swimming next to a giant whale shark. “This gentle giant put a massive smile on my face today 😍🐳🌊,” she captioned the post. “Such incredible animals!” a fan commented. Here’s how Nielsen got her start in racing, and what her favorite cars are.

1. Racing In the Family

Nielsen’s father is famous racing champion Lars Erik Nielsen, but he didn’t introduce her to the sport. “My dad was not the instigator,” she says. “Yes, he was racing, but I played tennis and I really didn’t have an interest in racing until I got invited to a day at the go-kart track. I thought it was a lot of fun, the adrenaline kick and being behind the wheel. Tennis is very much about being a perfectionist and so is racing, so it really caught my attention. But after that, it’s definitely a passion that my dad and I shared together and he’s been a huge part of forming my career throughout the years, for the majority of my career. So he’s definitely played a big role, but he was actually not the first to introduce me to it.”

2. Proud to Compete

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Nielsen has never seen her gender as a barrier in the racing world. “At the end of the day, I am proud to be a female competing on such a high level, but most importantly, I am proud to be a driver who competes at that level,” she says. “My personal statement is about the fact that nothing, including your gender, should stop you from pursuing your dreams and doing what you want.”

3. Her Favorite Cars

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Nielsen passed her driving test at 17 and got a Seat Ibiza Cupra as her first car. “I walked into the showroom and there was this black beauty,” she says. “I fell for the Cupra immediately…. Soon I decided I needed a more frugal diesel. An Audi A3 TDI was the obvious choice but I found it very boring. By then I was competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup in Germany. I got my kicks on the racetrack. I raced an Aston Martin Vantage V12 in the SportsCar Championship and Pirelli World Challenge. The Aston is a great car on the racetrack but I needed something sensible for my daily commute here in Los Angeles.”

4. Women Racing

Nielsen is happy more and more women are taking part in the sport. “I am seeing way more women on the grid in my line of racing than 10 years ago, which I really love,” she says. “It’s not only about just being there, it’s also about being competitive. When I was living in the US, I had an organization called Accelerating Change together with my business partner, where we put on track days for women, trying to be that springboard for them to explore our passion for being behind the wheel and driving in a safe space where they could progress. I call us a springboard because a lot of women might have done their first track day ever with us.”

5. Diving With Sharks

Nielsen dives with sharks, which doesn’t scare her anymore. “I recently took my diving certificate,” she says. “I actually hired a guy who does underwater photography who does excursions in different places of the world which are very authentic. When you’re in the ocean, it’s not about having the fanciest boat but about having the right crew with the right equipment going to the right location. Outside of racing, I feel like I had to find something else that was going to be pushing my comfort zones.”