Travis Shumake is not the lip-syncing kind of drag racer, but he hopes his title as the fastest out gay driver in motorsports (319 mph!) can be just as significant for the LGBTQ+ community. “In addition to driving really fast, I hold space in the conservative world of motorsports for other car and racing motorsports enthusiasts who don’t fit the traditional racing mold,” says Shumake, who this year purchased his own National Hot Rod Association team.
“After thousands of ‘nos’ from sponsors and teams, and people telling me to be ‘less gay’ if I wanted to fit in, I decided the only way I could be my authentic self was to own my own shit,” he says. Now the goal is to get a big LGBTQ+ slice of the $8 billion motorsports sponsorship pie.
As a full-time employee of the Ali Forney Center, a former foster dad, and endless advocate for unhoused youth, Shumake believes in the power of being a role model. As queer people, “we all fight for equality and representation in our subcultures, sports, and societies,” Shumake says. “We have to divide and conquer.” @travieshu
