By day, Michelle Bryan is a claims processor at Aultman MSO. On the weekends, she’s a “gear head” who loves to build cars and spend time at the racetrack.

“My dad is a mechanic, and I was a tomboy growing up,” she said. “I was his sidekick, in the garage with him at a very early age. He took me to my first drag race when I was 5 or 6 – and I was hooked.”

Michelle and her dad continue to fix cars and attend various races. Michelle has even gotten behind the wheel to compete, racing her restored 1968 Camaro at speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour. “To me, the appeal is that it’s a legal adrenaline rush,” she shared. “Plus it’s a guy’s sport – and I like being a female who knows more about cars than half of the guys there.”

Although racing is dangerous by nature, every effort is made to protect the drivers. “In the top sportsman’s class, for example, the cars reach speeds of 230 miles an hour,” she explained. “That sounds scary, but the racetrack is a controlled environment – just two drivers, a straight track and lights. Every vehicle undergoes an inspection before the race to ensure equipment like the safety harness is working correctly.”  

One fateful day at Norwalk Raceway, Michelle met the man who would one day become her husband. “Scott’s motto is that he’d rather build it than buy it, so we love restoring vehicles together,” she said. “We can look at a vehicle that’s nothing more than a pile of parts to most people – but we can see the potential. It’s so cool to transform a vehicle from a frame to the finished product.”

Michelle and Scott’s young sons – 5-year-old Wyatt (pictured above) and 3-year-old Weston – are carrying on the family tradition. “The boys were involved, as much as they could be given how young they are, in helping us restore a 1929 Ford Model A,” Michelle said. “I like that everyone is spending time together out in the garage.”

The Bryan family spends many weekends from mid-April through Halloween at Norwalk Raceway, which Michelle calls the Taj Mahal of Ohio racetracks. “Our racecar hauler has living quarters, so we’ll camp out on the weekends at the track,” she offered. “It’s a family atmosphere and, in this day and age, offers a safer environment than many other places. We pit by people we know, so we can share tools and help each other.”

Michelle’s dad is recovering from hip surgery, so he turned his treasure trove of tools over to her. “He wants to teach our family everything he knows,” she said. “My kids are going to have a car addiction, and that’s fine with me. They’re learning mechanical skills that will last a lifetime.”