Mom to Many

The job of a typical mother is concentrated for 18 years and then gradually eases, but for Georgia Seipel, the role of mom just keeps on going and doesn't look to be letting up any time soon. Georgia's maternal instincts, along with a fair portion of common sense and a head for business, have been critical in her 20-plus years as the dragstrip manager at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma.

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Georgia Seipel

Most of the regular racers at Infineon refer to Georgia as mom, but only one has her name on his birth certificate: multi-time and multi-category national event winner and bracket racing standout Kyle Seipel, who was virtually raised at the dragstrip. Long before Georgia accepted her position at Infineon, she was going to the races with her husband, Ted, an avid competitor for over four decades who is currently wheeling entries in Super Gas and Super Stock.

"It was easy bringing Kyle along to the races," said Georgia. "He always enjoyed it, and the racers treated him really well. There were a bunch of built-in babysitters there, and it was a big family. He had a lot of people watching over him, and when he got old enough, he wanted to start racing himself. Of course, I was okay with that."

Georgia and family

Georgia wasn't much into the drag racing scene before she met Ted, but her world quickly changed when they got together. Before they married, the dragstrip was a common location for their dates, and the young Mrs. Seipel grew to appreciate the sport and took to the 1320 herself, competing at the divisional level and at various bracket races.

"After Teddy and I had been married for about 15 years, he teased me that I couldn't drive his race car, and then he dared me," Georgia recalled. "Well, after that, I started learning how to drive. I drove for a good 10 years, until Kyle was almost 16, and then the manager at Fremont (Baylands Raceway) was let go and the owner asked me if I would like to try to run it. I said, 'I don't know what I'm doing, but sure.' I started running it and really started to like it. It was fun then, and it's still fun now."

She began her career in track management at Baylands and eventually accepted the position at Infineon, cautiously stepping into shoes more commonly filled by men.

"When I first started, I was one of just a few female managers," recalled Georgia. "People just didn't know what to expect, and the saying was 'people didn't know whether to hug you or hit you.' Being accepted was really good, and I've been around it long enough now that I think people trust my judgment.

"It can be hard, because safety is my first priority. When the conditions aren't quite right, that's where, as a mom, I think we worry more than the men do, sometimes. I would never run anybody on what I feel is an unsafe track, and that's a tough call to have to make."

Georgia handles everything from organizing and running the races at Infineon to managing the crew who prepare and maintain the track, and they all work together to keep everything running smoothly. There really is no "away from the track" for Georgia; on off-weekends, she's usually with Ted or Kyle on the road, hitting six or seven national events a year and around six divisional events, but she makes time for 4 1/2 year old granddaughter Sydney, whom she calls "wonderful" and considers one of the best perks of being a mother, whenever possible.

Whether she's on the homefront or in the pits, the role of mom -- and grandma -- is well-suited for the Northern California-based drag racing enthusiast.

"Good golly, I'm 70 years old, and I've known so many of these guys for so long," said Georgia. "If anyone has any problems, I just try to help them along. I sort of mother everybody and make sure they don't get into trouble.

Bernie Fedderly and Georgia

"I enjoy all of this. I like watching everyone have a good time and seeing their expressions when they win for the first time. It was pretty cool when Kyle won his first national event at Seattle, and I'm blessed to have some really good High School kids (racing at Infineon Raceway)," said Georgia.

"I'm proud of all my kids, and I'll do this as long as I can."