Teen driver looks forward to first professional race

The Honda Grand Prix is roaring into St. Petersburg for three days of racing on the city's waterfront.

While most drivers participating in the event have years behind the wheel, for one young driver, this is her first professional race.

Shea Holbrook, 19, of Groveland, near Orlando, has no sponsors for her Acura TSX race car. In fact, she's hoping to raise money for her favorite charity, "Parent Project, Muscular Dystrophy," by driving at the Grand Prix.

She has four years of driving experience, but admits she's a little nervous.

"I think once I grip the wheel hard and I'm on the grid, some nerves might be going," she said. "But once I put the pedal down, they just to start fade away and all I'm thinking about is just executing what I need to do."

She said she got the bug for racing from father, Jeff, who also drives. He took her to the Richard Petty Driving Experience and gave instructors the "thumbs-up" for more speed.

"As soon as I buckled my belt, I was like, 'Let's go' because I've always had a need for speed. And really, since then, the rest is history," said Holbrook.

She will race Saturday and Sunday in the touring-class race. Much faster cars will be on the track at the same time, which means she will have to keep her eyes on her rear-view mirror as well as the windshield.

She admitted the sport has its perils, but insists gears installed in her Acrua increase the safety margin.

"To be completely honest with you, it is a risky sport," Holbrook said. "But if you think about it, you can just look into the car. You have so much more safety equipment than what you do in your everyday street car."

Her mother said she is also a little nervous, knowing her daughter is traveling at 140 mph. But she said she couldn't possibly stop her.

"I have confidence that she has some talent and made sure that she had training," Erin Holbrook said. "...She absolutely loves it."

Besides, her mother added, driving around Orlando is sometimes much more scary.