b'of the way, she described. Races last for 15 minutes ofHerhobbyoficeracingdovetailsnicelywithher pure exhilaration. profession. Sometimesthereareminorcrashes,usuallycausedAt the age of 18, Jen moved to Toronto to pursue post by poor visibility, she said. In my first season, I couldntsecondary education. She sold cars all through university. even see the four car crash up ahead due to a whiteout. After completing her licensing paperwork, she began Trackconditionsareanotherfactor.Andineachher career in the automotive industry. race, the driving direction is reversed, which may affectOnly23yearsoldnow,Jenhasbeenadealer/performance. ownersinceNovember23,2018. Afterfivelongyears, Often, hundreds of spectators come out to cheer on thein November of 2022, Gray Automotive Sales was trans-drivers and watch the great show. Jen invites Port PerryformedintoGray AutomotiveGroup,sonowshecan residents, many of whom have cottages in the Mindengrow her business by adding other dealerships, such as area, to catch the action at the track. one for new cars.This year, Jen has a team of four drivers entering theOriginally aspiring to become a lawyer, Jen graduated ice racing competitions, including her Dad and two peoplefrom York University with a BA in Criminology, but her new to the sport who usually summer race. passion for vehicles prompted her to switch paths.Im so thankful for my sponsors, Jen commented.HeronlineeducationatHarvardBusinessSchool Policaro Motorsport and Northwest Lexus are sponsoringearned her a Certificate in Negotiations, an important Jen and her team again this year. part of selling.Jen expressed appreciation to Port Perry realtor andWhen not busy running her own business, Jen will be former neighbour Julie Curran, who sponsored her whenbusy trying to defend her championship title this winter.she first started out. Last year, someone anonymously put a pair of those The fleet of four race cars on Jens team will all be cus- classic black and white dice in her racecar.She intends to tom painted by Steve Gray in colours that are to remainkeep this good luck charm in her Lexus during this sea-top secret until race day. sons races. Good luck, Jen!My hope is that we finish one, two, three and four inIf you are interested in the world of ice racing,every race! Jen said of her team. Jen welcomes emails atAs a coach for new ice racers, she encourages morejen@grayautomotivegroup.compeople to enter this fun sport, especially women. ThereOr research SCC Autosport.are only four females in her community of 200 ice racers. By Lynn Campbell, Focus on ScugogAs a woman in a male dominated sport, Jen says she is always treated with respect.The ice racing community is very friendly, she said. After the races, competitors and their supporters often go out for dinner, or they might gather at the cottage that Jen is renting in Minden for the racing season, to enjoy some nachos and a social time.Jenstartedoutracinggo-karts.Comparatively,Ice racing is low stress compared to kart racing, and less ex-pensive, she noted. She also does some summer racingIs it time to clean up your property? at various tracks in Ontario, including the Canadian TireWE PAY CA$H FOR SCRAP!Motorsports Park in Bowmanville. But ice racing is herDEMOLITION. CASH FOR SCRAP. BIN SERVICESreal passion.Topromoteherbelovedsport,Jenwasakeynote speaker on Learning and Leadership at the Empowering Auto Conference last November. She also did a podcast for Autotrader.ca.Port Perry Salvage Inc. & Demolition132 Reach Industrial Park Rd., Port PerryYard 905-985-61211-877-587-4557FOCUS - FEBRUARY 202335'