TRAVIS SHUMAKE: WORKING TO RAISE LGBTQ VISIBILITY IN RACING

 

Travis Shumake wants to impact the future of racing.  He hopes that being a gay man in the sport will allow others like him to feel proud and welcome at racing events.  Travis, whose father, Tripp Shumake was a legndary "Funny Car" driver, has set out to continue his family's passion for racing and become a voice for inclusion.

He is hoping to compete as the world's first openly LGBTQ Funny Car driver in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). He wants to push for more inclusivity in racing, and engage new fans in a sport known for its conservative politics and culture very often found on competitive racetracks.

"I want to open a door for people to feel accepted who have been around the sport forever, for drivers who are in the sport, or fans in the sport that maybe aren't comfortable talking about their sexuality," he said.

Travis and his father raced shifter karts, which are mechanically enhanced versions of go-karts used for race training. He said competitive go-karting enabled him to bond with his father during a transformative time in his life.

"In my teen years as I was coming out and realizing I was gay, the thing that kept my dad and I closest was racing," Travis said. "He's a very strong Christian man and we didn't ever talk about me being gay. And I had never come out to him prior to when he passed, but racing was our thing."

NASCAR and racing in general have recently been making strides with regard to female, African American and Hispanic drivers with world champions since the 1970s. But there has been almost no LGBTQ visibility in the sport.

"My hope is to leverage my dad's legacy in the sport, my desire, and my diversity to show that the sport is open and not as conservative as it may appear on the outside," Travis said. "Some of these extremely conservative, wealthy race-car drivers were taking off, they were doubling their money for the race, and just putting giant Trump stickers on all of their race cars," Travis added. 

Travis hopes to show that the sport of racing can become more diverse and inclusive. However, as an advocate for the LGBTQ community, Travis feels the pressure of being the spokesperson for a people who are often excluded.  A recent accident shook his confidence. In November, as he was racing during the process to get his professional Funny Car license, he hit a wall and broke two ribs.

"I really hit a wall at 188 mph," he said. It was only his 18th time down the racetrack in his career. "That's pretty early to be in an accident," Travis said. 

Travis knows that he is able to become an advocate and engage with this divisive topic due to a certain level of privilege provided by his father's legacy and his previous work as development director at the Phoenix-based nonprofit One-n-Ten, which works with disadvantaged or homeless LGBTQ youth. 

One of the coolest parts for Travis has been his interactions with fans he sees at races. 

"People will yell my name and I'll be taking photos with people who are gay and are at the races and they're like, 'You know, me and my husband have come to this race every year for the last 30 years. And we're just so excited that you're here. Thank you for doing this.'"

"There's a pressure to perform and to not set back in the movement or, as the representative of gay drivers, to make sure that I'm saying the right things and doing the right things to continue to allow that door to be open."

According to a National Hot Rod Association article in October, Travis "made a full pass under power in 4.009 seconds at 319.62 mph, speeding into the record books as the fastest LGTBQ+ driver across all professional motorsports."

Travis hopes to continue his goal of becoming a professional driver and inclusivity advocate. We send our best wishes  and support to him, and hope he reaches his goal.