A glamorous Oklahoma woman is doing everything she can to break barriers by becoming the first female speedway in her town and opening a welding shop to inspire young girls.
Emme Hughes, 21, of Enid, has been racing for the past 12 years and finally earned her first win in the Sport Mods/B-Mods division on June 1 at Enid Speedway, where she was the only woman in the race.
“I felt very excited,” Hughes told DailyMail.com on Wednesday. “It was nerve-wracking, but at the same time, [I had] an adrenaline rush.’
It was only the sixth time she had raced her mirrorless B-Mod car. She previously raced sprint cars, but until recently her 78-year-old grandfather and former racer, Ted Shepard, became too ill to work on her car.
Her father, Shawn Hughes, bought the B-Mod car for her and the rest is history.
Emme Hughes, 21, of Enid, has been racing for the past 12 years and finally took her first win on June 1 at Enid Speedway in the Sport Mods/B-Mods division, where she was the only woman in the race
“I felt very excited,” Hughes told DailyMail.com on Wednesday. “It was nerve-wracking, but at the same time, [I had] an adrenaline rush.’ It was only the sixth time she had raced her B-Mod car, having previously driven sprint cars
Although Shepard was too ill to attend her race, he was “super excited” when he heard she had won her first race.
“He said, ‘I knew you’d do that soon,’” Hughes recalled. “He just believed in me more than I’ll ever know.”
Her grandfather used to race cars at Enid Speedway and is a household name in their town of 50,000.
“I can’t go anywhere without someone asking, ‘Are you Ted Shepard’s granddaughter?’” Hughes said with a laugh.
The 21-year-old Oklahoman grew up in a large racing family and often missed birthday parties and other youthful rites of passage because she was too busy at the track. Still, she has no regrets, as it brought her family closer together.
She even had a running track in her backyard growing up so she could “focus on her sport” and become a “driven person.”
These skills now help her protect herself when male racers get too angry about a woman participating in the sport.
At age 18, Hughes opened her welding shop, EH Metal Works, which specialized in making cattle fencing, artwork and signs, with the help of her grandfather, who also owned a welding business
She remembers spending a lot of time in Shepard’s old Dodge truck, eating donuts and listening to Reba McEntire on the way to her grandfather’s shop — the place where she learned to weld at age six
“I’ve been shouted at,” she told DailyMail.com, revealing that rough play and fights are common at racing events. “I can’t help being a woman in a male-dominated field.”
But she will accept the misplaced criticism to continue motivating young girls to pursue their dreams.
At age 18, Hughes opened her welding shop, EH Metal Works, specializing in making cattle fencing, artwork and signs, with help from her grandfather, who also owned a welding business.
She remembers spending a lot of time in Shepard’s old Dodge truck, eating donuts and listening to Reba McEntire on the way to her grandfather’s shop — the place where she learned to weld at age six.
Using his old equipment and business advice, Hughes set out to build her own business and has never looked back. She now has three employees and is setting up workshops to help young girls and boys learn the basics of entrepreneurship and welding.
Her father, Shawn Hughes, bought her the B-Mod car and the rest is history
And she plans to keep winning competitions to show young girls that they can do it too.
“All I do is eat, sleep, work and race,” she told DailyMail.com. “I hope to do this for the rest of my life.”
And she isn’t afraid to add a little pink to a space traditionally dominated by men.
“Staying in my feminine energy while doing something that is considered a male-dominated industry, I love being able to embrace myself,” Hughes said KOMO News.
“I’m still the modern-day Rosie the Riveter, you know?” she continued. “If any little girls want to come into my store and learn, please do. I’d love it.”
