Morden racing star Danny Korne has been behind the wheel of some incredibly fast vehicles, and as she gets ready to conclude her racing career, there is still one more car she wants to drive before she parks for good.
Starting her engine
Racing became a part of Korne's life early and easily. "I grew up in racing," she says proudly. "My dad used to race, but not once did I ever think that I would get behind the wheel. Back in 2016, the old owner of the speed track here, he offered me a pure stock to race, and I said, 'okay, I'll try it.' It has been history since then, it stuck."
Inside the mind of a racer
Moments before or getting ready for a race Korne says there's a lot going on mentally and physically. "I mean, I guess for everyone it's different, but for me, the second I am strapped in and I'm sitting in staging, my heart is racing in the best way possible. I'm trying to remember what the track is like, if it's going to be slick, if it's going to be tacky, what are we thinking? Do I need to make sure I ease up in the corners, do I just giv'er, what do I do? I'm just trying to plan the race, before I race it."
It's not like the movies, Korne says, things don't go into slow motion for her. "It's hard to say, but I don't know, I think for me, the whole time I am just full adrenaline the entire time, for the full race," she says with her trademark excitement and smile. "I can't say it ever really stops until I'm actually out of the truck, and I can see the truck is in once piece and everything is good. It actually doesn't until pretty much I go to bed," she says with a laugh.
What is Super Truck
Being a super truck racer, Korne explains what it is exactly. "It's basically what it sounds like," she chuckles. "It looks like a truck, we go pretty fast, there's not much more."
While the explanation may be short, getting the details of a vehicle take a little longer, though Korne says she has the best help around. "I'm not 100% knowledgeable about what is happening or what is going on, but I'm very good at describing to my dad like, it's making this noise, and then my dad just fixes it. When it comes to setup and everything, I am very adamint, it has to be a specific way. Sometimes, we can get a little loud, if things are not done the way I want, because at the end of the day, I'm the driver, I know how to wheel this thing, I know what it needs. It's a love-hate sometimes in the pit," she laughs.
Career highlight hit this season
This year has been special for Korne, and she has a career best as a cheery on top. " This year was very exciting. The last race, I believe in July, I actually got third place. For me, that's huge. We are very backyard racers, we can't afford the fancy high end stuff, so it was really exciting to get the truck completely dialed in, and I got that third place this year. It was actually amazing."
Father/Daughter time
Through every race, from every start of the engine, to every rotation of the tires, Korne says her dad has been by her side, and that has been her favourite memories. "I wouldn't trade it for the world," she says proudly. "Growing up, I have always been daddy's little girls, and even now that I'm 31, I'm still daddy's little girl, and we're always side by side doing something that we love. It's such a great feeling, I can't explain it."
One last car for one last ride
This year is shaping up to be her last behind the wheel, but there is still one more thing to check off the racing bucket list. "Unfortunately, just with life and with other aspects of it, it's just not in the books for next year or maybe the year after. So, we've decided that the only race car I actually haven't raced in, is a late model. My dad being my dad, he had to find a late model for me to get out at least once or twice this year, just so I can officially say that I've been in every race car."
Teaching the next generation of racers
Racing has always been a love for Korne, and she says she has loved sharing it with younger racers, and would love to continue to do so. "100%, that's my favourite part at the end of racing, when they open the pit and all the kids come to meet the racers, I'm the one, I'm throwing them in the race car, I'm turning the race car on for them. I'm instilling in them, that they want to get into racing, and I am here to help them with that."