Amber Lynn’s long road back leads to triumph

Two weeks ago, Amber Lynn stunned the Bowman Gray Stadium racing community with her announcement that she would be returning to the cockpit of a racecar.  Last weekend, she completed an improbable comeback with a popular victory.

Last December, the 26-year-old who has amassed more wins at Bowman Gray Stadium than any other female driver, stepped away from racing after being diagnosed with a trauma-induced brain cyst.  The desire to race, however, persisted.

“I had regular follow ups with neurology, for more than one reason, it was time for my scan, and I got the results back and she said it may be two to three percent still there, may be a showdown, but she can’t tell me not to go back racing,” Lynn told Short Track Scene.  “It’s been hard being at the Stadium and not being able to participate per se.  So when she said I could go back, I didn’t know if I wanted to or not.  It took weeks of talking to mom and dad before we ever decided to go back.”

Bowman Gray Stadium, nicknamed ‘The Madhouse,’ boasts an impressive fanbase that radiates with an electricity rivaled by few other sports.  That passion is often contagious, leading to strong support for the modern-day gladiators that compete at the quarter-mile track located at the football field of Winston-Salem State University.

“It’s the fans over there and it’s my sponsors that can get a lot of publicity,” Lynn noted.  “So, that’s why we chose to initially go back there.  I wanted to race and I didn’t care if it was there, Caraway, Ace or anywhere.”

Even more surprising than Lynn’s return to racing was her immediate success.

After finishing sixth in the first of two Sportsman (Limited Late Model) races, Lynn started in the third position following an invert in the second race.  Lynn took the lead early in the race went on to score the victory, leading 16 laps.

“We definitely were not expecting to win,” Lynn explained.  “I mean, we expected a top-five, but the front runners in that division have been so freaking quick this year.  After the first race, when Chase [Robertson] and I were nose-to-tail, I realized that, you know, I might have a shot if the invert is right.”

After the race, victory lane became a sea of humanity in support of the young driver who overcame adversity on the long road back.

“I wasn’t expecting anyone to come into victory lane like that,” Lynn continued.  “I mean, it was absolutely flooded so it was overwhelming.  I don’t feel like I knew what to do with my emotions so I didn’t show that much emotion.  I was really overwhelmed, not necessarily being in the limelight anymore and then, all of a sudden, that’s back.  It was pretty overwhelming.”

Throughout the years, Lynn has been popular with fans but sometimes polarizing with her competitors.  Returning to the track, Lynn was not necessarily met with an outpouring of support from other drivers, but was not met with animosity either.

“Most of them, I knew they weren’t going to say anything about it.  It wasn’t necessarily support, it just wasn’t complaining.”

Lynn said she will run for the remainder of Bowman Gray Stadium’s season, which concludes later this month, and might look ahead to some other races, if sponsorship will allow.  As for her health, she feels she has done everything she can in terms of safety short of not racing.

“Honestly, physically, I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in,” Lynn remarked.  “I’ve lost 50 pounds, I go to the gym pretty much every day.  Since I tore my MCL in my knee, I haven’t been.  But I’m very active and everything.  The only thing that scares me is, if I do hit my head really hard.  I mean, it takes a while for the cysts to show up.  I don’t think one hit’s going to do it, but you never know with this type of thing. 

“If it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen anyway,” Lynn continued.  “We buy the best of the best safety equipment.  We spare no change on safety equipment in the shop.  So, if it happens again, I did what I needed to do as a driver.”

Saturday’s win was Lynn’s 13^th career victory at Bowman Gray Stadium, all of which have come in the Sportsman division.