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CNN Live Saturday
Interview With NASCAR Driver Kelly Sutton
Aired February 16, 2002 - 18:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: My next guest is a rising star in motor sports. This is Kelly Sutton's third year as a NASCAR driver. And along the way, she's helping to break down NASCAR's gender barrier. But she's also running a race off the track, a race she's winning, against multiple sclerosis.
Thank you very much for being with us, Kelly.
KELLY SUTTON, NASCAR DRIVER: Well, thank you for having me.
CALLAWAY: this is a big weekend for race fans, and I know a lot of -- you have a lot of fans out there, not only for what you do in the field, but what you do off the track, and that is your battle against MS. Tell us -- I know you've been -- you wanted to race since you were 5 years old, but then you had quite an obstacle when you were diagnosed with MS. Can you tell us about that?
SUTTON: Yes. I knew at a very early age that I wanted to race just like my father and my grandfather. And so we had my eyes sight on racing. And when I was 16 years old, I was diagnosed with MS. So that put a roadblock in there. And I never really thought that I could be able to race. And my father came to me when I was 19 years old and he said, "Your mother and I want to make your dream come true. Let's go racing."
And so we did.
CALLAWAY: And I know there have been a few roadblocks in the way for you, but there you are, you finished great recently. Didn't you finish, like, 11th after starting, was it 34th?
SUTTON: Thirty-fourth, yes. We were pretty disappointed with the qualifying run. We were having problems with the car, with the drive shaft. And we got the car to work really good in the draft, so we were so excited to bring the Team Copaxone Pontiac to 11th place.
CALLAWAY: Now, you run in the Bush series, we should tell everyone, and I know you're considered a rookie, and hopefully you'll be rookie of the year. Tell us -- I know that's what you're hoping, aren't you?
SUTTON: That's what I'm hoping.
CALLAWAY: Tell me a little bit about how MS has affected your racing career. And, you know, I was thinking earlier this week, I saw Elizabeth Cohen, our correspondent's piece that we did on you earlier this week, and I was struck by how MS, you know, the one thing that could have stopped you from racing is, in a way, helping you race by sponsoring your race car, right?
SUTTON: Yes, and MS has never stopped me from racing, and it's really a unique combination with Team Copaxone on board, and it's helping me, you know, fulfill my dream and race at Daytona. And that was my dream ever since I was 5, was to race at Daytona. Team Copaxone has helped make that dream come true.
CALLAWAY: This is an incredible drug for you, it's been very successful, hasn't it?
SUTTON: Oh, yes. It has really given me my life. And I -- we're just so fortunate today to have the therapies available to help us live and manage our disease.
CALLAWAY: Kelly, at one time you were in a wheelchair.
SUTTON: In '96 I was. I had to be assisted walking, taking showers, et cetera. And fortunately I got on Copaxone. I got my life back and have never stopped since.
CALLAWAY: This drug has truly changed your life. I know there are a lot of people out there with MS that just cannot believe that you're out there racing and battling this at the same time. Why are there not more people on this medication?
SUTTON: Well, I think that you have to work very closely with your doctor, like I do, and find the right therapy that's available for them, and like my doctor, he encourages me to race. He's a big fan. And it's just working with your doctor very closely and finding out what therapy is available, you know.
CALLAWAY: It works for you.
SUTTON: Right.
CALLAWAY: And it's an expensive drug as well, and not all insurance companies pay for it, right?
SUTTON: Right, and I'm very fortunate to have a good insurance company that I can get the drug, and, you know, people who can't, they need to contact, like, Shared Solution or programs like that.
CALLAWAY: Hey, you know, let's give some Web sites out there for people that may want some more information, because unfortunately we don't have a whole lot of time today. I know there's MSWatch.com and KellygirlSutton.com, lots of information for people out there who want to know more about it. I think right now we're looking at the MSWatch.com.
How can these Web sites help people out?
SUTTON: Well, it can lead them into knowing more about the disease, what options that they have to go to, learning about the therapies that are available, and either finding a specialist in neurology with MS, like my doctor, he's a leading neurologist in MS. And that's very important to have a doctor, you know, who specializes just in MS.
CALLAWAY: I was thinking earlier about the gender obstacle that you face in NASCAR, which is really nothing compared to what your battle has been with MS. But has being a woman been difficult for you in your field?
SUTTON: Not really. When I'm out there on the track, I'm a driver. I've always wanted to be looked at as just a driver. And when you're in a professional series like the NASCAR Viddy Stash (ph), you're respected as a professional driver, and you're not looked at like, There's a girl out here. I'm just another driver like everybody else.
CALLAWAY: Hey, what do you think of Shana Robinson? She -- what is, she's the second woman only to race in the Daytona 500 tomorrow?
SUTTON: I -- yes, I think so, and that is so great.
CALLAWAY: Yes, it is great, and I -- who was the first, Janet Guthrie, right?
SUTTON: Janet Guthrie, yes.
CALLAWAY: Are you going to be rooting for Shana?
SUTTON: Oh, sure. Yes, I hope she does well. She really did good in the Arthur (ph) race last year.
CALLAWAY: Yes. So how do the other drivers treat you? You know, are they confident? Do they feel OK about you being out in the field with MS, or does it ever come up?
SUTTON: It really never comes up. And everybody knows that my doctor is behind me 100 percent, that I am a healthy, you know, person to be out there and driving. And MS has never stopped me from racing.
CALLAWAY: Shana (sic), what's next for you? What are your goals?
SUTTON: Oh, you know, we're -- we look at every opportunity at the end of the year and see where we're going to go from there.
CALLAWAY: You are such an inspiration, Kelly. Thank you so much for taking some time out and being with us. For all of us who think we have obstacles, we can just look at your story and be inspired. Thank you, Kelly.
SUTTON: Well, thank you so much for having me .
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