Shepard Studios

Veteran motorsports journalism

Providing motorsports content and marketing support, drawing on decades spent covering and working inside the drag racing world.

25

Years of experience

About

Debi Shepard is a freelance automotive journalist with over 25 years of experience covering the sport she knows from the inside out. Her writing has appeared in Modular Muscle Magazine, Super Stock & Drag Illustrated, Drag Racing Today, Drag Racing Monthly, CompetitionPlus.com, and Speedway Illustrated.

Before turning to journalism full-time, Debi built a career deeply embedded in motorsports and the Ford performance world: she worked for Ford Motor Company's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) group, served as marketing manager for a leading turbocharger manufacturer, and was a PR/Marketing rep for several drag racing teams. She later stepped into the role of event director for the World Ford Challenge, the largest once-a-year, all-Ford racing event in the country. That blend of manufacturer, marketing, and event-side experience gives her reporting a unique perspective.

Get in touch →

Debi Shepard with her classic car

My Portfolio

Magazine Work

A selection of my published "Keeping Track" pieces for Speedway Illustrated.

Alaska Raceway Park tearsheet

Keeping Track

Alaska Raceway Park

Wasilla, Alaska

Alaska is known for glaciers and grizzlies — but it's also home to the only paved stock-car oval currently operating in the 49th state.

Speedway Illustrated · June 2025

Airport Raceway tearsheet

Keeping Track

Airport Raceway

Garden City, Kansas

A hands-on, family-run 1/6th-mile dirt track now in its second generation of ownership, built on land once slated to become a landfill.

Speedway Illustrated · September 2025

Meridian Speedway tearsheet

Keeping Track

Meridian Speedway

Meridian, Idaho

Racing on Main Street since 1951, this quarter-mile asphalt oval earned a spot in the National Register of Historic Places in 2024.

Speedway Illustrated · October 2025

All-Tech Raceway tearsheet

Keeping Track

All-Tech Raceway

Ellisville, Florida

Ten miles south of Lake City, off I-75, this big half-mile facility has become a go-to stop for traveling national series.

Speedway Illustrated · January 2026

Route 66 Motor Speedway tearsheet

Keeping Track

Route 66 Motor Speedway

Amarillo, Texas

A 3/8-mile, high-banked clay oval — the only track for hundreds of miles in any direction — built by Bill Worthen in 1992.

Speedway Illustrated · March 2026

Owosso Speedway tearsheet

Keeping Track

Owosso Speedway

Owosso, Michigan

Michigan's oldest track, open since 1939, once served as a WWII POW camp — a history that still shapes its yearly schedule.

Speedway Illustrated · April 2026

Cottage Grove Speedway tearsheet

Keeping Track

Cottage Grove Speedway

Cottage Grove, Oregon

A staple of western Oregon summers since opening its gates on July 4, 1956, and a proving ground for multi-generation racing families.

Speedway Illustrated · July 2026

Fun Ford Weekend

About Time

2003 FFW

Other Print Work

No print work added yet.

Online Content

No online content added yet.

Photos

Photo showcase

A few favorite moments from the track and beyond. Click any photo to view it full size.

Chuck Samuel

Jamie Meyers

The Top End Brief

The Top End Brief

Read the Brief →

Let's connect.