Conversation: Erin Crocker

She may have been down, but by no means is she out.

Erin Crocker, a feather in NASCAR's cap for diversity efforts and the sport's growing female fan base, endured through a lackluster season in 2006 and failed to meet the high expectations placed in front of her. Crocker did make her marks, however. She was the first female to sit on the front row in a Craftsman Truck race and first female to run a full season in the series.

Now, eager to move forward, Crocker, who has a degree in Industrial and Management Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., says she is in the midst of a "rejuvenation" process.

Q: OK, so we haven't heard much from you lately. What's new?

Crocker: I moved out of the apartment in Birkdale Village (Huntersville, N.C.) and moved into a house still in the neighborhood. I'm renting a house and just got a dog; a Shih Tzu puppy, 6 months old and a lot of work. She's a real spitfire and goes 100 mph, a personality like mine. I named her Peebles, that's what my dad called me when I was little.

I'm getting into biking a little bit, I enjoy fitness. And I'm involved with the Make a Wish Foundation. My heart goes out to those children. And I've been shopping here and there.

• Superstore: Erin Crocker

Q: Speaking of fashion ... you look a lot different from when you first arrived on the NASCAR scene. You have a unique style, did you get a makeover?

Crocker: Ha! No, but before I lived the trailer life going from track to track, staying in motels racing four or five nights a week. It's not that I didn't care about what I looked like, I just didn't have time. Sometimes I was showering at truck stops. I had no time to straighten my hair or anything. But now living the stock-car life, I have a little more time and a little more money, which always helps. Image is big. But performance is first ... I had to worry about results.

I like nice things but I'm happiest in sneakers. I try to look athletic yet fashionable at the same time.

Q: Last season was a struggle, performance was an issue, and now you're without a sponsor. But you had time to reflect in the offseason. What did you discover?

Crocker: Yeah, it was tough but I've had me-time and time to think, time with my family. There's more to life than racing and I'm learning we need to take a step back and kind of start over in a sense. I did have a little rejuvenation in the offseason.

I need to rebuild my confidence. So I'm running ARCA races ... looking to create positive media buzz and build my confidence. Last year I had a lot of pressure and it seemed the harder I tried the worse I was getting, so I'm taking a step back. (Continued)