All Wheel Driven: The Long Way to the Grid: Dawn Brazier’s Audi R8 Spyder Racing Journey

What does it take to turn a track-day enthusiast into a licensed competition driver? For Dawn Brazier, the journey meant four days of intensive instruction, pushing her 2017 Audi R8 Spyder beyond her comfort zone, and learning that earning a racing license is only the beginning.On this episode of All Wheel Driven, Dawn joins us to share the story behind earning her SCCA Full Competition Road Racing License and bringing her R8 to the grid for its debut in the Legion SBK Superbike Series at High Plains Raceway.Dawn’s journey began after experiencing the Legion SBK series in 2024. Ready to return as a competitor, she enrolled in a program with Michael Pettiford of Go4It Racing School. Rather than renting a dedicated race car, Dawn chose to complete the program in her own Audi R8 Spyder, a car she knew well on the road but had yet to fully explore on the track.What followed was an intensive learning experience covering racing lines, braking points, weight transfer, throttle control, and driver discipline. With four straight days of one-on-one instruction, Dawn had nowhere to hide—and every lap brought another opportunity to improve.One of the biggest turning points came on the back straight at High Plains Raceway, where she approached the braking zone at approximately 136 mph. Learning to trust the R8, commit to the throttle, and recognize the car’s capabilities helped her improve her lap time from around 2:26 to 2:13.44.But the road to the grid wasn't without challenges. Worn rear tires and heat-damaged brake rotors revealed the physical demands of pushing a street-based performance car in competition. With limited time to make repairs before the Legion SBK event, Dawn and her team had to improvise to get the R8 back on track.Despite those setbacks, Dawn earned her competition license and made it to the starting grid the following weekend. The experience taught her an important lesson: a racing license isn't the finish line. It's the beginning of a longer journey built on experience, humility, and learning to trust both yourself and your machine.EPISODE CHAPTERS:00:00 Breaking Down the Episode00:45 Welcome to All Wheel Driven01:03 From Zero Experience to Superbike Safety Car03:58 How Dawn Found Her R8 Spider05:19 The Next Addition to the Audi Family05:34 Autocross & Revoking the Boyfriend's License06:41 PPIR, Pueblo & Chasing Superbikes08:33 No Run Groups: Learning on the Job11:34 Why the Track Tamed Her Street Speed14:41 High Plains Raceway: The Ultimate Test16:36 Mods, Tires & Learning in a Slower Car19:03 The "Aha" Moment: Finding Full Throttle21:05 Riding Shotgun in Her Own R822:41 A Word from Continental Tire23:10 Discovering the Car's True Limits26:03 SCCA Race School in a Street-Spec R827:18 Would She Race the R8 Again?28:10 The Biggest Challenge of Getting Licensed29:57 One-on-One Coaching & the Only Woman in Class31:15 Newly Licensed, Still Learning33:46 What's Next: Racing, Rentals & Burned-Through Brakes38:12 Picking a Race Car: Audi, TT RS or Miata?39:29 Advice for Women Getting into Motorsports40:57 Does Dawn Follow Pro Racing?41:30 Founding Audi Women Colorado & Proving It's Never Too Late44:12 The Long Way to the Grid==========================All-Wheel Driven is presented by XPEL, the official paint protection film of Audi Club North America. Subscribe and connect with @audiclubna for exclusive Audi content.==========================Not yet a member of Audi Club North America? Join the world's largest community of Audi owners and enthusiasts and unlock benefits including:Discounts on Audi parts, accessories, and new or leased vehiclesAward-winning quarterly magazine (quattro)Exclusive driving events, clinics, and track experiencesA network of 32 chapters across North AmericaAnd much more!Learn more and join today: https://audiclubna.org