Vroom, Vroom! Former motorcycle racer and current Nascar hopeful Zach Herrin has insight to share!
In an in-depth interview for People’s Pride Issue, the 26-year-old California native is detailing his struggles with sexuality while working in a heterosexual, male-dominated industry.
Herrin previously competed in the AMA Pro SuperSport, SKUSA Pro Tour, SKUSA SuperNationals and INEX Winter Nationals. Despite these successes, his mental health started to suffer as time went on, especially when he felt like he needed to stay in the closet to be successful in professional racing. The stress of hiding who he was became such a sharp focus that he started losing focus of the road ahead – literally. Slowly becoming a danger to himself and others on the track, he decided to step away from motorsports in 2016.
On leaving professional racing behind, Zach told People:
It was more important to me to enjoy who I was, find myself, and identify myself as a gay person. I was able to focus on me and experience what it was like not to have my entire life go to racing. I was able to come to terms and figure out how to express myself, how I wanted to, and how I wanted to be perceived by people once they met me.
No longer bound to the racetrack, Zach received his real estate license, came out to his friends and family, revealed his sexual identity in December 2021 and met his now-fiancé, Matt Moulton. Take a look at the happy couple below. They’re cute!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CX6zMa-vxnd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Now happier than ever, Zach Herrin wants to give professional racing another chance. It’s in his blood and family – his brother, Josh Herrin, is a 2x MotoAmerica Champion! Eventually, the future Racing Pride member reached out to Nascar Champion Justin Allgaier to see if there was still a place for him in motorsports. Allgaier, to his credit, helped the Zach secure a license for Nascar’s ARCA Menards Series.
January 2022 Herrin returned to racing during Daytona’s Pre-Season practices.
He told People in regard to being an out gay man in motorsports:
It’s reassuring for me. It just makes me feel like there are allies everywhere. And when you find the right ones, they’ll run the whole race with you. We’re all the same at 200 miles per hour.
Herrin is currently seeking sponsorships to help him make it to the top of Nascar. Also, he’s expecting to do auto racing in 2023. Good luck, young man!
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