Brandon Sheppard discussed the anxiety he suffers on race day that includes why he does not eat after noon on race nights.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Dirt Parlor podcast, which is hosted by Don Martin and Gordy Gundaker, Sheppard shared, “I’m really bad about it. I don’t even know when it started happening. Years ago. Years ago. I can’t eat. To this day I can’t eat on race day like past about noon, I just can’t eat. Like it’s not going to happen.”

“When I was young [at] Macon one night I threw up in my helmet. Like it’s a bad deal. Like on the track. It was bad. It was bad,” he continued.

“Anyway, my anxiety is bad at the track. Like when I have to leave my house and go to the track on the day of the race, like until I get there, get unloaded, see all my stuff, get everything in the right place like I’m a little [messed] up. I gotta get there and get my [crap] together first and then I can breathe for a minute.”

“My old lady, she’s dillydallying around. I’m like, ‘Let’s go. Come on. The T-shirt trailer’s loaded up. Let’s roll!’ Once we get on the road, it’s fine. But until you get in the car and get strapped in and get out of the track, it’s [expletive], it’s flared up pretty bad. I don’t know if it’s nerves, anxiety, what it is, but it’s-.”

While Sheppard faces anxiety before he hits the track, as he said once he hits it’s he’s ready to roll and the results this year speak for themselves. Sheppard has 8 wins. He’s won with the World of Outlaws at Volusia and Farmer City and with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at All-Tech, Ocala, Farmer City, Hagerstown, and Fairbury. He also won at Spoon River with the FloRacing Night in America Series, and most recently took home the checkers in an exciting contest at Coles County Speedway with the MARS Late Model Championship.

He’ll be back in action at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri when the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series rolls into town this weekend for the 13th annual Cowboy Classic, The Tribute to Don and Billie GIbson, and finally the 34th Annual Show-Me 100.

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