From GTI To Miata: Nisa Borghi’s Autocross Journey Late To Grid

From GTI to Miata: Nisa Borghi’s Autocross Journey

7d ago 45:15

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This week on Late to Grid, Bill sits down with Nisa Borghi to talk about her path into motorsports—from giving her VW GTI a personality on Instagram, to celebrating 100K miles at her first autocross, to taking on the challenge of a rear-wheel-drive Miata.

Nisa shares what it was like stepping into the SCCA community, co-driving with her husband, flagging at Nelson Ledges, and learning the ropes as a woman in motorsports. From trackside lessons to social media connections, her story shows how passion, persistence, and community fuel the journey.

Whether you’re curious about autocross, looking for your motorsports tribe, or just love a good “late to grid” story—you’ll find plenty of inspiration in this episode.

Race season is here. If you need to catch up on setup, or have something that needs repaired, you need to be Atomic prepped. Get to https://atomicautosports.com/ to get your car ready to get out there next weekend.

If you're chasing lap times, you need a track ready setup for your car. Get to AtomicAutosports.com to get your car scheduled to get you on the podium.

Track ready setups for time trial drivers and others

Thanks for listening and taking an interest in growing grassroots racing. The Late To Grid podcast shares the stories and inspiration that help listeners along their motorsports journey.
Find all episodes on the Atomic Autosports website.

Chapters

1. Meet Nisa Borghi: Friends, GTIs, and getting started (00:00:00)

2. Growing up on NASCAR, rally, and Gran Turismo (00:01:39)

3. From video games to first autocross in Ohio (00:02:53)

4. Rolling into SCCA: nerves, community, and cone earrings (00:04:37)

5. Advice for first-timers: fun first, speed later (00:06:32)

6. From GTI to Miata: learning manual & rear-wheel drive (00:07:37)

7. Buying the Miata: quirks, surprises, and check engine “button” (00:10:24)

8. Competing in class & chasing upgrades (00:13:39)

9. Being a woman in motorsports & volunteering as a flagger (00:14:07)

10. Trackside perspective: flagging at Nelson Ledges (00:16:27)

11. Explaining autocross: obstacle course for cars (00:19:38)

12. Course walks, “scaring the cone,” and cone tricks (00:22:12)

13. Worker roles: shagging cones, tech, grid, timing & scoring (00:25:00)

14. Awards, gift cards, and fun extras at events (00:28:02)

15. The most rewarding part: progress and improvement (00:29:02)

16. Packing for race day: snacks, hydration, and pro tips (00:30:07)

17. How to get faster: data, seat time, and coaching (00:32:36)

18. Where it leads: goals in SCCA, IMSA, and beyond (00:35:11)

19. Advice to young women entering motorsports (00:36:58)

20. Learning from social media & building community (00:38:06)

21. Best autocross advice: “scare the cone” (00:41:07)

22. The Late to Grid question: Nisa’s porta-potty story (00:43:30)

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