Meet 'the fastest gay on Earth'
Drag racer Travis Shumake talks about being an ‘outlier’ in an industry full of stereotypes around masculinity
Meet Travis Shumake: a professional drag racer who has been called "the fastest gay on Earth." He drives a Top Fuel dragster in the National Hot Rod Association.
"I grew up wanting to be a professional racecar driver," Shumake tells Timothy Caulfield — a misinformation expert and educator — in the documentary Harder Better Faster Stronger. Shumake's father, Tripp Shumake, was a racecar driver too.
"When one thinks of racing, especially drag racing, you think hyper-male traditional masculinity. Is that a fair stereotype?" Caulfield asked.
"Very much so," Shumake confirmed.
It's that very perception of the sport that made Shumake buy his own race team after his former team's owner said, "No more rainbow parachutes. Let's just stick to racing,"
Despite being considered an "outlier" in the male-dominated sport, Shumake is excited to continue a family legacy, and to show the world of drag racing just "how many of these big, macho guys can't wait to be on Team Travis."
How to watch Harder Better Faster Stronger
Watch now on CBC Gem and the CBC Docs YouTube channel.