When NASCAR cancelled the Race Hub show, it was a disappointing moment for a long of fans. A program that ran for 13 seasons was out, and that meant the community couldn’t see their favorite host, Shannon Spake. While Spake worked with the Charlotte Hornets for a while, she’s back with TNT, and it’s been a ride! What better place to talk about her journey than on the ‘Certified Oversharer’ podcast!

As the title boldly suggests, this is a space where “no topic is off-limits and TMI is totally the norm.” Forget the glossed-over narratives; Samantha Busch dives headfirst into the raw, often chaotic, realities of womanhood. Covering everything from the intricate emotional landscape of fertility to the everyday joys and struggles of relationships, wellness, and the delightful mayhem of mom life is the primary aim. This week, the conversation dove deeper into the personal journey of a NASCAR broadcaster, uncovering the lesser-known chapters of her life before fame ever found her.

It was within the open forum of her podcast that Samantha recently sparked a powerful conversation with Shannon Spake. As revealed during their chat, Samantha unearthed a little ‘tidbit’ about Spake’s past, prompting a candid dive into a youth that Shannon reminisced about. When asked by Samantha if Spake had a “wild” past, the latter agreed. “I was. Yes. I wouldn’t say wild. I would say I didn’t have guidance. So growing up, single mom in an area where kids got in trouble in the 90s, right?”

Growing up in Sunrise, Florida, Spake talked about navigating her environment with a single mother. “So, I think you kind of attract to people when you don’t have a lot of guidance,” said Spake in the podcast. “Like start running with other people that don’t have guidance. And so, I think the one thing that kept me on track when I was growing up was swimming. Like I swam during the season, but when the season wasn’t in, I was a little bit of a live wire.” Growing up in South Florida under the care of a single mom, she admitted being a little reckless, but the structure of early morning swim practices gave her direction and purpose.

Spake tries to keep that spirit alive through her fitness regimen. Whether it’s stair climbing or eating healthy, she manages to do it all, as she once explained in an interview. “I do stay pretty active.  I also do boot camp.  Like today, I woke up at 5:30, got my kids up, got them to school, went to my boot camp class, came home, rode my bike for 30 minutes and now I’m going to work.” 

Coming back to her past, despite undergoing scoliosis surgery at age 12, she not only returned to the pool but went on to earn a college swimming scholarship, ultimately describing swimming as what kept her on the rails during chaotic times. “I tell my sister a lot that, just no guidance, and luckily, I feel like there was something inside me that I knew right from wrong, if that makes any sense,” Spake continued. “It wasn’t like a lot of wrong things. It was probably just things that were a little self-destructive at the time.”

The discussion delved further into Spake’s history, including her father. “My dad, he moved to Chicago. He was an airline pilot,” Spake reminisced. “Shortly after lost his job because the airline that he was working for went under. So we didn’t have anything, like we grew up very poor.” 

Samantha herself deeply empathized with Spake’s story, sharing anecdotes of her own humble beginnings with a construction worker father and a nurse mother. Samantha said, “We didn’t grow up like this at all. My dad was in construction. My mom was a nurse. Like we didn’t go on family vacations every year and all that stuff. No, we did not grow up in this lifestyle either at all. So I get where you’re coming from.” All these anecdotes, fervently shared on her podcast, remind fans about the struggles that popular entities usually go through before they gain the limelight. And, after all, everyone is human.

But Spake went in to admit that reconnecting with her father remained emotionally challenging, even for several years after. “My parents’ divorce was pretty rough and he would come down as much as he could, but there was a lot of conflict,” Spake said. “And then you’re a teenager. Right? Like I was a teenager who would go spend some summers up there before I started high school.”

Spake then went on to become a production assistant for Nickelodeon, CBS’s ‘The Early Show,’ and HBO’s ‘Real Sports,’ while also breaking into on-air reporting in 2005 on Speed’s ‘NASCAR Nation’ and ‘Backseat Driver’, covering the 2006 Daytona SpeedWeeks, before joining ESPN in 2006 as a pit reporter across NASCAR, college football, and basketball, and contributing regularly to SportsCenter coverage at events like the Final Four and 2015 NBA Draft. In peeling back the polished layers of broadcasting life, Spake offered a compelling glimpse into the grit behind the glamor. Through candid reflection, she reminded fans that success often stems from quiet struggles, not just loud victories.

Samantha Busch shares her ongoing wellness journey

Life hasn’t handed Samantha Busch an easy road, especially when it comes to health. From navigating PCOS and infertility to facing ongoing hormonal hair loss, she has never shied away from sharing her health journey. “Sharing for all my girls out there going thru the same and feeling helpless, I appreciate you reaching out with suggestions of what has worked for you,” she once told fans during a particularly emotional update about her ongoing struggle with alopecia and hormonal hair loss.

Despite early optimism in 2025, Samantha’s symptoms resurfaced. She explained on Instagram, “Thank you for all the suggestions and recommendations. For those that experienced hormonal hair loss were you on the pill? I’ve been off for over a year, (use to use it for pcos). My first major hair loss (2.5 years ago) was on it, second time this past month not on it. Not sure if any of this factors in. Don’t want to go back on but at this point I’m desperate.” In response, she began dietary changes by reintroducing red meat, healthy fats, and more protein.

When natural efforts didn’t bring lasting results, Samantha found empowerment in a new approach with wigs. These moments of transparency, coupled with her book ‘Fighting Infertility’ and her podcast, have turned her personal pain into a source of strength and solidarity for thousands of women navigating similar journeys.