Elana Scherr

Elana Scherr is a Senior Editor at Car and Driver, an award-winning automotive journalist, co-author, drag racer, and the first female full-time staff editor at HOT ROD Magazine—a woman who came to cars late but made up for lost time with horsepower and a voice that refuses to blend in.

EARLY YEARS

Born on December 23, 1977, Elana Scherr grew up in Southern California with a childhood that looked nothing like the typical gearhead origin story[1][2]. She didn’t grow up wrenching in the garage or dreaming about carburetors. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA, where she majored in Art and English[3][4]. After graduating, she worked for several years as an artist’s assistant, painting images and living a creative life that had zero to do with quarter-mile times or cam profiles[5][6].

She didn’t even get a driver’s license until she was 21[7]. When she finally did, her first car was a 1973 Plymouth Duster—a car that would become the gateway drug to a full-blown automotive obsession[8][9]. Scherr grew up with the notion that vintage things can be very personal and that everything can be fixed, a philosophy passed down from her generous mother, Roslyn Scherr, who gave freely in time and resources[10][11]. That mindset would serve her well when she started tearing into classic muscle cars with more enthusiasm than experience.

OTHER INTERESTS

Before cars consumed her life, Scherr was immersed in the art world. Her UCLA education in Art and English gave her the storytelling chops and visual sensibility that would later define her automotive writing[12]. She worked as an artist’s assistant, a job that taught her patience, precision, and the value of craftsmanship—all skills that translated surprisingly well to working on old cars and telling their stories[13].

Her love for vintage things extends beyond vehicles. She believes that old objects carry personal histories and that repair, not replacement, is a form of respect[14]. That philosophy shows up in her car collection and her writing, which often champions preservation, hot-rodding, and keeping classics on the road. She’s also an advocate for creating spaces where enthusiasts can safely enjoy their cars, arguing publicly for the importance of local drag strips and legal places for hot-rodders to play[15].

EARLY SUCCESS

Scherr’s entry into the professional automotive world came through motorsport, not writing. She started working at Graves Motorsports, a Yamaha AMA support team, followed by TaylorMade Racing[16][17]. It was hands-on, high-speed work that gave her credibility in a world where being taken seriously as a woman required proving yourself twice over.

When she met her future husband, Tom, and started making passes at the drag strip, something clicked[18]. She fell hard for drag racing—the noise, the speed, the mechanical precision, the accessibility of it all. That passion led her to pursue her NHRA license and get certified to race 8-second cars at drag racing school[19][20]. She wasn’t content to just write about racing; she wanted to live it.

Her transition to automotive journalism was unconventional. Her writing had a unique voice—sharp, funny, deeply personal—and it jumped off the page[21]. She became the first female full-time staff editor at HOT ROD Magazine, a milestone that mattered in an industry still dominated by men[22][23]. From there, she moved to editor-in-chief of Roadkill Magazine and Roadkill.com, cementing her reputation as someone who could wrench and write with equal skill[24][25].

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• First female full-time staff editor at HOT ROD Magazine[26].
• Editor-in-Chief of Roadkill Magazine and Roadkill.com[27].
• 2020: Received a Best Feature award from the Motor Press Guild for the Car and Driver story “A Drive through Classic Americana in a Polestar 2″[28][29].
• Co-author of “Don ‘The Snake’ Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320,” a comprehensive autobiography of the legendary drag racer, developed over nearly two years with talent, thoroughness, and passion[30][31].
• 2023: Winner of a National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award by the Los Angeles Press Club for the Car and Driver story “Slug Fest”[32][33].
• Senior Editor, Features at Car and Driver, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews[34][35].
• NHRA-certified drag racer, licensed to race 8-second cars[36].
• Creator of the YouTube channel “Challengeher” with her husband Tom, documenting their automotive lifestyle at work and at home[37][38].
• Competed in the all-female Rebelle Rally, navigating technical off-road driving challenges without GPS[39][40].

INSPIRATIONS

Her first inspiration came from her mother, Roslyn Scherr, whose generosity and belief that everything can be fixed shaped the way Elana approaches both cars and life[41]. Meeting her husband Tom and discovering drag racing together ignited a passion that turned casual interest into a full-throttle obsession[42].

Professionally, she’s drawn to figures like Michèle Mouton, the rally legend who shook up motorsports and spent years as president of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission working to get more women into racing[43][44]. Scherr has written about Mouton with admiration, calling her “The Woman Who Disturbs”—a title that could just as easily apply to Scherr herself.

She’s also inspired by the hot-rodding community and its DIY ethos. Her first role in the automotive universe was as a fan in the stands at Pomona for NHRA races, and that fan’s perspective—combined with a racer’s experience and a writer’s eye—gives her work an authenticity that resonates[45].

REPUTATION

Scherr is known for writing that refuses to be boring. Her articles have a unique voice—part technical, part personal, always entertaining—and they’ve made her one of the most widely read automotive journalists working today[46][47]. She writes for Car and Driver and Road & Track, and her work has appeared in numerous car magazines and websites[48][49].

She’s earned respect not just for her prose but for her mechanical knowledge and racing credentials. She’s not writing from the sidelines; she’s out there making passes, wrenching on her own cars, and getting her hands dirty. Her current garage includes a 505ci 1970 Dodge Challenger, a 1971 Opel GT, and what she describes as “an unreasonable amount of trucks”[50][51]. The Duster was followed by a Challenger, then a better Challenger—a trajectory that tells you everything you need to know about her approach to cars.

She’s become a sought-after voice in the industry, appearing on podcasts, speaking at events like the SEMA Show, and advocating for women in motorsports[52][53][54]. She’s also been open about the challenges women auto writers face, contributing to important conversations about harassment and bias in the industry[55].

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Scherr continues to push forward with her work at Car and Driver, where she’s committed to covering not just the newest cars but the stories behind automotive culture, the people who live it, and the places where it thrives[56]. She remains an advocate for preserving local drag strips and creating spaces where enthusiasts can legally and safely enjoy their cars[57].

Through her YouTube channel “Challengeher,” she’s building a community around the automotive lifestyle she and Tom live every day, sharing everything from road trips to wrenching projects to the honest realities of being a woman in a male-dominated space[58]. She’s also continuing to support efforts to bring more women into racing and motorsports journalism, following in the footsteps of the legends she’s written about.

REFERENCES

[1] Clustrmaps – Elana A Scherr Public Records
[2] Telling Stories: Elana Scherr | Episode 29 – Speedway Motors
[3] It’s Never Too Late to Learn to Drive – Car and Driver
[4] Elana Scherr – STATE OF SPEED
[5] It’s Never Too Late to Learn to Drive – Car and Driver
[6] Elana Scherr – STATE OF SPEED
[7] Telling Stories: Elana Scherr | Episode 29 – Speedway Motors
[8] Elana Scherr – STATE OF SPEED
[9] Elana Scherr: Hi, Let’s Take a Trip – Car and Driver
[10] Roslyn Scherr Obituary | Malinow and Silverman Mortuary
[11] Uncovering the Insider Secrets of the Motor World – Building Speed
[12] Elana Scherr – STATE OF SPEED
[13] Elana Scherr – STATE OF SPEED
[14] Uncovering the Insider Secrets of the Motor World – Building Speed
[15] Elana Scherr: Give the Hot-Rodders a Place to Play – Car and Driver
[16] Elana Scherr | Cars That Matter – Episode 08 – CurtCo Media
[17] NoBraking – TopPodcast.com
[18] Telling Stories: Elana Scherr | Episode 29 – Speedway Motors
[19] Elana Scherr (Car and Driver, drag racing school, old car aficionado) – YouTube
[20] Elana Scherr (Car and Driver, drag racing school) – Apple Podcasts
[21] Telling Stories: Elana Scherr | Episode 29 – Speedway Motors
[22] Elana Scherr – STATE OF SPEED
[23] Ep.287 – DINNER BITES: Elana Scherr – Dinner with Racers
[24] Ep.287 – DINNER BITES: Elana Scherr – Dinner with Racers
[25] Elana Scherr – STATE OF SPEED
[26] Elana Scherr – STATE OF SPEED
[27] Ep.287 – DINNER BITES: Elana Scherr – Dinner with Racers
[28] Elana Scherr’s 2024: An Automotive Year in Road Trips – Car and Driver
[29] Elana Scherr: Dodge Challenger Memories – Car and Driver
[30] Everything you always wanted to know about ‘Snake’ – NHRA
[31] Don “The Snake” Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320 – Barnes & Noble
[32] NAEJ 2023 Winners – Los Angeles Press Club
[33] Elana Scherr: Bored at Home? Drive Someone New around Your Town – Car and Driver
[34] Elana Scherr Senior Editor, Features – Car and Driver
[35] Elana Scherr Senior Editor, Features – Road and Track
[36] Elana Scherr (Car and Driver, drag racing school, old car aficionado) – YouTube
[37] Challengeher – YouTube
[38] Telling Stories – Elana Scherr | 29 – YouTube
[39] What It Takes to Create a No-GPS Off-Road Rally – Car and Driver
[40] Elana Scherr, Jovina Young & Erica Martin Rebelle Rally in Review – YouTube
[41] Roslyn Scherr Obituary | Malinow and Silverman Mortuary
[42] Telling Stories: Elana Scherr | Episode 29 – Speedway Motors
[43] Elana Scherr: The Woman Who Disturbs – Car and Driver
[44] Elana Scherr: The Woman Who Disturbs – Car and Driver
[45] Don “The Snake” Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320 – Barnes & Noble
[46] Telling Stories: Elana Scherr | Episode 29 – Speedway Motors
[47] Elana Scherr Senior Editor, Features – Car and Driver
[48] Elana Scherr Senior Editor, Features – Car and Driver
[49] Elana Scherr Senior Editor, Features – Road and Track
[50] Elana Scherr – STATE OF SPEED
[51] Elana Scherr: Hi, Let’s Take a Trip – Car and Driver
[52] Celebrating Women Racers – Marshall Pruett Podcast
[53] NHRA on FOX at the 2025 SEMA Show – NHRA
[54] Elana Scherr (Car and Driver, Road Kill, author, wrench!) – YouTube
[55] The Heartbreaking Treatment of Women Autowriters – Race Day
[56] All the Car Stories I Forgot to Write in 2025 – Car and Driver
[57] Elana Scherr: Give the Hot-Rodders a Place to Play – Car and Driver
[58] Challengeher – YouTube