Racer Girl Feels the Need for Speed

Milka Duno is a gal who likes life in the fast lane. The 33-year-old Venezuelan began her professional racing career back in 1998 and was soon piloting some of the fastest cars in the world. A four-part documentary Racer Girls (airing Thursdays at 10 pm/ET on the Biography Channel) follows Duno and other girls gone wildly fast as they work to be taken seriously in this high-octane sport. TVGuide.com got Duno to slow down just a bit and give us answers to some fast and furious questions. 

TVGuide.com: Do you ever get nervous driving at such high speeds?
Milka Duno: Not really, but I don't like to talk about how dangerous it is or about the accidents. This is a sport and you have to play it safely — you can't think about something bad happening. You need to have confidence in your team and believe that everything is working perfectly; it's the only way to do this.

TVGuide.com: What's the fastest you’ve gone?
Duno: I went 200 mph in Le Mans, France. At that speed you see nothing, but you don't think about how quick you are going, you are just concentrating on the driving. You are thinking about the cars you have to pass and the cars behind you. It's all about total concentration; once you put that helmet on, you must stay cool.

TVGuide.com: Is it hard for you to stay at the speed limit when on public roads?
Duno: Oh, yes, I want to go quick everywhere! I do have a problem with speeding tickets. [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: Do the men in the sport treat you differently because you're a woman?
Duno: No. When I decided to be a driver I knew if I played by the same rules as the boys they'd respect me as a driver.

TVGuide.com: How was having the camera follow you around for Racer Girls?
Duno: It's an opportunity for me to get more exposure, and for people to know more about the sport and what I'm doing in it. But this show is really part of my job; it's promoting a sport I love.

TVGuide.com: It must be nice when little girls tell you they want to be like you.
Duno: That is so beautiful for me. I like when people come up to me and say, "My daughter wants to be just like you." I tell them it's hard work but they can do it. I've always been the kind of person who, if I get involved in something, I'm going to be the best. The most important thing for a young person is education.

TVGuide.com: What do you do to escape the pressures of the track?
Duno: I love the beach, but I'm always working and never get the time to go. I do enjoy music and that is a way for me to relax — I listen to everything from U2 to Pavarotti.

TVGuide.com: Is it still fun after all these years to drive fast?
Duno: Oh, my, yes! [Giggles] Once you know what it feels like to go 200 mph… how do I say? It's like an addiction.