Join your host, Chrysandra Brunson, for an inspiring episode of The Calling’s radio show featuring special guest Tami Bandimere. Tami shares her story of resilience, from her family’s involvement with the iconic Bandimere Speedway to her personal journey of overcoming divorce and embracing faith. Discover the legacy of the Bandimere family and Tami’s unique role in continuing to impact the community with their passion for automobiles and youth.
Welcome, everyone, to The Calling’s radio show to all the dreamers. I’m your radio host, Chrysandra Brunson, founder and CEO of The Calling. And it is such an honor to be with all of you today. You know, at The Calling, we have realized that so many people are afraid to go after the dreams that God has put inside each one of our hearts. And they are just so afraid. And that’s just plain wrong, because if they’re not living out their dream, they are wasting it. And we don’t want people to die with regret. And that’s why we love to inspire, empower and equip people to live out God’s calling on their lives to reap the best kind of legacy of everything. having incredible legacy, immediate impact on themselves and their families, and to be able to do this through having custom programs and tools from global conferences, workshops, seminars, and this incredible radio program to all the dreamers and having awe-inspiring, world-changing guests like we do today. You guys, you guys are in for a treat. We have the one and only Tami Bandimere in studio. Tami, welcome to the program.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Thank you. Thank you, Crisandra. I feel like I should have given you my walk-up song or something like that. Yes, we did. Dun, dun, dun, dun. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which one would you pick? Well, I actually do have one. And as we’re talking, as we’re talking, I’ll see if I can find it. Oh, my gosh. I love it. My girlfriends and I, one time at a drag race when it was raining, we were like, you know, girls, we all need our own walk-up songs. And I’m like, yeah, definitely. So we all kind of played around and found if we found one. So I have one. But it’s been so long since I’ve played with it that I don’t remember what it is. It’s spectacular, trust me.
CHRYSANDRA :
Okay, well, we’re excited to hear that. And Tami, they hear your name and they hear Tami Bandimere. I’ve heard of her and they probably have seen this last name. Where have they seen this?
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Well, ironically enough, this year we are celebrating our 65th anniversary at Bandimere Speedway up against the Hogback Mountain in Morrison, Colorado. So my grandparents, in fact, I just wrote a press release yesterday. It’s kicking off our season this year. My grandparents, John and Francis Bandimere in 1958. Here’s the thing. My grandparents loved the automobile. They loved young people. And they loved each other. So it was just really a natural thing. The other thing was that my dad, he was street racing. And that really bothered my grandparents, especially my grandfather. Because his whole theory was that people give kids baseballs and footballs and basketballs. And they tell them to throw them and to hit them and to run with them. And then they get an automobile. And it’s like, don’t do that. Don’t do that. Can’t do that. Don’t do that. And his whole theory was an automobile is fun. It’s a tool and it’s something different. And not every kid is what we call a jock. There are some kids that like to be hands-on and be involved in the inner workings of an automobile or an engine. So for him, in fact, my dad always said that my grandfather was probably the best dad that a young man could have in the 50s. And probably even now. I mean, because a lot of those hot rods are kind of making a resurgence, coming back again. But my grandfather used to teach my dad and his buddies how to do high performance stuff to their cars without paying the high performance price. And that was really fun. And then the racetrack ended up providing a location to take that need for speed to a safe environment off the city streets so that they could test vehicles and they could have fun with the automobile, which, you know, it’s intended to be something that’s fun. Right. And be in a place where it was safe and be responsible with it. So that’s where you’ve heard the name, Bandimere Speedway. So, yeah. So iconic.
CHRYSANDRA :
Isn’t that incredible? We’re so excited, Tami, because you just have a heart of heaven’s gold. Thank you. So gorgeous inside and out. And just all of this incredible family legacy that has rippled out for you to be able to be this world changer. And you’ve impacted my life and the callings. And so we’re just so excited to just. Hear all about it. And to hear about Bandimere Speedway and that legacy, that’s pretty special to hear about your family line. So, Tami, when you right now, what is some of the roles that you play in humanity as starting off as a wife and a mom? Oh!
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Well, and I’m no longer a wife anymore. I’ve been divorced for about 15, almost 16 years. And and that was really we can talk about that here in just a little bit more. Yeah, that was one of those kinds of moments in my life that I never thought I’d be going through. However, it was happening. And yeah. I was in the middle of all this mess, wondering how on earth was I in the middle of this? I remember reading a Rick Warren devotional that was- We love Rick Warren. The title of it was, The Battle Is Not Yours. And I thought, Oh my gosh, that is such a freeing phrase. The battle is not yours. And it doesn’t mean, you know, as I read the devotional, it doesn’t mean that we sit back and allow people to trample all over us and that we say to God, okay, well, I’m done with this. It’s now yours. But because we have that hope, we have the ability to say, God, I just can’t do this anymore. I’m just in the fog right now. And you’re going to have to take over and just lead me through it. And boy, oh boy, did he ever. I’m telling you what, it was just one of those experiences that I remember telling my mom and dad when I knew everything was falling apart that I said, and I don’t know where this came from, but I said, if you will give me 90 days to be ugly, then I’ll be fine. Wow. Where did 90 days come from? I have no idea.
ADVERTISER :
Yeah.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
But it held me accountable. Yes. And I said to myself, I refuse to be whiny, sympathetic. Oh, you know, just all those kinds of things that sometimes you see in a divorced person, especially a divorced woman. You know, that’s that defeat and that rejection and all that stuff. And I went through it. Let me tell you, I did go through it. Yep, yep, yep. But I went through it and I got to the other side of it. And now it is so far in my rearview mirror that I can’t really honestly, I can’t really even remember every once in a while. I will have a dream. Yeah. And I’ll wake up and go, where did that come from? But on a day to day, you know, my day to day schedule, it just is not there anymore. Right. It’s gone. It’s behind me. I dealt with it. I moved on. And oh, my gosh.
CHRYSANDRA :
I thought you had remarried for some reason. No, but, you know, I mean, that is so powerful because so many people I know so many people tuning in. And in my life, we’re just talking about, you know, I come from a divorced family and, you know, it affects so many people’s lives. And just to be able to walk through that and know that God is such a redeemer. Hmm. And so he loves to redeem the story. And for you to be able to carry that so well and to be able to inspire people to be able to know that God has so much more and he has the next chapter.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Well, and we’ve all heard, you know, that you go through the fire and when silver goes through the fire, it just gets stronger and more beautiful. Right. And. Oh, man, I’m telling you what, did I hang on to that? Because I kept thinking, all right, I’m going to come out the other side of this more beautiful. I’m going to come out of the side of this more beautiful.
ADVERTISER :
Please, God, please.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
I just, you know, held on to that and held on to that and held on to that. And right now, and I’m thrilled that you think that I’m remarried because that kind of shows happiness. Yes. Contentment.
CHRYSANDRA :
Oh, yeah. And fullness.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
And fullness. Yep, yep. But I’m not. And I’m still happy and I’m still content and I still feel full. So, you know, it’s, I think that, I mean, there are days, there are days that, gosh, I really would like to go to dinner with somebody or I really would like to go to a movie with somebody. And then that’s what I call my girlfriends. Are you interested in going to a movie tonight? You know, and they’re like, heck yeah. So then, you know, it’s like, all right, I’m fine.
ADVERTISER :
Everything works out.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
So it worked out great. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, I have a whole, and that’s the other thing is that, You know, when when you go through something like that, because, you know, there becomes the team husband and the team wife and you lose friends and you and then you God has just put like the most amazing people in my life in the last 15 years. Wow. That I’m not sure I would have ever met had I not gone through that experience.
ADVERTISER :
Yeah.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
And it’s true that your test becomes your testimony. If you allow it to be that, if you decide that you’re gonna just be, oh, well, this is really a bummer and I really don’t deserve this. But if you don’t allow that to happen, and I just refuse to let that happen. The other side of it too is that, when I just told you that 65 years we’ve been in business, There are so many people that we know that know our family’s faith and know that it is rock solid and know that we don’t, that’s the first place we go when we need to make strong decisions. And all I could think of was people are now gonna look at me and go, hmm. And now she’s going through a divorce and she’s not living up to what they said. And I thought, no, I am not gonna do that. Not only to myself or to God, because I want people to realize that you can go through something like that and you can come on the other side and you can be strong. You can still be joyful and you can still everything, you know, I mean, you can be even more fulfilled. And I wanted people, especially people that have known me since I was a child and have seen me grown up and have watched our family to know that, yeah, it can happen. And ask me about it. Yes. Ask me about it because I want, I want to explain that to you and I want to help you with it. And it’s not all roses and sunshine. It’s never going to be. God’s never promised that to us, but you can do it.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yes. Yes, you can do it. And it’s not easy and you make it look easy, Tami. But I know when we get to the end where people can learn how to get in touch with you, you would be a priceless heart to be able to learn that wisdom. And, So Tami, we just started off on the very beginning. So you’re in your mom. I love your family and went to school with your amazing daughter. She’s amazing. Yes. So tell us more about these roles that you play.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Well, so I am a mother, yes. And two of my kids live in Florida and actually work for Disney. And so I have a place in Winter Garden. And so I go down there fairly often during the year, you know, just to check up on my place. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s my excuse. But but no, they’re they’re doing really, really well. And and then, of course, you know, I’m full time out at the racetrack. And my official title is that I’m part of the executive team, which is there’s seven of us in our family. And so I’m one of the seven. And so.
CHRYSANDRA :
And Tami, we’re going to take, we need to take a quick break. So we’re going to start into this top set, the seven, the inner seven. Yeah, that sounds good. We thank everyone for tuning into all the dreamers radio show. I’m your host, Chris Sandra Brunson, and we have the one and only Tami Bandimere. Stay tuned. Hi guys, this is Chrysandra Brunson, host of To All The Dreamers. I am so happy to introduce personal training, nutritional guidance, and behavioral change coaching. Healthy, happy, and heavenly for your wellness, spirit, soul, and body. Contact Mimi Kroger at healthyhappyandheavenly.com. Continue to grow in the calling God has for you through ORU Online.
ADVERTISER :
You can earn your degree without changing your busy schedule. 100% online and 100% on your time. Learn more today, oru.edu slash calling.
CHRYSANDRA :
We are back. Thank you for tuning in to all the dreamers radio show. We have the one and only Tami Bandimere in studio with us. Tami, we are so glad to have you. And we’re so sorry. We paused right in the middle of this epic story of you being a part of this inner seven of the executive board. What is it?
TAMI BANDIMERE :
All family members. It is all family members. And And it really came about, this whole executive team concept came about when we were going through a lot of the COVID problems that we were having. Because during that year, as you can imagine, we were meeting as a family at least once a week, if not twice a week, sometimes three times a week to try to navigate what it was that we were experiencing. What we were going to do, how we were going to do it, the process, you know, were we going to open this weekend to racing? What was what was the health department going to allow us to do and that kind of thing? And and, you know, again, it kind of goes back to that whole thing. providing a place for people to just enjoy the outdoors. And we had this huge facility, outdoor facility, and yet we were still being kind of held down to some, you know, some pretty strict requirements. And that was… that was more God-given constitutional rights, not so much about drag racing for our family. But we did make it through that year. And through that year, we decided that it was probably really important that we all led together. So my dad, who…
CHRYSANDRA :
I love your dad.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
My dad, my dad has attempted retirement a couple of times.
CHRYSANDRA :
Tell everyone about him. He’s like the most incredible godly man. He really is. That I can think of on the planet.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
He’s just, you know, he’s, he’s just, he wants to take care of everybody. And probably I shouldn’t even say that. He wants to make sure that everybody gets to heaven. Everybody. Everybody. I mean, whether it’s the guy at the car wash or whether it’s somebody that he golfs with. I mean, he’s just he’s always, you know, bringing up the, you know, the love of Jesus and the fact that life is short. Eternity is forever. Yeah. And do you know where you’re going to go? You know, if you were to get in your car right now to get hit by a truck.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Do you know where you’re going to go? I mean, that’s a pretty black and white question. Do you know where you’re going to go? And there’s a lot of people that can’t answer that. And then that opens up conversation. And because he’s 84 years old, you know, most people aren’t he’s not he doesn’t have that cocky persona. You know, he’s kind of that grandfatherly, you know, that people go. Well, maybe I don’t know. And he’ll be like, well, do you want to know? I mean, he just cuts right to the chase. I think he feels like at this point in his life.
CHRYSANDRA :
I’m picturing that in my mind and being that person. I’d be like, help me get there.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
How do I do it? And share the gospel. Yeah. And I think that at this point in his life, he’s like, hey, what have I got to lose? You know, I mean, really, seriously, when you think about it, you’re like, he’s often talked about this being the final lap in his life, you know? And, you know, you think about that, you know, it is that last quarter of his life. And I don’t think that he, I don’t think he really cares. I think he’s just like, no. So bold and courageous. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. So anyway, but so my dad has always said, you know, that he doesn’t make the decisions anymore. Yeah. And I always say, you know, if that were only true. But as long as he’s in the room, he is the one that makes the decisions. And so, and you know what? We’re all okay with that. We’re really okay with that because allowing him to finish well is really important. And that’s part of it. You know, that’s part of the whole thing. And there’s really no reason why he shouldn’t be still involved. You know, except for the fact that he wants to spend some more time with my mom. And he wants to be on the golf course a little more. But he finds that balance. He figures that out. And it all works out. But he had kind of made that decision when we were all meeting together to make all these decisions about opening, closing, moving forward, and that kind of stuff. And he had said, you know, I really think that this has been working. And so I think that we should just all be part of the executive team and the seven of us. So it’s my mom and dad, my sister and her husband, my brother and his wife and me. So there’s seven of us.
ADVERTISER :
Aww.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
So that’s kind of the first title in our in all of our, you know, all of us are executive team. Yeah. And then I also have community relations. And then I am a coordinator of a reading program that I’ve done for this year will be 27 years. I’ve done a reading program through the racetrack called Race to Read. And and that’s a whole nother conversation in itself. Let me tell you. But that’s been really.
CHRYSANDRA :
Seven years, Tami. That’s incredible.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Which is really hard to believe, especially since I’m only 29. I just don’t understand. I know.
CHRYSANDRA :
How did you do? So you started at three. I started at three.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
No, but really. No, but really.
CHRYSANDRA :
You’re drinking from the fountain of youth. Thank you.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
And all of you listeners have no visual. So you’re just going to have to trust. They’re going to see pictures.
CHRYSANDRA :
They’re going to see pictures and little video clips. And you’ll know what I’m talking about. That is remarkable, Tami. And have you always lived in Colorado? Like, I guess your son and daughter are in Florida, but Colorado has been your roots.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Yep. I was born and raised in Colorado, went to Colorado schools. And I did leave after I graduated from high school. I went to a Bible college in Minnesota for a year thinking that was a great idea.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Oh, it was a horrible. Well. Okay, let’s put it this way. When I was doing it, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I got used to wearing a coat like 365 days out of the year pretty much. But no, I really enjoyed the experience. I can look back on it and say it was a great experience. In the middle of that, oh my gosh, I was so homesick. I was really, really homesick. But it was one of those experiences that I think I needed to realize that I could do that. I could leave home for a year, be on my own and survive. And then I came back and went to college and got a business degree and then worked for some other companies. And then my dad called me and said, hey, I could sure use somebody to run my office. And at that point, I had worked out of the family business for five, six, seven years, something like that. And I was ready to come back. Wow. Then it was it was like, yeah, I think I can do this. So I came back and I’ve been I’ve been back at the racetrack full time. Edie is thirty three. She’ll be thirty four in June. So I’ve probably been back full time. Thirty six years.
CHRYSANDRA :
Wow. So wow. That is pretty remarkable. So. Tami, you have all these giftings and talents. When you look back, when you were little, you’re impacting the world in such a phenomenal way. You have such an incredible sense of identity and who you are as a daughter of the King of Kings. When you were little, how did God start putting all of those different seeds in your heart?
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Well, and you know, I’ve always been outgoing. In fact, I’m the oldest. Then my sister is 13 months younger than me. And then my brother is two years younger than my sister. And because my sister and I are so close in age, people think we look an awful lot alike. We don’t think we do, but everyone thinks that she’s older than me because she’s a little more subdued. She’s a little more, you know, I think that being quiet equates itself to maturity in some way. And here I am, this loose cannon, you know, that picks up a conversation with anybody. I love it. So, you know, there’s a lot of times that we’ll say to people, so who do you think is older? And invariably they pick Jonna. They pick her because it’s just like, well, she seems to be the more mature out of the two of you. I’m like, yep, and there it is.
CHRYSANDRA :
You’re like, no! She’s just a little more quiet.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Just a little more quiet.
CHRYSANDRA :
Well, that’s pretty. So you’re the oldest. And then so when you were little, what were the family dynamics?
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Well, I was a sister to my sister and a brother to my brother. I could get just as mean and dirty with him if I could play dolls with her. So I was kind of that in-between person, you know, finding the balance and that kind of thing. And and we were all really close when we were kids, too, you know. So, you know, and now that we’ve grown up, you know, everybody’s having families and kind of doing their own things and that kind of thing. But but yeah, I was I was kind of the the middle of the road person that, you know, just kind of, you know, played with the boys and played with the girls, you know, that kind of thing.
CHRYSANDRA :
So you can do either part.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Yeah, exactly.
CHRYSANDRA :
I love it. I love it. And then Tami, did you have, when did you have a huge passion for the Lord? Was that when you were pretty young?
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Okay. Yeah. I grew up in a, in a very strong Baptist family. And so from a very young age, I knew that that was, you know, that, that was what I wanted to do. And I, I honestly, you know, people talk about, they remember the exact moment that they gave their life to Christ. I don’t really remember that. Because growing up in a family that was so full of faith, it just seemed like it was osmosis. You just… became a Christian. You just gave your life to Christ, you know? And, and I know it was at a young age because then I remember being baptized and you know, that kind of thing. And, and, um, and so I’ve never doubted that I didn’t, I do remember that I did ask Jesus to come into my heart. And when I say Jesus come into my heart, that’s a, that’s a child thing. I mean, it’s not like as a 40 year old, I asked the Lord to take over my life, that more mature thing. I remember asking Jesus to come into my heart and that I wanted to be His. So I can’t remember the exact moment, but I know it was when I was young.
CHRYSANDRA :
Tami, I love, oh my gosh, that’s so powerful. Well, and I think that childlike faith has allowed you to be able to have wings to soar and just be able to impact, again, humanity in such a powerful way. And I’m so excited to announce that you’re gonna be back with us And we’re so excited. So you guys, everyone tuning in today, you can tune in as well tomorrow and you’ll be able to hear more of Tami’s story. We’re coming up towards the end of our show today. But Tami, before we go, we want to hear if you could say one thing about someone going after their God given calling. What would you tell them? They have to do this.
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Well, I think that what’s really important is to just go into situations with your eyes wide open. When my daughter went on a mission trip, she was gone for 11 months. And I told her, I said, make sure that every experience you go into it with your eyes wide open and don’t miss, don’t miss any opportunity. And I think that that’s the thing is that when you know when things bring you joy, you You know when things give you excitement. Those are the things that you say yes to.
CHRYSANDRA :
I love it. Well, Tami, we can’t wait to have you back. We’re so grateful. And just for your influence on humanity and for people just tuning in. How can they come alongside to cheer you on?
TAMI BANDIMERE :
Every morning when I do my devotions and I pray, I ask for God to give me some kind of encouragement. And sometimes it’s just a word. Sometimes it’s somebody that calls me and I’m able to pour into their life or something. And so I thrive on encouragement. I love that. I just love that.
CHRYSANDRA :
So how can they encourage you?
TAMI BANDIMERE :
You know, I think that how can they get in touch with you if they wanted to? Oh, absolutely. Well, Bandimere Speedway has been around for 65 years. So we are still in the same location. We still have the same phone number. We still have. So, you know, even on our website, which is Vandermeer.com, that’s easy. They can find my email address or they can give us a call. Give me a call.
CHRYSANDRA :
Well, I know that people want to do that, Tami. It’s really kind that you would open that up to the public and to all of our listeners. We just love and adore you and honor you so much. And thank you for being God’s greatest dreamer. And we thank everybody for tuning in today to all the dreamers radio show. You can go to The Calling’s website, thecallingnonprofit.org. You can fill out an activation sheet, figure out what God is calling you to in this season. Ask yourself what you would do if you knew you could not fail. Till next time, dreamer. Keep dreaming big.
