Kayla Mincey, 17, is a shining example of how far a little discipline and a lot of support can take a child. Mincey is one step closer to realizing her dream of becoming a professional race car driver and will be headed for Arizona next week where she will attend the Lyn St. James Driver Academy.
The Lyn St. James Driver Academy is an invitation-only experience extended to women who aspire to the professional levels of motorsports. Mincey is one of 16 women from around the world to be accepted to this year’s program.
“This is something that I’ve always wanted to do. The chance to go to this school really shows me that my dream is within my reach,” Mincey said. “There aren’t very many women in racing and it’s very encouraging to see the sport opening up more to women.”
Mincey, who is a senior at Carlé High School, has had aspirations of becoming a professional sprint car driver in the “World of Outlaws” since she was 10-years-old. Her presence on the track has been a force to reckon with from her very first appearance. “In 2000, she started racing in the beginner box stock class,” her father Gene Mincey said. “The first race out she set fast time, won the trophy dash and the feature main. She bumped up to the box stock class the very next race.”
“From the time I started racing, my parents and my brothers and Shannon have been very supportive,” Mincey said. “They have always encouraged me to push my limits, which helped me move up in class very quickly.”
Mincey has been around the race track most of her life. While watching her brothers race at Lakeport Speedway one night, an exhibition race for the Mini Dirt Outlaw Karts was held. “After seeing the karts out on the dirt track that night, she decided she wanted to race, too,” Sheri Mincey said. “So, we went out and bought her her first kart. She was only nine-years-old.”
The Mincey brothers gave up their own racing hobbies to focus on their sister’s racing career. Justin Mincey serves as her crew chief and her mentor. “As a nine-year-old, we never really realized where these opportunities would take her,” Justin Mincey said.
“I’ve been watching her mature, not only as a driver, but also as a person. With the right decisions, I think she’s starting to realize, she can do whatever she wants whether it’s racing or something else.”
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