When Aubrey McKasson turned 16, she faced a decision. Should she graduate from the JR FWD class on the oval to FWDs on the oval? Or should she follow in the footsteps of her father, Casey; grandfather, Tim Nelson; and brother Dylan, and move into the open figure 8 class?
“I decided that my interest lies with figure 8 racing,” McKasson, of Indianola, Iowa. “It provides thrills and demands skills.”
McKasson made the switch in class last year.
“I admit I was a little scared and a bit skeptical that I could compete in the class,” said McKasson. “A movie influenced me that I could be a girl that raced. When ‘Lady Driver’ came out, it inspired me. I watched that movie literally at least 100 times. I am fearless and confident now.”
(For more on the movie, read “Behind the Scenes: Lady Driver.”)
In 2023, she won two races at Dallas County Fairgrounds Speedway in Adel, Iowa. This year she scored a victory at Warren County Speedway in Adel, Iowa.
McKasson is a senior in high school. After school, she drives to Des Moines for classes in welding and automotive collision repair.
“I work on the cars alongside my dad and grandpa,” McKasson said. “I started by taking care of oil changes and washing the cars. This season, when something needs welding, I can do it. I clearly want to be involved in auto racing as long as I can.”
Driving a car with a Lightning McQueen theme gets her attention at the track, too, where Aubrey McKasson has generated a fan base.
“My dad had the first Lightning McQueen car, and I had to make that theme mine when I started racing in the open division,” said McKasson. “The design of the car makes people happy. To see the smiles on the little kids’ faces when they see my car is priceless. People always want photos of the car and my autograph on autograph night. Kids want to sit in the car or go for a ride.”
One moment with a fan in particular stands out.
“A little girl approached me — she was so sweet,” McKasson said. “She told me she followed me on TikTok. She didn’t want an autograph — she just wanted to give me a big hug.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
