Kaylee Bryson | |
---|---|
Nationality | American |
Born | Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S. | March 11, 2001
Trans-Am Series (SGT Class) career | |
Debut season | 2023 |
Current team | Sam Pierce Racing |
Car number | 02 |
Engine | Chevrolet |
Starts | 11 |
Championships | 1 |
Wins | 3 |
Best finish | 1st in 2024 |
Championship titles | |
2024 | SGT Class Champion |
USAC Silver Crown Series career | |
Debut season | 2022 |
Current team | Sam Pierce Racing |
Car number | 26 |
Engine | Chevrolet |
Starts | 25 |
Wins | 1 |
Best finish | 5th in 2023 |
Finished last season | 5th |
Awards | |
2023 | Rookie of the Year |
Last updated on: October 8, 2024. |
Kaylee Rae Bryson (born March 11, 2001) [1] is an American racing driver. She competes full-time for Sam Pierce Racing in both the Trans-Am Series and USAC Silver Crown Series, driving the Nos. 02 and 26 Chevrolets respectively. [2] Bryson is best known for being the first female driver to advance to the A-Main feature race at the Chili Bowl Nationals, as well as the first woman to win a USAC National Series feature race. In 2024, Bryson won the Trans-Am SGT class championship, becoming the second female driver to win the series title in SGT.
Bryson made her first attempt in the USAC National Midget Championship with Dave Mac Motorsports in 2019. [3] She then signed with Keith Kunz Motorsports (KKM) in 2020, driving with sponsorship from JBL and backing from Toyota Racing Development (TRD). [4] Bryson advanced to the main event in 22 of her 23 season starts, finishing 11th in the standings and leading Racer 's Robin Miller to call her "the best shot at a woman dirt racer ever making it to the big time." [5]
In 2021, Bryson became the first female driver to qualify on pole at the Turkey Night Grand Prix, leading the first 17 laps and finishing fifth, the highest-ever finish for a woman in the event's history. [6] Bryson spent a total of three seasons with KKM, the best of which came in 2022, where she picked up additional sponsorship from Yahoo! for 18 races. [7] Bryson finished seventh in USAC National Midget points and was named the series' Most Improved Driver. [8] Bryson also made headlines at the 2022 Chili Bowl Nationals by winning her B-Main feature race, making her the first female driver to advance to the A-Main, where she finished 18th. [9]
Bryson made her USAC Silver Crown Series debut with Sam Pierce Racing (SPR) on June 18, 2022. [10] On December 8, 2022, she signed with SPR to compete full-time in Silver Crown in 2023. [11] Bryson's final start with KKM came at the 2023 Chili Bowl Nationals, [12] where she again advanced to the A-Main feature and finished 22nd, [13] after which she departed from the TRD program. Bryson later admitted that Toyota "didn't have enough to offer me and I really wanted to do something more with my career than midgets and late models...I thought going my own route would be better in the long run." [14] She ultimately finished fifth in the USAC Silver Crown standings for SPR, becoming the first female driver to earn Rookie of the Year honors in series history. [15]
In 2024, Bryson returned to the Chili Bowl with Sammy Swindell's team, Swindell-Bertrand Motorsports. [16] [17] Her preliminary result forced her to start from an F-Main race, leaving her unable to advance farther than the E-Main. [18] Bryson then returned to Sam Pierce Racing for another full Silver Crown season. [2] On May 18, she won her first Silver Crown race at the Belleville High Banks from pole position, making her both the first woman to qualify on pole and win a USAC National Series feature race. [19]
Bryson made her Trans-Am Series debut in the 2023 season-opening race at Sebring. [20] In 2024, she began competing full-time in the series' SGT class to gain road course experience before pursuing opportunities in IndyCar or NASCAR. [2] In her fourth career series start, Bryson won her first race on April 14, 2024, at NOLA Motorsports Park, leading every lap from pole position and winning with a 29-second margin of victory. [21] She then earned a second class win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on August 31. [22] With Bryson's third win at Virginia International Raceway in October, she clinched the series championship in the SGT class, [23] becoming the second female driver in history to do so and third overall to win a Trans-Am title of any kind. [24]
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, is a class of racing cars. The cars are very small with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four cylinder engines. They originated in the United States in the 1930s and are raced on most continents. There is a worldwide tour and national midget tours in the United States, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand.
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is a multi-track motorsport venue located north of Bowmanville, in Ontario, Canada, approximately 75 kilometers east of Toronto. The facility features a 3.957 km (2.459 mi), 10-turn road course; a 2.9 km (1.8 mi) advance driver and race driver training facility with a 0.402 km (0.250 mi) skid pad and a 1.5 km (0.93 mi) kart track. The name "Mosport", a portmanteau of Motor Sport, came from the enterprise formed to build the track.
Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones was an American professional racing driver and racing team owner. He is notable for his accomplishments while competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Baja 1000 desert race, and the Trans-Am Championship series. In 1962, he became the first driver to qualify over 150 mph (240 km/h). He won the race in 1963, then famously broke down while leading the 1967 race with three laps to go in a turbine car. During his career as an owner, he won the Indy 500 in 1970–1971 with driver Al Unser.
Tracy Lee Hines is an American professional stunt driver. He was the 2000 USAC Silver Crown Champion and 2002 USAC National Sprint Car Champion. He currently does not have a full-time ride in NASCAR as he competes for Tony Stewart Racing in three USAC series.
Bryan Timothy Clauson was an American professional auto racing driver, best known for his achievements in dirt track open-wheel racing, such as USAC Silver Crown, Midget and Sprint cars. Clauson was increasingly seen competing with the World of Outlaws (WoO) sprint cars in his last couple of years. Clauson also competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Indy Lights, and IndyCar Series and was a development driver for Chip Ganassi Racing.
The Automotive Racing Products Turkey Night Grand Prix is an annual race of midget cars. It is the third oldest race in the United States behind the Indianapolis 500 and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It has been held on Thanksgiving night most years since 1934, where it was founded by Earl Gilmore at his Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles. It stayed at this location until 1950. Since that time it has been held at various southern California race tracks. Since 1955, the race has been promoted by J. C. Agajanian and later his descendants, currently by son Cary. Traditionally a dirt track event, it has sometimes been on asphalt during the turn of the 21st century, although it returned to dirt in 2012. The feature race was held over 98 laps in the modern era, the same number that Agajanian used for his racecars.
Terre Haute Action Track is a half-mile dirt racetrack located at the Vigo County, Indiana, fairgrounds on U.S. Route 41 along the south side of Terre Haute, Indiana. The track hosts annual United States Automobile Club (USAC) midget car, sprint car and Silver Crown events. Notable drivers that have competed at the track include A. J. Foyt, Jeff Gordon, Parnelli Jones, and Tony Stewart. The track has held events sanctioned by USAC, its predecessor American Automobile Association (AAA), and the World of Outlaws.
Joshua Wise is an American former professional stock car racing and dirt track racing driver and athletic trainer. He is currently a trainer for Chevrolet's development program for upcoming drivers and oversees driver development for Pinnacle Racing Group.
Kevin Swindell is an American former racing driver and entrepreneur, who has competed in USAC and NASCAR competition. He has won 77 races in various dirt racing series including the Chili Bowl Nationals. Swindell is the son of three time World of Outlaws Sprint Car champion Sammy Swindell. Swindell owns and operates Swindell Speedlab, a clothing brand as well as Victory Fuel, a brand of flavored water.
Chad Boat is an American professional dirt track racing driver and team owner. The son of former driver Billy Boat, he has raced in Indy Lights and NASCAR.
Rico Emanuel Abreu is an American professional dirt track and sprint car racing driver. Abreu won the 2014 USAC National Midget Series championship, and previously competed in the K&N Pro Series East in 2015 scoring one win.
Davey Jay Hamilton Jr. is an American racing driver from Idaho who competes in pavement sprint car racing. He is the son of former Indianapolis 500 competitor Davey Hamilton.
Justin Michael Grant is an American racing driver from Ione, California. Grant is the 2020 USAC Silver Crown National Champion and the 2022 USAC National Sprint Car Champion.
Tanner Delbert Thorson is an American professional dirt track racing driver. He competes in the United States Auto Club (USAC) and World of Outlaws. Thorson has also competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, last driving the Nos. 12 and 20 Chevrolet Silverados for Young's Motorsports in 2018.
Kody Mykel Swanson is an American professional sprint car racing driver. He is a seven-time USAC USAC Silver Crown Series champion in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022, plus a three-time Little 500 winner. Swanson is currently the all-time wins leader in Silver Crown with 40.
Eric Gordon is an American professional race car driver. Gordon raced primarily in the United States Auto Club (USAC) open wheel sprint cars and Silver Crown cars. He finished second in both USAC Sprint and Silver Crown championships in the 1980s and 1990s. Gordon made one NASCAR Busch Series start at Indianapolis Raceway Park. He most recently raced for the full 2021 Silver Crown championship season in the No. 99 car for Brad & Tara Armstrong.
Shane Mathew Golobic is an American professional dirt track racing driver. He competes in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and United States Auto Club (USAC) National Midget Series for Matt Wood Racing. Prior to racing nationally, much of his dirt racing participation came in his home state of California, which included winning track championships and the California Sprint Car Civil War Series in 2014.
Michael "Buddy" Kofoid is an American professional dirt track and stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the USAC National Midget Series and POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series, driving for Keith Kunz Motorsports. He is the 2021 and 2022 USAC National Midget Series champion. He also competed part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 51 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports, and part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 15 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports. He also has competed with the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint car Series. He collected his first Win at Husets Speedway on June 23, 2022.
Brent Crews is an American professional dirt track and stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the SCCA Trans-Am TA2 ProAm Series, driving the No. 70 Ford Mustang for Nitro Motorsports, full-time in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour, driving the No. 29 Toyota Camry for Kevin Harvick Incorporated, and part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 20 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports. He is currently a member of Toyota Racing Development's TD2 driver development program.
Taylor Reimer is an American racing driver. A member of the Toyota Racing Development program, she competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 55 BuzzBallz Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports. She also competes part-time in the NASCAR Regional Series Limited Late Models, driving the No. 25K BuzzBallz Toyota Camry for Lee Faulk Racing & Development.