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The driver with ambition!
Kelly McDougall started racing cars on a dare.
Some of her male friends (that raced) bet she
wouldn't do it. So Kelly set out to prove them
wrong.
The first race that she entered was an enduro
race. After prepping the car herself (adding
rollbar, removing dashboard, etc.). She finished
the race with a flat tire and a gleam in her eye
that can still be seen. Her second race was a
lady's race and she finished 3rd. Since then Kelly
has won races in several different states and
classes.
The ULTIMATE GOAL of this courageous woman is to
battle the men of Nextel Cup Racing. It will be a
long road getting there, but with hours of hard
work, perseverance, natural talent and a few
brakes, Kelly hopes to climb the ladder. Being the
only woman to race at Stafford Springs in 1996,
Kelly received allot of notoriety. There were
full-page interviews and always a picture in the
next week's program. In 1998, New England Sports
Network (NESN) interviewed Kelly for a segment
about women in racing. This was excellent exposure
for Kelly and all the sponsors. (Video available at
your request) Kelly is a college graduate with a
degree in accounting, but don't let that fool you!
She is not afraid to roll up her sleeves and get
dirty, This pretty young woman not only drives, but
also builds cars. Numerous times men have asked her
for advice about setting up their car. Many male
drivers have gotten over confident while racing
Kelly, only to end up behind her.
2001 was an incredible year for Kelly, and
K&E Motorsports. Our focus was on learning to
adjust to the conditions. The first half of the
year was filled with attribution. Kelly was
involved in numerous accidents and it had taken its
toll. There was a distinct turning point in the
season in July when we were wrecked in qualifying.
Our team pulled together to repair a mangled
racecar. The car was bent and needed everyone's
effort to get it on the track. We even had to use
an old driveshaft as a front bumper. Kelly started
dead last and finished 10th! We never looked back
after that. We qualified for every race since then
and never had to replace the bumper again. Kelly
was up against twelve rookies and finished 3rd in
rookie points.
Finish Line Racing School
The 2002 season showed great improvement. Kelly
proved she gained experience from the prior year
capturing three qualifying wins. Finishing 21st in
the points standing out of 43 competitors. As Kelly
and the team gain more experience, an opportunity
has arisen to compete in another division but
remaining also in the Late Model. We also plan on
running a limited show at Thompson Speedway. 2002
Kelly and Ed attended Finishline Racing School,
learning chassis setup tips, and valuable driving
skills and techniques.
2003 Kelly and her team made the move to the
Sunoco Modifieds at Thompson. She competed in a
total of eight events between Thompson and
Stafford, and had 4 top tens and 1 top fifteenth
finish.
Source: K&E Motorsports,
P.O. Box 907• Naugatuck CT 06770 or
800.696.0661 or 203.720.0268 or Fax: 203.729.2861
or E-Mail
or www.kandemotorsports.com/fr_team.htm
2004 Kelly will be competing for Rookie of the
Year and hopes to finish top ten in the points
standings. However, there was no information since
2002
* * *
Related Issue:
Women
Racers
Directory,
Women
in Racing,
Women
Racers,
More
Women in
Racing,
Race
Schedules,
Notable
Women
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