Canada's next great racing hero may well be a 14-year-old Mississuaga, Ont., girl who has caught the eye of executives at Ford Motor Company.
Alison McLeod, a Grade 9 student at King's Christian Collegiate in Oakville, Ont., tested in Indiana last week at Anderson Speedway, in front of Ford bosses, USAC Midget racing team owner Bob East and former Indy 500 driver Lyn St. James.
McLeod's trip to Indiana came about as part of a Ford Racing program designed to identify young female drivers with the potential to land a ride in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series.
Four girls currently involved in various racing series were picked from across North America with McLeod being the youngest.
The other candidates in the program are Erin Crocker, 23, of Buffalo, Michelle Theriault, 18, of Atlanta and Lynsey Tilton, 17, of San Diego.
The girls each had several turns in one of East's USAC Midget racers over the two-day test at the quarter-mile banked oval.
It's the same career route taken by NASCAR Nextel Cup stars Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman.
For McLeod it was a whole new experience.
She races in the Mosport Karting Club series as well as the Waterloo Karting Club series in an 80cc shifter kart.
Getting into a USAC Midget car took some adjustment.
"It was my first time racing on an oval track and my first time ever in a Midget racer," McLeod said yesterday.
So impressed was Ford that a plan has been started that could see McLeod racing a full-bodied Ford Focus by the end of this season.
"I am just so thankful for this opportunity," McLeod said.
The youngster was brought to the attention of Ford by Trans Am driver Lauren Fix, who had asked McLeod to mentor her own daughter, Shelby, as she tried to get into racing.
Dan Davis, the director of Ford Racing technology, said he is excited by the prospect of one of the four girls eventually making it to NASCAR.
"One thing is for sure, based on what I saw and the feedback I've received thus far, all four of the women involved in the program are incredibly talented," Davis said.
http://www.canoe.ca
Alison McLeod, a Grade 9 student at King's Christian Collegiate in Oakville, Ont., tested in Indiana last week at Anderson Speedway, in front of Ford bosses, USAC Midget racing team owner Bob East and former Indy 500 driver Lyn St. James.
McLeod's trip to Indiana came about as part of a Ford Racing program designed to identify young female drivers with the potential to land a ride in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series.
Four girls currently involved in various racing series were picked from across North America with McLeod being the youngest.
The other candidates in the program are Erin Crocker, 23, of Buffalo, Michelle Theriault, 18, of Atlanta and Lynsey Tilton, 17, of San Diego.
The girls each had several turns in one of East's USAC Midget racers over the two-day test at the quarter-mile banked oval.
It's the same career route taken by NASCAR Nextel Cup stars Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman.
For McLeod it was a whole new experience.
She races in the Mosport Karting Club series as well as the Waterloo Karting Club series in an 80cc shifter kart.
Getting into a USAC Midget car took some adjustment.
"It was my first time racing on an oval track and my first time ever in a Midget racer," McLeod said yesterday.
So impressed was Ford that a plan has been started that could see McLeod racing a full-bodied Ford Focus by the end of this season.
"I am just so thankful for this opportunity," McLeod said.
The youngster was brought to the attention of Ford by Trans Am driver Lauren Fix, who had asked McLeod to mentor her own daughter, Shelby, as she tried to get into racing.
Dan Davis, the director of Ford Racing technology, said he is excited by the prospect of one of the four girls eventually making it to NASCAR.
"One thing is for sure, based on what I saw and the feedback I've received thus far, all four of the women involved in the program are incredibly talented," Davis said.
http://www.canoe.ca
