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18-year-old Jade Avedisian became the first female driver to win a race on the CARS Tour series earlier this week. This was the opening race of the series at the New River All-American Speedway.
Avedisian initially finished in second place. She was in a three-way battle on the final lap for the win, but T.J. DeCaire took the checkered flag. However, he was disqualified following a post-race inspection, which his car didn't clear. Following the inspection, Avedisian was declared the winner of the race.
Born in Clovis, California, Jade Avedisian has been professionally racing since 2017. At the time, she participated in the Tulsa Shootout Junior Series, which is where many youngsters find a professional way into their racing journey. She continued to participate in the series, but it wasn't until 2020 that she claimed a victory in the Tulsa Shootout.
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In 2021, she moved to the National Midget League, but failed to win any races. A year later, she won two of the 10 races she raced in the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series, and another two in the POWRi National Midget League.
Currently, she is under the Toyota GAZOO Racing driver development program and has come across as a strong prodigy in stock racing.
"I'm very proud of everyone behind me": Jade Avedisian shares her thoughts after winning CARS Tour race
Jade Avedisian's victory was a historical statement. As mentioned, she was initially the runner-up of the race but was declared the winner after T.J. DeCaire failed a post-race inspection.
Reacting to her victory, Avedisian thanked her team and the people who have supported her through her journey of becoming a racer (via FloRacing).
"It's really cool. I want it to the the first of many hopefully. Outside of that, all I care about is winning races. I just want to win races and do the best I can."
She further mentioned her desire to win races by taking the checkered flag and crossing the finish line first. However, she was still proud of her achievement.
"Obviously I want to be the first to cross the finish line but a win is a win. I'll take it. I'm very proud of everyone behind me. Everyone on this 24 car did a really great job over the past few days and it obviously shows," she added.
The CARS Tour series helps young drivers to pave their way to the ultimate NASCAR Cup Series, which is also what Avedisian aims for moving ahead in her career.
