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A 10-year-old with a trophy shelf behind her sounds adorable until you realize she’s also a serious driver with a clear head for speed, strategy, and safety. We sit down with Laci Mitchell from Victoria, Australia, a fourth-generation racer who started at five and now races both quarter midgets and a junior sedan. Listening to her talk about racing feels like a masterclass in what kids can learn early when they’re given the right support, equipment, and seat time. 

 Laci walks us through what a junior sedan is, why it feels so different from a quarter midget, and what really changes when the car gets wider, the track feels bigger, and the pace picks up. We dig into confidence and racecraft, including one of the toughest skills for any new driver: making a clean pass on the outside when you can’t control what the other driver does. She also shares why the racetrack keeps pulling her back, from hanging out with friends and family to the thrill of chasing better results in points racing. 

We also get practical about motorsports sponsorship and how it actually happens at the grassroots level.  Laci lists her sponsors and says it plainly: she asked them to help and to be part of her program. And when the conversation turns serious, she describes rolling over in night shows and walking away fine, a powerful reminder of why racing safety equipment and good routines matter for every youth racing family. 

If you care about women in motorsports, youth racing development, quarter midget racing, junior sedan racing, or building confident young drivers, you’ll get a lot from this one. Subscribe to the Women’s Motorsports Network Podcast, share this with a racing parent or young driver, and leave us a review with your favorite takeaway.

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