Dale Earnhardt Jr‘s CARS Tour has constantly churned out talents since its inception. Having given prominence to recent Cup Series addition Josh Berry, the competition has proven to be the testing grounds for the Late Model division drivers on short tracks. Katie Hettinger is one of the most notable youngsters to come out of the racing series in recent history.

The 16-year-old former Anthony Campi Racing driver has claimed another feat in her glittering Pro Late Model career. On Tuesday, CARS Tour announced that Katie Hettinger had been awarded the 2023 CARS Pro Late Model Tour Most Popular Driver award. From being handed a penalty for intentional wrecking to turning into a fan favorite in months, it has been an incredible journey for the No.81 Pro Late Model driver.

A closer look at Katie Hettinger’s incredible turnaround last season

Katie Hettinger has earned rave reviews not just in the CARS Tour but also in USAC. While her talent has never been questioned, one aspect of her that has been highlighted so far is her temperament. In October last year, Katie Hettinger and another young star, Caden Kvapil, were involved in a run-in at the Tri-Country Speedway.

On the second turn, Kvapil couldn’t control his #96 car, slightly nudging Katie’s #81. This incident didn’t just push Katie Hettinger into the wall but also pushed her to the end of her patience. Catching up to Kvapil in the following laps, the Michigan native intentionally right-hooked her opponent as another conundrum followed.

While it earned her a lot of backlash from the community, she has taken it as a lesson after her apology and continued to improve with every race. Looking at her achievements in 2023, one would definitely cast their vote for Katie Hettinger as the Most Popular Driver of the Year.

In February 2023, Katie Hettinger became the first woman to claim a Pro Late Model feature race victory at the New Smyrna Speedway. The achievement also showcased her versatility on different tracks as she grabbed a win in the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. Three months after it, she entered the history books after leading the CARS Pro Late Model Tour standings.

Before Katie Hettinger, no female driver had led the CARS Tour points standings at any point in time. It was indeed a strong display by the 16-year-old. Owing to her illustrious year, she was also named the Bilstein Pro Late Model Rookie of the Year award. However, the juggernaut didn’t stop at that.

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In November, Katie Hettinger won the Carolina Pro Late Model Series feature race, and what better venue to do so than the Hickory Motor Speedway? To add to her joy, she also raced in her family-owned No.71 car for Hettinger Racing. Katie finished the CARS Tour season with seven top-5s and was edged by Caden Kvapil to the championship at the Caraway Speedway.

Looking back at Katie Hettinger’s season, the recognition of Most Popular Driver seems inevitable. As she heads into the 2024 season with her family-owned Hettinger Racing, the award will be a massive confidence booster indeed.

The newly crowned Most Popular Driver to race for Hettinger Racing in 2024

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After a successful stint with Anthony Campi Racing, Katie Hettinger is ready to move on to the next challenge; excelling under her family-owned Hettinger Racing banner. Speaking about the near future, Katie revealed, “I’m going to drive for my dad.”

We’ll run CARS Tour pro late model and late model stocks, and then race in Michigan a few times. One big goal is just to have a lot of success next year. Get some good points, maybe some national points, and then just hopefully get some ARCA opportunities at the end of the year and maybe some (NASCAR) Trucks.”

Additionally, Katie Hettinger has already mapped her journey into the upper echelons of racing, like ARCA and NASCAR. While ARCA will not have an instantaneous rise in skill like NASCAR, it will still have some worthy competitors awaiting its talents. From the racing prowess she has shown last year, she could be a force to be reckoned with very soon.

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Adding more about her record-breaking season in 2023, Katie stated, “We definitely had a solid season. Obviously, we wanted the championship, but unfortunately, we fell one spot short. But it was still a good season – rookie of the year, second in points. We broke a lot of records this season.”

Will her dream run continue in 2024? With Hettinger Racing’s backing, the chemistry between the pair is not in doubt. However, luck could come into play here as a gradual transition to the big leagues comes into sight.