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TALLADEGA, AL – APRIL 23: A Chase Elliott fan chears as Chase takes the lead during the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series GEICO 500 race on April 23, 2023 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire AUTO: APR 23 NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon9532304230687
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TALLADEGA, AL – APRIL 23: A Chase Elliott fan chears as Chase takes the lead during the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series GEICO 500 race on April 23, 2023 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire AUTO: APR 23 NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon9532304230687
Mandy Chick is a young and feisty racing driver, who has been making waves in the world of motorsports lately. After an impressive fifth-place finish in the ARCA Menards Racing Series opener at Daytona earlier this year, Chick fulfilled her lifelong dream of racing at the Kansas Speedway on Saturday in the ARCA Dawn 150. However, her latest achievement was met with hateful trolling online, with many attacking Chick for being a female driver. However, the NASCAR community rallied around her and shut down the trolls.
Chick’s story is one of determination and hard work. Growing up just 20 minutes away from the Kansas Speedway, Chick dreamed of racing on that track since childhood. She comes from a family of racers, with her father Steve being a crew chief for the track’s inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series race. As a child, Chick spent her time turning wrenches and airing tires in her grandfather’s race shop instead of playing with toys and games, leaving no doubt that her future was in racing.
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Achieving a life long dream at ARCA Dawn 150
Mandy Chick actively worked on her cars and did her own suspension setup before races. Her passion for the sport led her to pursue an engineering degree at Rose-Hulman Institute in Terre Haute, Indiana, while also serving as the sorority president.
Local driver Mandy Chick grew up less than 20 minutes from Kansas Speedway. She's ready to go @ARCA_Racing today in front of her friends and family. This will be her first ARCA race at her home track. pic.twitter.com/1yB7ZfQQHf
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 6, 2023
In February 2023, in just her third career start at ARCA, Chick surprised the field with a fifth-place finish in the ARCA Menards Racing Series opener at Daytona. Thus, becoming just the fourth woman in 44 years of ARCA racing at Daytona to finish in the top five on the superspeedway.
Fast forward to May 6, 2023, Chick fulfilled her lifetime goal of racing at Kansas Speedway in front of her friends and family in the ARCA Dawn 150. However, unfortunately, the achievement of this young female driver was not celebrated by all.
Trolls on social media began attacking Chick with hateful comments and derogatory statements. They belittled her accomplishment and criticized her abilities as a driver simply because of her gender. However, what followed was an outpouring of support from the NASCAR community, who shut down the trolls with positive messages.
NASCAR community unites to shut down trolls, encourage young female driver
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Fans of the sport, as well as other drivers, took to social media to congratulate Chick on her achievement and shut down the hateful comments. NASCAR Affiliates, Couch Racer commented, “Great name. Great interview. Congrats on your 12th place finish. Best of luck from the Couch Racer fam. 🏁”, while Kelly Crandall, Host of The Racing Writer’s Podcast said, “While grown-ass men sit at home and get Cheeto dust on their keyboards, Mandy Chick drives a race car. So, keep tweeting your garbage while watching her do something you never will”
Imagine being so insecure you can’t cheer on a female driver living out her dream in a development series. Keep crushing it Mandy👊🏼
— Gunnar Helman (@ghelman17) May 6, 2023
Several fans flooded social media with their support, drowning out the negative comments. One fan commented, “The comments on this are absolutely disgusting Mandy has done a phenomenal job this year. Hope she continues to inspire people everywhere. She’s good for the sport and deserves to be here.” while another added, “She’s an engineering student at a top rated college, works on her own car, and races part time. Doing more than some of these “men” in the comments. And you wonder why this sport isn’t growing”
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A female driver who is doing an amazing job this year! Keep it up. Cheering you on every race!
— Ashley Simmons (@AshleySimmons48) May 6, 2023
Many fans pointed out the irony of people attacking a female driver for simply participating in a sport that has historically been male-dominated. The comments highlighted the need for continued support and encouragement for female drivers in NASCAR and other sports.
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Mandy Chick’s achievements are a testament to the sport’s commitment to inclusivity and equality. As women continue to make strides in motorsports, it’s important to celebrate and support their accomplishments, rather than tearing them down with hateful comments. Chick’s passion, determination, and skill are an inspiration to all, and we can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next.
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