In November 2022, at Northern California’s Placerville Speedway, No. 84 got cornered to the wall before flipping into the sky. Things went silent for a couple of seconds as people were worried about the driver’s safety. It was a violent crash. But when a pink and white helmet peeked through, people witnessed that 16-year-old Jade Avedisian was safe. But she was also mad!

The crowd cheered on as the teenager walked forward to confront Tanner Carrick— the driver responsible for her crash. But when she arrived near Carrick’s car, he was still strapped in. She simply pushed her arm forward and exchanged a fist bump before walking away. Her action may have left people confused, but Avedisian knew what she was doing. She knew she had to keep her calm and not lash out.

So one wouldn’t be too surprised when NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell remarked last year, “The sky is the limit for Jade.” Jade Avedisian made jaws drop in 2023 when she won five Xtreme Outlaw midget races to become the first woman to win a national midget championship. Not only did she break down gender barriers, but she also shattered walls of speed—she easily outpaced her rival Zach Daum with fewer mistakes and greater consistency en route to the national midget title.

However, we may not see this speedster come back for a while. Avedisian’s 2024 run was considerably less sensational than 2023, as she finished in the top five three times and made the podium once. Now, another tremendous setback has afflicted the teenager in the form of a health update, which will at least temporarily pause her promising racing pursuits.

The promising racer posted a concerning health update on X: “It’s with a heavy heart that I’ve decided to step away from dirt racing for the rest of the year. I’ve been dealing with an injury since BC39 and despite working with amazing doctors, I need time to heal properly and avoid making things worse.”

“It’s been a very hard decision because I have so much love and passion for dirt racing but I need to get my body back to 100%. I can’t express how much fun I have had the last few years and proud of what we have accomplished. I know I have years ahead of me, and this is the best decision. Thank you.”

Raised in California’s Central Valley as the daughter of a sprint car crew member, Jade Avedisian has visited dirt racetracks since she was a child. She watched Kyle Larson establish his racing career and soon embarked on her own milestones. At the age of 9, she won a national quarter-midget championship. Then she claimed a winged Outlaw micro sprint race at the 2020 John Hinck Championship in Missouri.

She had only raced in that division once before and had no expectations, so everyone was shocked to see Avedisian leaving the racetrack with the $20,000 check in her hand. Now she drives under Keith Kunz Motorsports, the same team for whom Bell and Larson have driven midgets before.

Soon after clinching the national midget championship, Toyota signed her on to compete full-time in the Toyota GR Cup Series driving a Mobil 1-sponsored Toyota GR-86 car this year. However, Jade Avedisian’s transition from dirt oval racing to asphalt racing in a sports car had to screech to a halt.

Although Jade Avedisian recovered from a concussion, she suffered in a hard crash at Farmer City Raceway in April, this new hindrance has proven crippling for her career. However, the 18-year-old’s dreams are young, and there is a long way to go, as Kyle Larson pointed out earlier this year. “She’s young. So she’s got a long runway to keep improving and hopefully there is not much pressure on her or anything so she can just kind of be herself to learn and develop and get the experience she needs…” He added, “She’s got a very aggressive style and she’s fun to watch.”

Larson’s approval of her aggressive style speaks volumes, as Avedisian emulates her role model in handling situations.

Jade Avedisian has inculcated Kyle Larson’s style: As calm as the nascent storm

Right before a thunderstorm, there is an overwhelming sense of calm. Similarly, Jade Avedisian does not react immediately to tense situations but waits to unleash a storm in her racing pursuits. This attitude closely resembles Kyle Larson‘s behavior whenever tensions escalate with another racer.

Remember when Denny Hamlin nudged him to seize the victory at Pocono last year? Although Larson expressed his severe displeasure, he never confronted Hamlin for a tussle.

So when Avedisian faced a similar situation at Northern California’s Placerville Speedway in 2022, she knew exactly how to react to Tanner Carrick jeopardizing her race. Remember how we earlier discussed fist-bumping Carrick? The teenager was trying to make a statement with that.

As a then-16-year-old, she had already honed her ability to handle situations well. “Obviously, I was pretty mad, but you can’t lose your head in those situations,” she said of the Placerville incident. “As much as I wanted to go scream at him, you can’t. (The fist bump) was my best option to still do something but not blow it up to where people were saying, ‘What is she doing?’ If it’s a bad look for me, it’s a bad look for your sponsors as well.”

Evidently, Jade Avedisian’s cool composure is one of a kind. Her fiery mindset may propel her back to racing in no time as soon as her ailing health recovers. What do you think?