It’s been 76 years since that fateful day at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. As the cars lined up on the grid, there was one racer gripping the steering wheel in anticipation, unaware of the history they would create. We’re talking about Sara Christian, the first-ever woman to compete in a NASCAR race. With 7 Cup Series starts and solid finishes, Christian became the inspiration of many such drivers.

Fast forward to 2024 and it was the audience who had no idea that there was a driver in the field who was about to create history. Among the talented field of drivers, Jade Avedisian piloted her No. 24 Wilson Motorsports Toyota with precision beyond her years, and it was this precision that turned her into the first female driver to win a CARS Tour race in the Tour’s 11-year history.

Throughout the 100-lap feature event, she steadily competed for better positions while displaying development skills that have positioned Toyota’s development program in a positive light. “Yeah, like I felt like we were the fastest car all race, honestly, until the end. I felt like everyone kind of got about the same speed, but Nacho did a good job to kind of keep my pace, you know, slow and not. Number my stuff up early on or early in the race. So obviously I was there at the last few restarts. And yeah, the last few restarts was good for the fans.,” Avedisian expressed her belief that the car had been the track-lapping leader from the beginning of the race until the conclusion.

Laps after laps, the battle intensified between Avedisian, Tristan McKee who had dominated much of the race, and T.J. DeCaire who had steadily worked his way into contention. The trio swapped positions through a series of late restarts, with DeCaire ultimately making a bold three-wide move with just four laps remaining. The aggressive passing move placed DeCaire in pole position which he maintained during the final restart until he claimed victory by 0.382 seconds over Avedisian.

But racing, as true fans of the sport know all too well, isn’t over even after flying through the checkered flags. As teams rolled through the mandatory post-race technical inspections, officials gathered around DeCaire’s machine with measuring tools in hand. The announcement came shortly thereafter—DeCaire had failed technical inspection for left-side weight infractions, and just like that Avedisian inherited the win, becoming the first female driver in the 11-year history of the CARS Tour to grace victory lane. “It’s not how you typically want to get your first win, but a win is a win, right?” asked interviewer Rob in victory lane. Avedisian responded with gratitude and determination: “It feels great. Obviously, you know, I want to be the first to cross the finish line, but like you said, a win is a win. So I’ll take it.”

This unexpected turn of events echoed a scenario similar to what happened with Parker Kligerman at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener at Daytona, where a technical issue led to Corey Heim being declared the winner. In both cases, the initial winner’s victory was overturned due to a technical infraction, highlighting the importance of precision in motorsports. This time, it was Dale Jr.’s CARS Series making the dream come true.

This milestone victory isn’t just personal—it’s historic. In more than a decade of competition, Avedisian became the first woman in CARS Tour history to win a race by claiming victory across the Late Model Stock, Super Late Model, and Pro Late Model divisions. When informed of this achievement, Avedisian maintained her competitor’s perspective: “Yeah, it’s really good, I wanna be the first for many hopefully but outside of that, I just all I care about is winning races. I just want to win races and do the best I can. But that is definitely cool to add on top.”

Her response revealed a racer focused far more on performance than milestones, though the significance of breaking this gender barrier in short-track racing cannot be overstated. In a series that has featured prominent female drivers before, including Lanie Buice who finished 10th in the Late Model Stock portion of Saturday’s event, Avedisian is the first to reach victory lane.

From Dirt Tracks to History Books

Avedisian’s path to this historic CARS Tour victory has not at all been conventional. Unlike many of her competitors who grew up racing on asphalt, she built her reputation on dirt tracks, becoming a standout in the highly competitive world of midget racing. Her accomplishments include qualifying for the prestigious Chili Bowl Nationals in her first attempt and capturing the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series championship.

The transition to asphalt racing has been remarkably smooth for the Toyota development driver. This CARS Tour victory marks her second asphalt win following a triumph at Hickory Motor Speedway in just her second Pro Late Model start. Despite her rapid success, Avedisian maintains a student mindset, focused on continuous improvement.

“I know I’ve got to clean up a few things on my restart, so I’ve got to get out of the box a little bit better,” she analyzed. “But I’ll go study hard this week and come out swinging for the next one.”

Her technical approach to race craft was evident throughout Saturday’s event, particularly during the late-race restarts that proved pivotal to the final outcome. “The last few restarts were good for the fans. It was pretty chaotic out there, but it’s just good to get the experience, you know, restart after restart,” she explained. “And now I kind of know what I need to do better from here on out.”

The CARS Tour has prided itself on maintaining professional standards comparable to NASCAR’s national divisions, including strict technical enforcement—as evidenced by the decision to disqualify DeCaire despite his on-track victory. With this historic milestone now secured in the record books, Avedisian has firmly established herself as a driver to watch in 2025. The CARS Tour will return to action at Cordele Motor Speedway soon, where she will have her next opportunity to take the checkered flag the conventional way—by being the first to cross the finish line.