Racing driver Sarah Cornett-Ching of Summerland will compete in the full ARCA Racing season this year.
Last month, Cornett-Ching, 23, competed at the 3.2-kilometre Daytona track in Florida, in the Daytona 200 stock car race.
“When we announced in Daytona that we would run multiple races with her, we didn’t believe the full season was an option due to funding,” said Tony Blanchard, owner of RACE 101 management.
“The right opportunity developed and we are ready to tackle the full schedule.”
The full schedule has 20 races on a variety of tracks and courses.
On Saturday, she competed in Mobile, Ala.
Early in the race, Cornett-Ching’s car was damaged after contact with another racer.
“With no outside wall in the corners I slid down an embankment,” she said. “It took three attempts to get back up to the track because the ground was so wet from rain the days before. I could hear the crowd from inside the car when I finally made it back on track.”
Despite the setback, she completed the race, finishing 14th.
“I am impressed by Sarah’s calmness in the car,” Blanchard said. “Her demeanour allowed her to listen and try different techniques behind the wheel that helped the handling of a damaged race car.”
Blanchard looks forward to Cornett-Ching’s racing season this year.
“Sarah is ready for the challenge,” he said.
“The team has been to these race tracks, and everyone here is determined as she is to support her success.”
Cornett-Ching has been racing since she was 12. She would like to compete at the top level of Nascar, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, in the future.
She said the ARCA circuit will be a new experience for her.
“This whole year is going to be a huge learning curve for me, its a new style of car different from what I’m used to racing,” she said.
“Every track we will compete on will be new, and my crew, crew chief and spotter are new.”
She added that the racing series is a higher profile than her past experiences and the cars are heavier and more powerful.
“Racing in the ARCA series is a huge step in my racing career. With half the races televised it gives me the opportunity to show what I can do on a much larger scale,” she said.
“I am really looking forward to running the whole season with ARCA and gaining experience at tracks that the top level NASCAR series race on.”
Cornett-Ching’s next competition is in Nashville, Tenn. in April. Before this event, she must get her damaged car repaired, prepare back-up cars, redesign the team office and work on public relations activities.
Cornett-Ching has also been working on fundraising for her race efforts.
In 2013, she was given the opportunity to race in Daytona, but could not compete because she did not have the necessary funding.
She spent the past year working as a welder in Saskatchewan and Dawson Creek, B.C. to raise money for racing.
