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Fairgrounds
Speedway At Nashville
Mason Mingus: Local Driver Competing During
All-American Weekend
NASHVILLE - When Mason Mingus began his racing career at only
seven-years-old in the quarter midgets division, it only took three
races for him to prove he far exceeded the normal novice status for
someone his age. Mingus, from Brentwood, Tennessee, advanced on to
several big wins in his two-year quarter midget career and
successfully earned a top-five position in points in two separate
divisions.
Mingus’ next racing stop landed him in the Mini Cups division where
the speeds increased along with his enthusiasm and sheer excitement.
Adults and children alike get a small dose of what authentic racing
can be in the ˝-scale Mini Cup cars, so Mingus competed there for
two years and captured five wins and two top-5 finishes.
Following along in NASCAR star Carl Edwards’ footsteps, Mingus next
strapped in to compete in the Baby Grand Series. These fast machines
are 2/3-scale race cars that can easily hit speeds up to 100 miles
per hour. In Mingus’ first full season he earned the Eastern
National Championship as he raced all over the east and mid-west
states.
In 2008 Mingus was in pursuit of a season championship in the Baby
Grand Series when he mentioned an interest in seizing an opportunity
for seat time in a Late Model Series stock car. Gardner Racing,
located in Louisville, Kentucky, offered Mingus a Late Model test at
Beech Bend Speedway in Bowling Green, Kentucky. With only a handful
of test laps completed Mingus nearly mirrored the lap times of
seasoned weekly competitors and left no doubt he was poised enough
to race a Late Model at only thirteen-years-old.
By April 2009 Mingus began competing in a newly-formed series called
the KEN-TEN Series where Late Model racers from Kentucky and
Tennessee battle for border bragging rights. Mingus impressively
scored five top-5 finishes in only ten events and ended the season
in eighth-place in the final points tally. He also won a 50-lap race
at The Kentucky Motor Speedway in Whitesville, Kentucky, the same
track where NASCAR stars Darrell and Michael Waltrip, Jeremy
Mayfield, and the Green brothers all began their racing careers.
Next up on Mingus’ climb up the racing ladder will be when he tests
his mettle with the CRA Super Series at the prestigious
All-American Weekend event at the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville,
Tennessee on November 1st. Kevin Gardner, Mingus’ car owner and crew
chief for the Diamond Equipment/Chartwell Properties Ford Fusion,
will be on hand in Nashville to try and push the young rookie beyond
expectations.
“It should be a great show at Nashville for the fans and hopefully a
great showing for our team. We’re ready to go out and see if we can
capture one of those cool guitar trophies,” said Mingus.
When Mingus isn’t racing, he is a typical fourteen-year-old student
at Franklin Road Academy. He is the current back-up linebacker and
fullback for the varsity football team. Mingus is also on the
school’s wrestling team where his middle school record was 15-2 and
he was 4-2 as part of the varsity team.
Come out this weekend, October 30, 31, and November 1st to see if
Mingus can capture his first CRA Racing division win at the
historical .596 asphalt short track during the All-American 400
racing weekend.
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