There’s a young star rising through the racing ranks at Evergreen and Deming speedways.
With a brilliant smile, a thirst for speed and the driving skill to boot, Haley Constance is making a name for herself at these two Pacific Northwest tracks.
You may have seen her last season, when she won five of eight races in the youth Hornet division on the asphalt at Evergreen Speedway. Haley, 13, blasted out to a fast start this season, winning the first main event. She led the second feature main until being bumped by a lapped car, but roared back to finish fourth. She was due to race again May 4.
Racing is a family affair
Haley’s dad, Joe Constance, races in the NASCAR Speedway Chevrolet Super Late Models class at Evergreen Speedway. He’s also her crew chief, a role he’s played since she started racing flat karts at the Monroe indoor dirt arena at age 3.
“I think my dad is the whole reason I even race,” Haley says. “Once I see him out there racing I want to do it even more. I just love that we get to do it together.”
Haley lives for the adrenalin rush she gets when she climbs behind the wheel and starts passing cars. She holds the track lap record at Deming Speedway in Everson for the Junior Sprint class, 12.66 seconds, set in the summer of 2016 and will open the season there May 24.
Next season presents a new challenge
While there’s still plenty of racing left for 2019, Haley looks forward to next season, when she’ll race in a new Junior Late Models division being created as a transition to adult racing for racers aged 14 to 16.
She’ll also be in a new car, one that looks like a regular Late Model but has less power and different tires. “I’m really excited,” Haley says. “I’ll finally be able to race something that my dad has raced for a long time.”
Sponsorships help fuel Haley’s dream
The financial help of sponsors like Ziad Youssef at MyTrafficMan.net, who sponsors the Mini Sprint; John Bender, who owns Haley’s Hornet but waived her rental fee this season; and her grandfather’s Marshall Motorsports, there from the beginning, makes a big difference for the family, says mom Tiffany.
“She needs the top-of-the-line safety gear, the head and neck restraints, when she’s racing,” she says. “We’ve got all these different people helping her to stay safe while she’s racing and teach her all the skills.” Being able to race safely has other benefits, she adds. “She’s also learning to drive a car on and off the track, so that when she goes to get her licence in a couple years, I’m not going to worry about her.”
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