racing background, so she has spent all of her spare time working with Late Model and Modified teams educating herself so she could move up the ranks. After 18 victories and a championship in the U-car division, she decided she was ready to take on a new challenge, and made the leap to the modified division, becoming the only female competing.
This season, Lauren is returning to compete in 20 races within the Open Wheel Modified division with a rebuilt engine - did I mention she builds her own motors? With a Mechanical Engineering degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, Lauren is definitey not afraid to get her hands dirty, and has been a crew member on a NASCAR Whelen Modified team, as well as an official for Arena Racing USA for the past three years. She also owns Lauren Edgerton Racing.
bit depressing that he's retiring. I used to run a #24 car in my U-car. The modified car I bought came with hand-painted numbers and I couldn't find anyone to change it to 24 because of copyrights.
What are your goals?
Realistically, due to my extreme lack of sponsorship, I'm going to work toward a NASCAR Modified. I don't see myself touching NASCAR Late Models - there is so much money there. But I'll just keep racing. I chose to major in Mechanical Engineering because I wanted to go to school for something I could use in racing and it seemed to fit. I want to do this for the rest of my life.
Now THAT is dedication. To learn more about Lauren, visit http://www.hotrod.com/features/1507-the-other-side-lauren-edgerton/.
Even with her intense schedule, Lauren made time to speak with me.
Choosing one thing can be tough, but what is your favorite thing about racing?
It was just such an awesome feeling the first time I sat in the go-kart. Winning is addicting. I don't know how I could ever quit racing. I need to be 100 percent committed to it or I just wouldn't do it at all.
Who is your biggest hero within the sport?
Definitely Jeff Gordon. It's a
Most of the ladiesyou see here on "The Other Side" have been involved in racing since they were super young. Lauren Edgerton didn't get behind the wheel and start racing until 2005, when she was 15 years old. She sat in a go-kart and decided right then that she would dedicate her life to racing. Unlike a lot of racers, Lauren's family does not have a
