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Watch Out, World… Alli Owens Is Coming!by Heather Meyer ~ February 22nd, 2008. Filed under: ARCA RE/MAX, Articles by Heather. |
I spent the past Christmas holiday in Daytona Beach.
The buzz around there around that time was about an up-and-coming local driver who would be attempting to make the Daytona ARCA race.
It turns out the buzz was about female stock car racer Alli Owens.
Alli Owens is a Daytona Beach native who started her racing career at age 8 on a BMX bike.
At age 12 she moved over to quarter midgets, and from there she’s worked her way up through the ranks.
Last year Alli had 6 top 5 finishes and 9 top 10 finishes in NASCAR-sanctioned late models. Her best finish was 3rd at Hickory Motor Speedway after qualifying on the outside pole.
Growing up with the dream of driving at Daytona International Speedway, Alli secured a ride with Mario Gosselin this year in the ARCA RE/MAX series.
Her number 12 ElectrifyingCareers[dot]com/National Electric Contractors Association Chevrolet Monte Carlo qualified its way in on speed, starting 29th. After getting spun a couple of times, Alli eventually lost the transmission to finish 41st. Alli said of the experience that it was so amazing and overwhelming. She mentioned also that her team had to pull her off the track during practices, and that she just wanted to keep running laps and soak up the feelings.
Growing up, Janet Guthrie was the female driver Alli looked up to. She respects the old time grass roots drivers like Dale Earnhardt Sr. in how he had nothing and scraped things together to go racing every week. This is a lot like Alli herself. She’s ridden her bike around Daytona Beach tring to get sponsorship for her rides. In high school she took business classes to help her understand what she needs to do with sponsorship. This girl is doing it on her own.
A lot of her school friends didn’t understand why she couldn’t go out with them on Saturday nights. Alli is comfortable in the garage talking shop with the guys, or at the mall shopping with the girls.
I think we’ll see a lot of great things out of this young lady.
Alli says she loves driving on aggressive short tracks, and coming up through the traffic. It sounds like she might just give some of our Sprint Cup drivers a run for their money one day soon.
You can catch Alli in action again in the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 by Federated Auto Parts race at Salem Speedway Sunday April 13th.
Good luck this season, Alli!
For more information about Alli Owens, you can visit her website at www.alliowens.com.
February 22nd, 2008 at 3:04 pm
I had to respond to this one. No offense - but Ms. Owens had no business on the track! ARCA should be ashamed for allowing someone with so little experience to start at Daytona. When we started, my driver had to start first at Salem, then KY, then Mich., each time with supervision and ARCA approval before proceeding to a larger venue. Times apparently have changed, or maybe Ms.Owens has a much larger checkbook!!! She didn’t “get spun.” She spun herself out twice - once after pinballing off a couple of cars, and once all alone. The rest of the field breathed a sigh of relief when her transmision gave up. Ms.Owens may eventually become a respected competitor - I wish her luck. But if she is qualified to start Daytona because she “performed well at the Daytona Test,” heck - put me in one. I’ve got Richard Petty Driving Experience on my resume!