Pictured is 12-year old Slingshot racer Meckenzie Marsh of Candor, N.Y. Meckenzie won the Aug. 15 Tobias Slingshot feature at Five Mile Point Speedway located in Kirkwood, N.Y., which makes her the youngest female race winner at the Speedway within its 65 year history. Meckenzie, a.k.a. Punkie, is working toward future success in racing, with an ultimate goal of racing professionally. (Provided Photos)
Pictured is 12-year old Slingshot racer Meckenzie Marsh of Candor, N.Y. Meckenzie, a.k.a. Punkie, is working toward future success in racing, with an ultimate goal of racing professionally. Meckenzie recently had the opportunity to meet her favorite NASCAR driver and idol, Danica Patrick.
November was an exciting month for 12-year old Meckenzie Marsh of Candor, N.Y. Not only was it her birthday month, Meckenzie, a local racer of Slingshots, was featured on the Nov. 11 episode of the “Ellen DeGeneres” television show.
A whirlwind trip to California, Meckenzie, along with her parents, Jessica Boynton and Rick Marsh, met the famous talk show host and comedian, along with other famous guests scheduled on the same show. During the on-stage interview, Meckenzie had a surprise opportunity to meet her favorite NASCAR driver and idol, Danica Patrick. To top it off, the Warner Brothers parking lot was blocked off and made into a miniature race track, where Meckenzie was challenged to a go-kart race versus Ellen, Danica and another guest that day, music superstar Justin Bieber.
Racing since she was four-and-a-half years old, Meckenzie’s dedication and love for the sport, along with support from her “pit crew” has yielded positive results. Driving microds up until last year, Meckenzie moved up to the junior class and subsequently the adult class of Slingshot racing at Five Mile Point Speedway located in Kirkwood, N.Y. Meckenzie won the Aug. 15 Tobias Slingshot feature at her home track, which makes her the youngest female race winner at the Speedway within its 65 year history. Not just any win, Meckenzie’s competition was against adult male racers aged 18 and older. Racing about 80 mph, Slingshot dirt track racing is a different experience from the 30-40 mph speeds in microds.
The attraction of Slingshot racing has grown significantly, and as described by the manufacturer, Tobias, in an on-line company video, “They are sturdy, durable and highly competitive. Don’t be fooled by their small size. Slingshots are real race cars.”
Meckenzie surprised the field of male drivers when she first started racing Slingshots, yet her determination, enthusiasm and hard work has since earned her a place on the track.
The last race of the season on Oct. 31 ended with a blown motor, however Meckenzie still finished strong in the overall standings at Five Mile Point and will continue the series next year, as well as pursue other race opportunities within the Tobias Slingshot tour. Meckenzie and her family also hope that new sponsors will jump on board next year.
Meckenzie credits her father, Rick, and her uncle, Randy, both racers in their own right, as the primary inspiration for her getting behind the wheel. Jessica Boynton credits Andrew Harpell, Five Mile Speedway owner, for initiating communication about Meckenzie’s success, which has since grabbed the attention of multiple media outlets.
Although Meckenzie explained that racing is her overall favorite activity, which keeps her busy every Saturday from May through October, she also participates in other sports and is an animal enthusiast. The Candor Elementary School student plays basketball as well as youth football. The only girl on the football team last year, Meckenzie helped inspire another young girl to play football this year. At home, Meckenzie keeps active caring for her family of animals, which include dogs, cats, chickens, a special rooster named Rascal and her horse, BlackJack.
To most of her family, friends and even schoolteachers, Meckenzie is known as “Punkie,” and she actually prefers being called that. Punkie shared that in addition to her idol, Danica Patrick, she also follows NASCAR drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards.
When asked if Danica Patrick shared any advice or words of encouragement, Punkie said, “Danica told me to ‘Dream big, drive fast and don’t take any crap from anybody.’”
Regarding her dream about professional racing like NASCAR, Punkie shared, “I want to be better than Danica.”
