Lightning strikes twice
TJ Stark is still fast. Last April, the Rocky Heights Middle School seventh grader won first place in the POWRi Quarter Midget Nationals at the Phoenix Raceway.
In November, the 13-year-old won again at the A-Main Winter Nationals, the ½ division, in Las Vegas. Over the four-day contest, Stark raced against 304 cars, the most seasoned drivers and the fastest times. “This second national win placed him easily within the top five youth drivers in the country,” said Stark’s dad, Nick. (See“Talented tween drives fast” article from April 2022 issue).
What is next for TJ? “I’m moving up to the bigger cars – the micro sprints. Right now we are preparing for The Tulsa Shootout, the largest event for micro sprint racing in the world,” stated Stark. “I will be competing against a field of 1,700 drivers including Nascar drivers Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, Hailie Deegan. Next season, I will race micro sprint cars on dirt, splitting time between Colorado, Tulsa, Oklahoma and California.”
By Celeste McNeil; photos courtesy of Nick Stark
