Ten-year-old Mackinzie Urish has raced midget cars competitively for five years. Along the way she has won numerous races and continues to do so in the Topeka Quarter Midget Association.

Mackinzie Urish has raced midget cars competitively for five years and has won numerous races. That’s quite an accomplishment considering she’s only 10 years old.

Mackinzie races in the Topeka Quarter Midget Association, competing in the Senior Honda and Light 160 heats. Before she climbs into her car, her father, Willie, often gives her some advice.

“During the race I’m always told to work on my starts and passes,” Mackinzie said. “Once the race gets going I’m not really focused on anything.”

Entering this weekend’s races at the Topeka Quarter Midget Track, Mackinzie was third in points in the Senior Honda heat and eighth in the Light 160 heat. Mackinzie said the key to being a successful driver was practice. She practices most every Saturday, usually for two to three hours.

For the Urish family, racing is a serious affair, with a large chunk of the year devoted to it. The season begins in April and runs until October. But the time commitment is something the family is used to.

Mackinzie said her interest in racing came naturally because her dad, aunts and uncles have all been involved in the sport for years. Even her mother, Jennifer, and sister, Madison, are involved. Jennifer works at the track and Madison helps out working on the car.

“It’s something we can do together,” Willie said.

Willie raced cars for over 20 years and said watching his daughter on the track can be a little uncomfortable.

“I’m a lot more nervous watching her race than when I was racing because I can’t control what happens,” he said.

Though Willie can’t control the action on the track, he still has input. Along with being dad, he serves as Mackinzie’s crew chief.

“It’s much easier being a crew chief than a dad,” Willie said. “The cars can be easier to handle sometimes.”

While the cars run on a short oval track and reach speeds of 30 mph or more, Willie is not concerned about his daughter’s safety. Drivers wear protective gear and their cars must meet stringent safety standards.

“It’s not a dangerous sport,” Willie said.

In the future Willie would like to see his daughter race in the Modified Midgets division. But Mackinzie has bigger goals.

“I want to become a NASCAR driver when I get older,” she said.

And Mackinzie offered advice to those thinking about racing.

“They should give it a try,” she said. “It’s a lot of good experiences and you meet a lot of people, too.”