Teen Racer Drives To End Childhood Cancer

MORGANTON, N.C., Dec. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "As a professional driver, it's easy to be consumed by the demands of the job," says 16-year-old Gray Leadbetter. "The travel, training, inevitable crashes, and constant pressure to shave seconds off every lap can be overwhelming. But the challenges I face are nothing compared to the challenges children fighting cancer face."

Every day, 43 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer. One in 285 will receive a cancer diagnosis before their 20^th birthday. "Those numbers took my breath away," says Leadbetter. "I had no idea that while I'm out chasing my dream, so many are having their dreams crushed by cancer."

Leadbetter had to get involved. In November, as she prepared to take the biggest step of her career by entering the World of Outlaws World Finals, she decided to team up with the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Instead of selling valuable space on her car to a sponsor, Leadbetter used it to promote the NPCF and its fight to end pediatric cancer.

Leadbetter knows what it's like to face tough odds. Racing remains a male-dominated sport where women can be met with skepticism and not always be taken seriously. Female, slight and unassuming, she shatters notions of what a driver should look like.

Racing since the age of four, Leadbetter is accustomed to shattering norms. At just 14, she was the youngest driver and only woman in the Americas Rallycross Series. She wasn't old enough to drive on the street, yet there she was fighting wheel-to-wheel with current and former IndyCar drivers. In 2020, she made history as the youngest driver  and first woman to win a Championship Off-Road SXS race.

In 2021, Leadbetter moved into sprint cars, the wild, winged beasts of the motorsports world. She finished third in her first race and closed out her year by stepping onto the biggest stage in sprint car competition – The World of Outlaws World Finals in Charlotte, NC – with the NPCF logo on her car.

"I'm not a doctor or a scientist," says Leadbetter, "But spreading awareness for NPCF is one way I can give back."

To donate visit: nationalpcf.org
Follow Gray at: grayleadbetter.com
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SOURCE Gray Leadbetter Racing