Miranda Throckmorton: Racer, High-School Sophmore

November 05, 2007

Miranda Throckmorton is a 15-year-old high school student but she is not your typical teenager. The Indiana native has been racing since she was 4-1/2-years-old when she began running ¼ midgets.

In addition to her studies at Avalon High School just outside of Indianapolis, Miranda works out four times a week with PitFit Training as well as being responsible for all the maintenance and upkeep for her racecars; which includes how to including changing oil and filters, cleaning nozels, mounting tires, setting the valves and other routine maintenance to keep the car in top racing shape.

She has worked at Snyder Enterprise, a local company, tearing down motors, tearing down and rebuilding heads, putting motors on and off both Dynos and cars, and building race engines and Dynos. She has also fabricated the chassis for ¼ midgets and 600 micro-midgets.

Miranda's goal is to someday be a driver in the Indy Racing League.

What first interested you in racing cars?
My Dad used to race in Sprint Car Quarter Midgets, so when I was 4-1/2 I starting racing Sprint Cars.

What has been your greatest accomplishment so far?
Winning a Sprint Car Feature! I was the first woman to win in a non-wing Sprint car.

Are you just one of the guys now at the track?
Older guys are people my Dad knows, so they are cool to me. Everyone else, I race with it’s pretty simple that if I show them respect then they give me respect back.

What plans do you have for 2008?
I am running the entire Midwest All Star Sprint Car Series and ten to fifteen additional shows on the nationwide All Star Circuit of Champions sprint car series races.

Eventually would you like to compete in NASCAR or another top national series?
I am around IRL people and IRL teams a lot. Those are a lot of the people me and my Dad know. I would like to try and race on an Infinity team when I am 18. But, eventually I would like to drive in the IRL. But, I wouldn’t be picky, I’d run NASCAR.

Is it hard to balance school and a racing life?
I go to regular public school and they get a little picky about me having to leave school to go racing. We have to work with them on it. They are not real helpful.

Who are your racing idols?
Sarah Fisher and Tony Stewart.

What do you do in your off time?
Hang with friends. I don’t have a lot of friends from school mainly I hang with friends I have made at the race track.

Career Highlights:
2007 Feature Win with 410 Non-Wing Sprint Car
First-ever woman to win a non-wing sprint car
feature in the United States
Multiple Top 3 Finishes - USAC Kenyon Midget Series
Feature Win - 600cc Micro-Sprints
Multiple Top 5 Finishes - 600cc Micro-Sprints
Ten Championships - Quarter Midgets
Four Track Records - Quarter Midgets
Participant - Lyn St. James Driver Development Program
HARF - First Year Professional Driver Award
Graduated First - Speaking of Motorsports Workshop
Keynote Speaker - NAMARS Awards Ceremony
Guest - Various Radio Programs

Miranda's driving was also the inspiration behind a new video game developed by 321 Development, featuring Miranda's car, Red Number 22. The new Bandit Sprint Cars game is available at R Factor Central.

by Linda Przygodski
Contributing Editor
AskPatty.com