Holly Shelton driven to make history

“This being my third year I feel confident. Hopefully I can apply all that I learned so far.” Holly Shelton

TULSA — Being in the right place at the right time can sometimes lead you down a path you never expected.

It did for Holly Shelton.

Shelton grew up in California racing go karts around the likes of Kyle Larson and Rico Abreu at Cycleland Speedway in Chico. Now at the age of 22 she is racing for Keith Kuntz motorsports, one of the top midget teams in the country.

“I ran outlaw karts in California where Rico (Abreu), Kyle (Larson) and all of them grew up,” Shelton said. “Toyota was developing their diversity program and looking for a female racer. Kyle put in a good word.”

But being in the right place is not enough by itself. You need to prove yourself and Shelton did just that.

“I won eight races in 2015 and the next you know, I was running for

Keith Kuntz,” she said. “This is my third season running for him and my second Chili Bowl. I am confident as ever.”

Running for Kuntz is more than Shelton could have ever dreamed.

“That is a little bit of an understatement,” said Shelton. “Running for the most prestigious human in midget racing with Toyota and Sirius backing you is something else and I am definitely grateful for the opportunity.”

Shelton grew up in a racing family and competed in everything from soccer to track in high school. But the desire to race was brewing inside her.

“Growing up in California it is mostly winged 360 racing and my dad is a crew chief,” Shelton said.

“My dad never thought about girls racing and me and my sister went out and got an outlaw kart through Kyle (Larson). I was 12. I never raced a full season 'till I was 16 because

“I was playing soccer. I quit all the sports to race and my dad set it (the kart) up.”

Going from karts to a midget was a learning experience.

“... I struggled a little bit at first,” Shelton said. “In my second year I picked up some podiums in some national races and felt a lot better that I could run with the big dogs.

“This being my third year I feel confident. Hopefully I can apply all that I learned so far.”

Shelton, who will qualify in this year's Chili Bowl on Thursday, hopes to improve on her first Chili Bowl effort last season and become the first women to qualify for the A main on Saturday.

“In my preliminary night I moved forward in my heat and qualifier,” Shelton said of her performance last year. “I lined up sixth in the preliminary main and a car spun out in front of me running fifth so I had to go to the back. I could not make it up."

Shelton has learned a lot from her teammates.

“Christopher (Bell), Kyle, Spencer (Bayston) and Rico, I kind of ease drop on their conversations with Keith and try to absorb as much information as I can,” she said.

“I go out there and watch the track to be aware of who I am racing with.”

Shelton is going to school at Sacramento State and plans to get her degree while continuing to race.

“After Chili Bowl I will keep busy with school,” she said.

“I am a criminal justice major and have one more semester left. If racing does not work out I still have school and my degree.”