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Daughter of North Carolina Late Model legend beginning racing career

Amber McCaskill will race in Jacksonville on Saturday night

Andrew Fuller photo

JACKSONVILLE, NC – Deac McCaskill’s youngest daughter is continuing the family tradition.

16-year-old Amber McCaskill has spent much of her life at the racetrack with her family, cheering on her father, who won the 2016 Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour championship.  Now she’s looking forward to fulfilling a lifelong dream of racing herself.

“I’ve always loved racing and being at the track,” McCaskill said.  “It runs in our blood.  I’m super expected about this weekend.  I’ve always dreamed of racing and always wanted to do something in racing.  When I turned 14, I told dad I wanted to race.  Now it’s finally happening and it’s unbelievable.”

McCaskill will compete in the Bomber division in Saturday’s race at Goodyear All American Speedway in Jacksonville.  While it will be her first race, it won’t be her first time in the car.  She has already done some testing at Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama, North Carolina, the track her dad won four championships at, and has learned a lot.

“I’ve learned a lot,” McCaskill explained.  “We went and practice at Southern National.  Dad was telling me to keep it up against the wall.  The first time I went there and practiced, the first lap, I was getting up close to the wall because dad always taught me that.  Him, my grandpa [Boyce McCaskill], and Bradley have taught me a lot about it.”

Amber has also been able to get advice from her older sister, Ashlyn, who ran a handful of Mini Stock and Limited Late Model races at Southern National – including a sentimental Mini Stock victory in her first race back at the track in August 2017.

“We were talking about it the other day,” the younger McCaskill sister stated.  “I asked if I’d be fine, and she said I’d be fine.  I’ve always looked up to Ashlyn so that’s why I’m racing too, I’ve always looked up to her and my dad.”

This weekend’s goal for McCaskill is to “finish in one piece and have fun” at a track she has not run any laps at.  Despite the lack of experience, she has done her homework to prepare for Saturday as best as possible.

“I’ve seen the track and I’ve been watching videos about it and the class,” she continued.  “Me and dad are watching.  He’s saying you need to let off here and guiding me.  He also said we would go and meet some of the Bomber drivers during the race.”

McCaskill will be a junior in high school when school resumes later this month.  When it comes to sports, it’s all racing for her, and she says she’s “just kind of going with it” and will see how this weekend goes and “wherever life takes me.”

Saturday night’s race at Goodyear All American Speedway can be seen live on Racing America.

Marquis comes from St. Charles, Maryland and has a widespread background in journalism, having covered politics in Washington and Maryland as well as nearly every form of auto racing, including NASCAR, IndyCar, AMA Motocross and IHRA Drag Racing. Now living near Emerald Isle, North Carolina, Marquis covers Late Model Stock Cars and Super Late Models in the Carolinas and Virginia.

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