Zach Lightfoot possesses a desire shared by many young drivers to one day race at the top level of NASCAR.
What separates Lightfoot from his competitors is an Asperger Syndrome diagnosis he received at the age of five, which is an autism spectrum disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction and repetitive patterns in behavior.
Although Asperger’s presented many challenges for Lightfoot throughout his childhood, he has found comfort with the disorder through his passion to get better on the track.
“I’ve always had sensory issues but racing has been kind of therapeutic for me,” Lightfoot said. “Asperger’s helps me to be more determined and I can also study my competitors on film better after every race.”
Lightfoot likely would not have discovered his love for racing had it not been for his family’s decision to rent a go-kart track while camping in the mountains of New York.
Several fast laps around the track convinced Lightfoot that he wanted to pursue a career in auto racing, which prompted his family to get him involved with the Hampton Roads Kart Club at Langley Speedway starting in 2013.
The next several years saw Lightfoot gradually progress through several different divisions and gain experience at tracks like Langley, Wake County Speedway and Dominion Raceway before making a full-time transition to Late Model Stocks this season.
While Lightfoot knew it would be difficult to carry over momentum from his championship Limited Late Model campaign at Dominion in 2020, he admitted that the transition to Late Model Stocks has been arduous.
“Things have been pretty difficult for me,” Lightfoot said. “With Limited Late Models, you run somewhere between 35-50 laps but these longer races really teach you to manage your tires and that’s something I’ve always struggled with.”
Along with struggling to figure out the cars, Lightfoot’s debut Late Model Stock campaign has also seen him come together with other drivers on multiple occasions.
Tim Allensworth was assessed a one-race suspension by Carteret County Speedway after walking out on the track to chastise Lightfoot following a collision between the two in the facility’s Memorial Day Classic.
Just over two months later at Wake County, Lightfoot got into the back of Ethan Johnson while coming to the checkered flag, resulting in another confrontation that got Johnson disqualified from the event.
“I thought that was just a racing deal,” Lightfoot said. “[Johnson] kind of checked up pretty hard off Turn 2 and I got to his door in Turn 3 and we got hooked together. We both hung onto our cars but he just retaliated after the race.”
Despite dealing with on-track incidents and a steep learning curve, Lightfoot considers the 2021 season to be a success so far. He currently leads the Late Model Stock point standings at both Carteret County and Wake County with a handful of races remaining at each track.
Winning races was a habit that Lightfoot wanted to develop during the year but he said the past several months have taught him the importance of conserving his equipment and bringing the car across the finish line in one piece.
With more experience on his side, Lightfoot is hoping to travel around the East Coast in 2022 to take part in Late Model Stock races at Langley, South Boston Speedway and other tracks. He has also not ruled possibly competing in the CARS Tour if sponsorship can be found.
Regardless of where he ends up competing, Lightfoot wants to continue being an inspiration for children with disabilities by encouraging them to embrace their circumstances and aspire to find success with their own passion.
“Whenever I’m at a race, I usually come across young children who have disabilities yet love racing,” Lightfoot said. “I love talking with the kids and I always tell them to view their disability as an ability. You can use that to help yourself and not let it get you down.”
Lightfoot said that Asperger’s has ultimately had more positive impacts on his life than negative and is determined to proudly represent the autistic community in the NASCAR Cup Series within the next few years.
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