An Auto Racing Veteran at 18
Natalie Fenaroli, who's been driving vehicles since she was 5, shows off her Spec Miata
Natalie Fenaroli stands by her Spec Miata outside Kansas City, Mo. Nate Luke for The Wall Street Journal
Natalie Fenaroli, 18-year-old high school senior and amateur racing driver from Raymore, Mo., on her Spec Miata, as told to A.J. Baime:
When I was 4, my dad heard a story on National Public Radio about how a child's brain works, and how children have windows of time when they can learn specific skills. He and my mom bought me a go-kart for my fourth birthday so I would know how to drive. I raced a couple of days after my fifth birthday and won a go-kart championship at 7.
High School Speed Racer
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Natalie Fenaroli, 18, shows off her Spec Miata, arguably the most popular road-racing car in the U.S. Nate Luke for The Wall Street Journal
When I was 14, a family friend from Kansas City let me race his Spec Miata. I ended up racing the car so much that he gave it to me as a Christmas present. Needless to say, I was pretty shocked.
A Spec Miata is a Mazda Miata converted for racing. The interior is gone and safety features like a roll cage are added. Because the Miata is so well-balanced and affordable to maintain, it's become probably the most popular way for people to get into road racing. My car is a 1990 Miata converted in the late 1990s, with a 1.6-liter, in-line four-cylinder engine.
Last season, I came in second in the Rocky Mountain/Central Division of the Teen Mazda Challenge [for drivers between 13 and 22], which is pretty darn cool. This season, before I go to college, I'm going to go back to try to win it.
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