MRnewsBot
01-23-2014, 03:04 PM
An Auto Racing Veteran at 18
Natalie Fenaroli, who's been driving vehicles since she was 5, shows off her Spec Miata
http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PJ-BS793_MYRIDE_G_20140121172626.jpg
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
View Slideshow
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.
http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-BE311_0122My_M_20140121115936.jpg
more: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304302704579334633046914484?mg=ren o64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB1000 1424052702304302704579334633046914484.html
Natalie Fenaroli, who's been driving vehicles since she was 5, shows off her Spec Miata
http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PJ-BS793_MYRIDE_G_20140121172626.jpg
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
View Slideshow
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.
http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-BE311_0122My_M_20140121115936.jpg
more: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304302704579334633046914484?mg=ren o64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB1000 1424052702304302704579334633046914484.html