Great news from out of the NWAAS Late Model Series here in the Mid Atlantic as Macy Causey was selected as one of 17 chosen for next years NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Combine. Causey at the young age of fifteen years has put in the work and is making the most of her opportunities in her young racing career.
NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program purpose is to attract minorities and female individuals to the sport offering exciting opportunities to drive and become crew members as they seek to hone they’re skills necessary in achieving success in the sport. Rev Racing which is otherwise known as Revolution Racing, is the exclusive race team responsible for the program. They provide much of the equipment used and the day to day operations in they’re respected race shops located in Concord, North Carolina. Owner of Rev Racing Max Siegel, has uniquely incorporated all of the necessary elements in becoming successful on the track as well as becoming successful off the track.
By now you’ve likely heard of such names as Sprint Cup star Kyle Larson and Xfinity series stars Darrell Wallace Jr and Daniel Suarez. All were participants in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program proving that through each participants hard work and the promotion of the race program that opportunity exists for all in our great sport. For Macy Causey, the Yorktown, Virginia resident’s hard work has been recognized by the Drive for Diversity program and will be welcomed back to next years combine for her chance to compete against nineteen other participants. Last year, at the age of just fourteen, Causey was selected to the program but unfortunately missed the cut in what many thought she did very well but just wasn’t her time to be. Motivated by last years results, Causey had valuable insight on the program expectations and because of such, she can now set her goals to an even higher level then she could have imagined when she began.
In the 2016 race season for Macy Causey, her racing calendar wasn’t as full as she had hoped to be. Her home track at Langley Speedway is in negotiations for sale where she has spent much of her racing career developing her skills. But the issues there has been a surprise asset as Causey has found success at other local short tracks. In her twelve starts of the 2016 race season, Causey has recorded one top five and seven top tens at South Boston Speedway along with stops at Dominion Raceway. For the young female star, her highlight finish was second at Dominion Raceway where she lead some laps before having to give up the spot to Dominion’s 2016 track champion Nick Smith. But to her credit, she was also competing against this years National Champion Matt Bowling who never got to her bumper in the race before having a down tire to end his night. But for Macy Causey, her time could be now. A year older, a year brighter, a year more mature behind the wheel and as determined as ever to make this new opportunity a success in becoming the next NASCAR Drive for Diversity Alumni participant.
We asked Macy, how does it feel to be selected and return to NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program?
“A lot has come from me, I think my confidence from last year has really, I mean, I know what to look for,” expressed Causey. “I went there, I saw how to do everything, I was a little nervous, I was the youngest one there and I was just gaining everything. So going into this years combine, I have a lot behind me, I’ve had a good season this past year at Dominion Raceway”, shared Causey. “I ran second and almost got a win running with Matt Bowling who was this year’s National Champion and was fortunate that night to out run him. Just overall, everything to look back on and to carry on, going into the combine this, hopefully it will be a really big advantage for me”.
Next, Macy shared her thoughts about the opportunity and discussed her goals for next years combine. “It’s a really big opportunity for me I mean, my parents have been doing everything for me”, explains fifteen year old Macy Causey. “Going to this program and if I can make it I think will really boost everything up for me. They’re going to teach me a lot, get me a lot further and with all the support that I have behind me I think it will really take me far. The goals that I have is to learn everything from Rev that they do and I’m a really good listener so I think that I have the whole package that they’re looking for. If they tell me to do something I’m going to change it and I’m going to do it. I’ve also been going to the gym now for the last couple of months preparing for this combine in hopes of making sure I nail everything for this year”.
When then talked about the people that has been an influence and supportive in reaching this point in Macy Causey’s career. The support comes definitely from my family”, claims Causey. “My grandma Diane Teel, ( the first female ever to compete in what is known as the Xfinity Series) she’s always had that mentality and the words that she says to me everyday before I go out on the track. My mom and dad who are there with me all the time who pays for most of it, that’s a really big support. Then there’s all my crew members, they’re pretty much like family I mean. They just don’t come to work on cars, they spend time with us, they go out on family stuff with us so I think having a closer connection with your crew, with your fans and with your family, it really helps in the end”.
While still trying to take the news all in, Macy then shares just how much NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity means to her personally. “It means a lot for me like, I’ve seen quite a few people that have gone through there make it really big and I really hope that the next one will one day be me”, says Macy Causey. “I’ve worked really hard the past few years in the Late Model Division and just from where I’ve started in just running in the back. Setting my goals higher an higher not only achieving them but going further and further.I think that its really made me realize and know what I want to do for the rest of my life and the rest of my career in racing. So I think that the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program is a really great opportunity for me and has everything that I want. I’m really hoping that this year that they see it and know how much I want it”.
Rette Causey, father of Macy had these thoughts on how proud he is of the opportunity for Macy. “Its three generations of hard work that goes back before me and Dee (mother) back to Diane Teel”, explains Rette Causey. “It’s a culmination of three generations of evolving and evolution as drivers, Macy is the product of all that. She’s taken it gracefully and evolved into something far better then her mother and I ever dreamed”.
We then talked about what it would mean for Rette and his wife to see Macy become selected into the program? “I think its more about what it means to Macy”, says the father of Macy Causey. “This has been her dream and when she was young we were careful when opportunities presented to her when she was just nine years old. Had we taken advantage of those opportunities it would have been fulfilling our dreams as parents and not her dreams as a nine year old kid. We walked away from some pretty good opportunities to allow her to fulfill what she wanted to do and to see her doing exactly now what she was doing at nine years old is pretty rewarding to say the least”.
For Macy Causey, the announcement of being selected as one of the twenty finalists is still quite an achievement in the inspired careers of women and minorities seeking a shot at becoming a star in NASCAR’s premiere racing divisions. Macy is as ready as ever and looks to bring her evolving skills and drive to succeed to the combine. There’s no doubt to those who know her, to those that have witnessed her following that the young female racer is for real and so is her racing. Should NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program select her into the Alumni, it could very well become an great opportunity for them as it will become a great opportunity for Macy Causey.
