When the lights flash green at the local racetrack, seventeen-year-old Lilly Strong doesn’t hesitate; she floors it. While most seniors spend their weekends studying or hanging out with friends, Strong is gripping a steering wheel at 90 miles per hour, tearing down a racetrack in a Jr. Dragster. As one of the younger competitors on the circuit, she balances homework with horsepower,
chasing victory one race at a time while redefining what it means to go full throttle.
Strong’s love for racing runs deep in her family. “My dad has been racing and been around racing since he was little, so I grew up with it,” she shares.
What started as watching from the sidelines quickly turned into strapping into a five-point harness, helmet secured, ready to race. Her safety gear, complete with a neck brace that connects to her helmet and wrist restraints with gloves, keeping her grounded even as her adrenaline surges.
“It’s honestly like the most adrenaline and calm feeling ever, which seems contradictory,” Strong explains. “But the way the excitement of knowing you’ll win mixed with the general nervousness of knowing you might not win altogether mixes into an amazing feeling” she adds.
That mix of thrill and focus has led Strong to major success. She’s already won multiple track championships and two division championships, earning an invitation to compete in Minnesota for her most recent title. “I felt like top of the top,” she describes, reflecting on her biggest wins. “I feel honored to know that I was one of the good racers in a field of great racers.”
Despite her success, racing, Strong admits, isn’t always about winning. There are days when passes don’t go as planned, or when more experienced racers have the upper hand. Yet she credits her parents for helping her stay motivated through the ups and downs.
“With racing, everyone wins some and loses some,” she mentions. “If I have a really bad pass, I just have to shake it off and realize what I did wrong. My dad and mom are huge motivators.”
With high school graduation on the horizon, Strong already has her next car lined up for when she moves on from the Jr. division. Whether or not she goes professional, Strong knows racing will remain a big part of her life.
From the classroom to the drag strip, Strong is proof that passion and precision can drive anyone, no matter their age, to the finish line.