Special from CME Racing / Hecht Motorsports – Fort Wayne, Indiana— March 5, 2020 — CME Racing and Hecht Motorsports announce that 13-year-old Nash Engdahl will run his first season in a full-sized stock car #67 with the Victory Custom Trailers CRA Junior Late Models. Nash started his racing career in 2016 with a go-cart that he ran 3 times. In 2017, with his Millennium JR 1 chassis, Engdahl was 2nd in points and won the Drive for Five Championship at Baer Field Motorsport Park with 4 feature wins and 14 heat wins. In 2018, Nash won the championship with his go-cart at Baer Field Motorsport Park. At the end of 2018, Engdahl debuted his Toyota Celica Front Wheel Drive (FWD), running 5 or 6 races with a 7th place best finish. Engdahl was 11th in points in just a handful of races. In 2019, Engdahl again ran his FWD, this time for the full season, and ended up 2nd in points at Angola Motorsport Speedway and was Rookie of The Year. Engdahl’s best finish was 4th place and Nash won 2 heat races. Engdahl also raced with the Midwest Compact Touring Series at New Paris Speedway and Corrigan Oil Speedway and he participated in the Super Shoe at Kalamazoo but he didn’t get to race his feature because it rained out. In early May 2019, Engdahl ventured to Galesburg Speedway with his mentor Tony Dager, who raced against Nash in his daughter Brook’s Toyota Celica FWD.
Nash’s hobby is watching racing videos on YouTube. Engdahl’s racing hero is Chase Elliott in NASCAR and on the local front, Nash looks up to Tony Dager and Tommy Cook, both CRA veterans. Engdahl’s favorite racing memory was a 50-lap go-cart race at a ¼ mile dirt track in the middle of a farm. Engdahl had a JR 1 motor and raced in the open class in 2017. Engdahl was the youngest driver in the field of 22 adults and finished 4th. Nash’s life goal is to become a NASCAR driver or run the ARCA/CRA Super Series full time. Tracks that Nash would love to race at include Anderson, Slinger and Rockford Speedway. Engdahl’s favorite track so far is Kalamazoo Speedway.
The goal for Nash this season is to win the Rookie of the Year and the series Season Championship. “I want to go fast” says Nash. Nash Engdahl’s team sponsors include Shepherd’s Family Auto Group, Precision Utilities Group, Panacea Powder and Ceramic Coatings, Cornwell Tools by Steve Hammond, Arcola Kustom Auto, Bryant Tax Firm, and Mike Berry Welding. Engdahl wants to give special thanks to Economy Auto Parts, Tony Dager, Dave Hecht, Alan and Rhonda Chalfant, Aunt Connie, the whole Dager crew, Toddie, and Tom.
Quotes:
Steve Hammond, Cornwell Tools: “What I like most about Nash, I love his knowledge of racing. I also love how appreciative he is. He thanked me no less than 16 times so far for my sponsorship.”
Tom Shepherd, Shepherd’s Family Auto Group: “We always like to support the community & our kids of the future as much as we can. Nash is always respectful on & off the race track. He’s a good race car driver with a bright future in front of him. I look forward to following & supporting him in the future.”
Dave Hecht, Hecht Motorsports: “It’s really pretty simple, Nash wants to go fast and win races! I would like to assist him in reaching his goals.”
Tony Dager, Economy Auto Parts: “Nash is a Stroker Ace; he was born to race!”
Follow Nash’s progress this season: https://www.facebook.com/CME-Racing-1238875412879864