By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

HARRISON — Kate Re loves life in the fast lane.

“I had a snowmobile when I was little. I always liked to go fast,” the Harrison teen said. “My dad used to race snowmobiles, as well. One night, he traded his snowmobile for a go-kart when I was 8 years old.”

Instantly, Kate found her passion — racing.

“My dad thought it would be something fun we could do as a family on Sundays. It evolved from there. After my first race in Richmond, I got super hooked on the sport. It is an addicting sport. I live for the adrenaline rush,” Kate said. “It’s cool to meet people from across the country. Some of our greatest friends we met through racing. You become a big family. We compete, but we also help each other out.”

Two weeks ago, Kate Re joined 42 other racers to compete for the checkered flag at the Oxford 250. A year ago, at the age of 16, Kate became the first female to qualify for the race. Prior to the “show,” Kate posted a picture of her racing the go-kart and a photo of her #10 car, noting just how far she had come.

“It made me realize I was like all these other kids in go-karts and here I am now achieving my goals and my dreams. I used to be the kid in the grandstands watching the guys. Now, I am racing against the guys I used to look up to. It’s cool. It’s cool to see how I have improved,” she said. “I get quite a few messages thanking me for being an inspiration. It gives me butterflies and goosebumps. It’s cool to be a role model. That’s why I always try to keep a positive image out there. No matter how well I do, I don’t want to lose my roots. I like seeing all the familiar faces from around here.” 

The goal was to improve upon last year’s 27th place finish. Although Team Re landed in the same slot in 2021, Kate looks upon the experience as one of growth.

“Last year, we were 10 laps down. This year, it was three. We improved from our run last year, but we ran a little bit better,” said Kate noting that 43 cars took part in the 250, while 61 drivers attempted to qualify.

The weekend is grueling. It opens with 20-lap heat races, which the top 5 finishers qualify. Kate started ninth in her heat race and finished seventh. She moved to the consolations, which took the top 3. Kate started second, but broke a shock and finished seventh. A last chance race was the last hurrah for most drivers with the winner qualifying. Luckily for Kate, she received a provisional, having been fourth in points for the season.

“We used the provisional rather than risking wrecking the car in the last chance race (50 laps and only the winner moves on). I was a little bummed. Last year, my main goal was to make it into the qualifying race and made history (the first female to qualify for the 250) doing it,” she said. “I was really hard on myself for not making it into the race. I set high expectations for myself. I don’t want the title that she got a provisional because she’s a female. I was bummed to take that, but in the end, I was grateful to be in the race.”

The title “first female” is one Kate likes, but also knows, it brings some pressure to succeed.

“I liked being the first female. I didn’t know that until after we made it in. There were three or four females who attempted to qualify. I like to use the motivation being a female in a male-dominated sport. It makes you stand out in a way, but I am just like everyone else out there. I am not just a female out there filling the field and not contending to be up front. I’m in it to win. I want to show younger generations of females that you can do what you want to do as long as you put your mind to it. As long as you have the desire to succeed,” she said.

From time to time, she still gets a questioning look or snarky comment from the opposing guys.

“I got out of the car last year, starting behind Bubba Pollard who is from Georgia. His crew looked at me like, ‘What is she doing here?” I use those looks as motivation. I like being the only girl out there. It’s kind of fun,” she said. “To get their respect, you have to earn it. I am one the guys out there. People don’t have to worry about me running into them or purposely wrecking them. I don’t want to get the same in return.”

Kate feels she “stepped up her game” this year, being a lot more competitive.

“We were contending for a win at Lee and Hudson, which was cool. We made history being the highest finishing female this past spring at Lee,” she said.

Notice the frequent use of wein Kate’s answers? 

“It’s always a ‘we’ for me. I don’t like to single anyone out on our team.  We do this as a team. It’s not a single person sport,” she said.

So, when she was asked if she had any worries entering the Oxford 250, Kate’s response was somewhat expected.

“I just didn’t want to let my team down. They worked so hard all season. I feel it’s not right to let them down because they take time away from their own families. We don’t pay them to be there, they volunteer their time. So, I feel it’s not right to give up if the car isn’t running right or not give my full effort or focus. That’s what was in the back of my mind — give that extra 10% and make sure my guys know we were all in this together. There is no ‘I’ in team,” Kate said. “The best moment? I liked seeing the guys smile at the end of the weekend. Even though we didn’t have the best run, it made me know they had fun that weekend. We did it together.”

And, what could have gone better? “I would have liked to redo the start of the race. We struggled with our tires. We hit the Lap 180 mark and put four new tires on and the car really came to life. I was just so frustrated how the day was going. I didn’t want to let my guys down. It put a fire in me to really push this car to the limits even though it was handling right. I feel like that’s what made my day. To see the smiles on the crews’ faces at the end of the day, knowing I didn’t give up on them, even though we were having a rough time,” Kate said. “The race is something we can build upon. Going forward, I learned the need to slow down and live in the moment. The weekend went by so fast. I still haven’t had a chance to take it all in. I need to take a moment at the end of the day and think about what happened.”

Kate’s racing ability and her humble attitude have made an impression on some of the circuit’s top racers.

“We pit next to Derek Griffith, who is ranked #1 in the country right now for short-track racing. I always ask him questions throughout the weekend or I ask questions of Ben Rowe from Turner. Even if they are silly questions, they always give me input. It helps me a lot,” she said.

There is always something to learn and improve upon. Kate spends hours studying past performances by watching video alongside her driving coach. They debrief on Wednesday about what went right and what went wrong at the previous race, and then study competitors expected at the next track.

“I’ll study a track map with a ‘line’ drawn on it, how to get around the race track. I’ll study tire wear and how they handle at the end of the run. I’ll know what to expect that day,” she said.

Last year, Team Re competed in 22 races. This year, they will hit the same number, but will strictly be in PASS Tour events. One race Kate looks forward to is a return to Thompson Speedway in Connecticut — the place where she put her brand-new car into a fence in April, breaking her thumb.

“I let my guys down,” she said. “It was the first time to hit the wall at 130 mph. Seeing what I had done to the race car hurt more than my thumb. We were in North Carolina for three weeks finishing the car, and then drove right to Connecticut.”

No question, the sport is dangerous. 

“I have some fear in the back of my mind from the accident I was in at Oxford (Plains Speedway) in 2019. I broke my foot. I started the 2019 season with a fractured shoulder, but my parents allowed me to race. I had a back brace at one point, but I always use the injuries as motivation. I know I have to do better. It always pushes me harder. I have that much more to prove. My parents won’t let me race if I put the safety of others at risk,” she said. “At NH Motor Speedway in Loudon in April, my parents wouldn’t let me start where I drew for my position in the heat race because I wasn’t comfortable with the draft yet. Once I worked my way up in the heat race, they let me start where I had earned for the feature. I wasn’t safe or comfortable with it, and I didn’t want to ruin someone else’s day because I wasn’t fully prepared.”

Kate’s mental approach is, “I like to stay humble about everything. When people tell me how good I am, I say ‘thank you’ and move on. I don’t let it get to my head. I like to be the underdog. I like to be quiet and just take it all in.”

She also sees herself as an ambassador for the sport. Kate enjoys reaching out to young fans, remembering the days when she too looked up to those who pushed their cars to the limit.

One youngster, Carson Hewins, has been somewhat of a lucky charm for Kate. He successfully pulled several favorable starting points in pre-race draws for Kate. And, Carson is also making a name for himself on the track, as well. Recently, he became the youngest racer to win at Oxford Plains at the age of 10. (PASS Tour drivers must be age 14 and up, while OPS Rookie Class competitors are 10 to 17.)

To the surprise of many, Kate also works on her race cars.

“I work on my cars quite a bit. My dad has his shop on one side, which he works in daily. My race shop is on the other side. There is a garage door that splits the two. I try to be in the race shop every day. I love working on the cars. If I am working on the cars, it makes my crew guys want to be there. I’m also putting in the effort. By working on the cars and understanding them, I can give the guys better feedback as to what is going on with the car during a race,” she said. “A lot of people don’t expect that I know how to work on cars. I’m small. I’m a female. One of my friends from Fryeburg Academy was in the grandstands and she sent me a video of me in the driver intro. I look so short compared to the rest of the field. It was kind of funny.”

A senior this year, Kate switched to the Maine Connections Academy in Scarborough and will complete her high school studies online. “It allows me to focus on my sport,” she noted.

Racing is certainly the focus. Kate hopes to race Super Late Models across the country. But, she also plans to continue her education, majoring in engineering.

“I want to design seats that fit females and smaller racers,” she said. “The seats they make these days are made for men and bigger people. These seats give us back problems.”

Kate loves the path she is on. Racing, she says, is in her blood.

“My parents used to tell me to slow down a little. They still do. I love to go fast,” she said. “This is my ninth year in this sport, and I don’t ever see myself stopping.”