JADE AVEDISIAN Makes NASCAR History 76 Years After SARA CHRISTIAN’s Debut

March 5, 2025

• JADE AVEDISIAN became the first woman to win a CARS Tour Pro Late Model race at New River All-American Speedway, though her victory came after leader T.J. DeCaire was disqualified for failing post-race weight inspection. The 18-year-old Toyota development driver was running second and battling hard for the lead when DeCaire crossed first, making her promotion to winner completely legitimate despite fan controversy.
• Her path to this historic moment wasn’t easy – AVEDISIAN survived horrific crashes in 2023 and 2024 that could have ended careers, including a multi-flip accident and a BC39 crash that sidelined her with injuries. Instead of walking away, she used the setbacks as fuel, impressing Toyota enough to earn a multi-year development deal and positioning herself as a legitimate Cup Series prospect.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. shut down critics by defending AVEDISIAN’s win on his podcast, pointing out she “was right on his ass” and “earned it” regardless of how the victory came about. With Toyota’s backing and her stated goal of reaching the Cup Series, we’re watching someone who could become the new face of women in NASCAR’s premier division – 76 years after SARA CHRISTIAN first broke the barrier.

cars tour, new river all-american speedway, pro late model, toyota racing development