JADE AVEDISIAN Makes History as First Female CARS Tour Winner After Concussion Fight

May 22, 2025

• JADE AVEDISIAN made history at New River All-American Speedway, becoming the first female to win a CARS Tour race when leader T.J. DeCaire’s car failed post-race inspection. Critics questioned whether her inherited victory counted, forcing Dale Earnhardt Jr. to defend her achievement and remind everyone that “she earned it” by finishing second on track.
• Behind the triumph lay a darker story – AVEDISIAN suffered multiple concussions in 2024, including a violent flip at Farmer City and another at Indianapolis that left her unable to hold conversations without forgetting things. She worked with doctors to heal properly rather than rushing back, showing the kind of self-awareness that impressed Dale Jr., who praised her generation’s smarter approach to head injuries.
• The 18-year-old Toyota prodigy’s concussion battle mirrored Dale Jr.’s own career-ending struggles with head trauma that began in 2012 and ultimately forced his retirement in 2017. AVEDISIAN’s willingness to step back and heal properly – missing the West Coast Swing and Chili Bowl – demonstrated the evolved mindset that could have saved Dale Jr.’s career if it existed during his era.

cars tour, new river all-american speedway, pro late model, wilson motorsports