Ashlyn Speed is a Texas-born racing driver who progressed from indoor karting leagues to professional open-wheel competition, earning recognition as one of America’s most promising young talents and the first female ambassador for Whelen Engineering.

EARLY YEARS

Born around 2007 in Texas, Ashlyn Speed’s racing journey began with a casual after-school suggestion from her father when she was seven years old. He took her to K1 Speed, an indoor electric karting facility, where she ran her first laps in 2014. She didn’t think much of it initially—just a fun afternoon activity—but something stuck. Speed joined the K1 Speed league and discovered she had a knack for going fast. Within a year, she won her first league championship in 2015, then backed it up with another in 2016. What started as a dad trying to entertain his kid after school turned into a full-blown racing career.

From those indoor electric karts, Speed transitioned to outdoor gas-powered racing, cutting her teeth at Texas tracks like Circuit of the Americas and Eagles Canyon Raceway in Decatur. She spent her formative years learning racecraft at facilities that would later become her favorites, building a foundation that would carry her through a decade of grinding before she could legally drive a car on public roads. By the time she passed driver’s education in high school, she already had several regional karting championships under her belt.

OTHER INTERESTS

When she’s not on track, Speed runs her own business specializing in Russian manicures. The nail salon venture isn’t just a side hustle—it’s a business she’s maintained even as her racing career accelerated into professional competition. It’s a glimpse into the hustle required when you’re funding a motorsports career: you work, you race, you make connections, and you find ways to keep both dreams alive.

EARLY SUCCESS

After dominating the K1 Speed indoor karting leagues in 2015 and 2016, Ashlyn Speed moved up to high-speed outdoor karting and collected more regional championships through her teenage years. The real turning point came through connections she made during those karting years—specifically, the Snyder family. In 2021, Mr. Snyder offered her a car to make the jump into SCCA Spec Miata racing, her entry point into wheel-to-wheel car racing. It was the kind of break that only comes from showing up, putting in the work, and making people believe in your potential.

The transition paid off quickly. In 2022, Speed earned the SCCA Texas Region Driver of the Year award, a recognition that validated her move from karts to cars. She wasn’t just competitive—she was winning. One of her most memorable victories came at Circuit of the Americas, though she’s said the win itself wasn’t what made it special. It was the team celebration afterward, the collective joy of people who believed in her, that stuck with her. That sense of community and support would become a theme throughout her career.

By 2023, Speed had moved up to Formula Mazda in the SCCA’s FX class, running a full season with an open-wheel car powered by a stock rotary RX-7 engine. She won the SCCA Southern Conference Championship that year, proving she could handle the demands of a points-based championship season. She was 16 years old and had already logged a decade of racing experience. As she put it herself, the key to success was making connections—and those connections were starting to open bigger doors.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2015: K1 Speed League Champion
• 2016: K1 Speed League Champion
• 2022: SCCA Texas Region Driver of the Year
• 2023: SCCA Southern Conference Champion, FX Class (Formula Mazda)
• 2024: Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout Women’s Initiative Scholarship Winner (selected from 12 drivers)
• 2025: First Female Ambassador for Whelen Engineering

INSPIRATIONS

Speed has named Circuit of the Americas and Eagles Canyon Raceway as her favorite tracks—both Texas facilities where she developed her skills and racked up wins. She’s publicly stated that “Mazda will always have a special place in my heart,” a testament to the manufacturer’s support through her development via the Mazda MX-5 Cup program and scholarship opportunities.

REPUTATION

Ashlyn Speed is regarded as one of America’s most promising young drivers, a reputation built on consistent performance and steady progression through competitive ladder series. Media coverage has framed her as an inspiration for young drivers and a symbol of the future of American motorsports. Winning the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout scholarship was validation from an industry giant—proof, as she described it, that her “10 years of hard work and constant grinding was worth it” and showed “how much people believe and want what’s best for me.”

Her selection as the first female ambassador for Whelen Engineering in 2025 marked another milestone. As the title sponsor of the Mazda MX-5 Cup Series, Whelen’s choice to make Speed their first female ambassador signaled industry confidence in her trajectory. She’s become a visible presence in professional racing, balancing the role of competitor with the responsibility of representing opportunities for women in motorsports. The Texas teen who started in rental karts is now a professional racer with a growing platform and a trail of championships behind her.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

In 2025, Speed joined Hendricks Motorsports, based in Daytona Beach, to compete in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Series—a professional spec racing series where all drivers compete in identical cars, making it a pure test of driving skill. The scholarship she earned through the 2024 shootout funds her entry, and she’s actively seeking additional sponsorship support to sustain her professional racing program. Her ultimate goal is clear: IndyCar. The MX-5 Cup is a stepping stone, a proving ground where she can develop the racecraft and visibility needed to climb the open-wheel ladder toward America’s premier single-seater series. She’s got the talent, the work ethic, and a decade of experience before most people get their driver’s license. Now she’s racing to turn that potential into a reality.

References:

The Gentleman Racer Interview, September 2023
Ashlyn Speed Official Website
Shift Up Now: Meet the Athlete Interview
Shift Up Now: Team Bio
MotorWeek FYI