Camrie Caruso

Camrie Caruso is a rising NHRA Pro Stock driver and the second woman ever to compete in a full Pro Stock season, carrying forward a multi-generation drag racing legacy while carving her own path in one of the sport’s most demanding classes.

EARLY YEARS

Drag racing wasn’t just in Camrie Caruso’s blood—it was practically her birthright. Growing up in Fairport, New York, just east of Rochester, she was surrounded by the roar of engines and the smell of nitro from the time she could walk. Her grandfather, “Papa Joe” Caruso, made his name as a well-known Pro Mod racer, and her father, Marc Caruso, followed suit, tearing up tracks in the same class. For Camrie, professional racing wasn’t a question of if, but when and how.[1][2][4][6]

From a very young age, she knew exactly where her ambitions pointed: straight down the quarter-mile. Her dream started in pursuit of her father’s Pro Mod career, and she fully expected to follow him into that wild, wheelstanding world of supercharged door-slammers. But life—and a terrifying accident—had other plans.[1][2]

In 2019, Marc Caruso’s Pro Mod crashed hard at Bristol, leaving him with a broken lower-lumbar vertebra. The injury was serious enough to make him reassess not just his own racing future, but his daughter’s too. When Camrie expressed her desire to go Pro Mod racing, Marc put his foot down. “This is all his idea,” she later admitted. “I wanted to go Pro Mod racing.” But her father’s experience—and his protective instincts—steered her toward the more controlled, arguably safer world of Pro Stock instead.[2]

“So Pro Stock it was,” Caruso said, summarizing the career pivot that would define her path with characteristic brevity.[2]

She got her start at sixteen in the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League, learning the fundamentals of reaction times, staging, and managing a race car under pressure. From there, she moved into the sportsman ranks, competing in Super Comp and Top Dragster at Division 1 and Division 3 races. By 2016, she was already collecting trophies in Top Dragster and had notched a win in Super Comp.[1][2][7]

Last fall, Camrie made another major move—this time geographical. She relocated from upstate New York to North Carolina, the epicenter of American drag racing, to be closer to the heart of the sport and the resources she needed to compete at the highest level.[2]

OTHER INTERESTS

When she’s not racing, Caruso works for Titan Racing Engines in a marketing role, and she’s also employed by Right Trailers. But these aren’t just day jobs—they’re part of her education. At Titan, she’s learning the intricate process of assembling Pro Stock engines, gaining hands-on knowledge that gives her an edge when communicating with her crew and understanding what’s happening under the hood of her Powerbuilt Tools Camaro.[2]

EARLY SUCCESS

Before stepping into Pro Stock, Caruso honed her skills in classes that taught her “the quick way down a dragstrip.” She racked up several Top Dragster trophies and won once in Super Comp, proving she could handle bracket racing’s demands for precision and consistency.[1][2]

But it was in PDRA’s Pro Outlaws 632 class—essentially a mini-Pro Stock series—that she really began turning heads. The class gave her a taste of what full Pro Stock competition would demand, and she challenged for the championship, proving she had the chops to run with serious competition.[1][2][7]

In 2022, Caruso made her NHRA Pro Stock debut at the Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona. It was a milestone moment: the beginning of her journey into one of drag racing’s most exclusive clubs.[2][5]

Her first Pro Stock event win came in 2023 at the All-Star Callout, a statement victory that announced she wasn’t just there to participate—she was there to compete.[1][2]

Then, at the 2024 Arizona Nationals near Phoenix, Caruso made history. She became the third woman ever to win a round in NHRA Pro Stock, defeating Cristian Cuadra in the opening round before falling to Kyle Koretsky in the quarterfinals. It was a breakthrough moment, placing her in rare company alongside Lucinda McFarlin (1992) and Erica Enders (2005).[2][3][4][5]

That 2024 season marked another historic achievement: Caruso became the second woman ever to contest a full NHRA Pro Stock season and the seventh female driver to compete in the class at all.[2][3][4][5]

To make it happen, she purchased Alex Laughlin’s racing operation, complete with sponsors, and rebranded it with Powerbuilt Tools backing. It was a bold move, but one that gave her the platform she needed to run a complete campaign.[1][2]

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2016: Competed in Super Comp and Top Dragster at Division 1 and Division 3 NHRA events[1][2][7].
• 2022: Made NHRA Pro Stock debut at Winternationals, Auto Club Raceway Pomona[2][5].
• 2023: Won first Pro Stock event at All-Star Callout[1][2].
• 2024: Became third woman to win an NHRA Pro Stock round at Arizona Nationals near Phoenix, defeating Cristian Cuadra[2][3][4][5].
• 2024: Second woman ever to compete in a full NHRA Pro Stock season[2][3][4][5].
• 2024: Seventh female driver in NHRA Pro Stock history[2][3][4].
• Undated: Challenged for PDRA Pro Outlaws 632 championship[1][2].
• Undated: Multiple Top Dragster victories and one Super Comp win[1][2].

INSPIRATIONS

Caruso’s primary inspirations are the men who came before her—literally. Her grandfather, “Papa Joe” Caruso, laid the family foundation in Pro Mod, and her father Marc carried the torch until his accident forced him to pass it on in a different form. Their legacy is both her motivation and her measuring stick.[1][2][4][8]

She’s also driven by the scarcity of women in Pro Stock. With so few female drivers having competed in the class throughout NHRA history, she credits that limited representation as fuel for her own ambitions. She’s not just racing for herself—she’s racing to prove it can be done, and to set a standard for those who might follow.[1]

REPUTATION

Within the drag racing community, Caruso is regarded as a trailblazer and a rising young star who’s earning her stripes in a brutally competitive class. Media coverage consistently emphasizes her family legacy and her historic achievements as a female driver, painting her as someone who’s making her mark not through hype, but through seat time and results.[1][2][3][5][6][8]

She’s known for coming into Pro Stock with a solid foundation—her years in Super Comp, Top Dragster, and PDRA’s Pro Outlaws 632 gave her the skills and racecraft needed to compete at the sport’s highest level. She already knew “the quick way down a dragstrip” before ever strapping into a Pro Stock car, and it shows.[2]

Her decision to buy an established operation rather than start from scratch demonstrates business savvy and ambition. And her willingness to get her hands dirty learning engine assembly at Titan Racing Engines shows she’s serious about understanding every aspect of her program.[2]

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Entering the 2024 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Caruso sat tenth in the Pro Stock All-Star Callout standings, and her focus was on moving up the ladder. She admitted the challenge of managing unpredictable weather conditions—like the possibility of not being able to go full speed due to inclement weather—but remained committed to building on her family’s legacy and her own growing reputation.[1]

While specific plans beyond 2024 haven’t been publicly detailed, her trajectory suggests continued full-season NHRA Pro Stock campaigns, further development of her racing operation, and an ongoing effort to prove that women belong at the highest levels of the sport.

References:

WRUF.com NHRA Gatornationals Preview (March 5, 2024)
Dragzine.com Feature on Camrie Caruso (2024)
YouTube Video on Female Pro Stock Drivers
NHRA.com Official Driver Biography
DragIllustrated.com Article on Caruso’s Debut
CamrieCaruso.com Official Biography
FrankHawley.com Article (April 2016)
TheGentlemanRacer.com Profile (March 2025)