Kelly Sutton

Kelly Sutton made motorsports history as the first NASCAR driver with multiple sclerosis to compete in any NASCAR series, wheeling her family-owned No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado through 54 Craftsman Truck Series races while refusing to let her diagnosis slow her down.

EARLY YEARS

Born September 24, 1971, Kelly grew up in Crownsville, Maryland, as a third-generation driver in a family that had been racing since the 1940s. Her desire to race began at five years old, leaning against her father Ed Sutton’s race car, absorbing the smell of fuel and rubber. Racing was the family business—her father and grandfather had paved the way, and Kelly was determined to follow.

Between 1992 and 1994, she cut her teeth in the Old Dominion Speedway Pro Mini-Stock Series. Her first year of competition earned her the Hard Charger and Sportsmanship awards—a sign that she had both speed and respect. Over the next three years in the series, she racked up five pole positions and proved she belonged on track.

But just as her career was gaining momentum, disaster struck. In 1995, a week before she was set to leave for Daytona to race in the NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series, Kelly hit a patch of ice and smashed her car into a tree. The crash was brutal. She ended up in a wheelchair, her racing dreams seemingly shattered before they’d really begun.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond the track, Sutton became a passionate advocate for multiple sclerosis awareness and patient support. She launched the “Let It Shine” Foundation to raise funds and awareness for MS patients who lack the financial means to support themselves during relapses. She also became a sought-after motivational speaker, delivering inspirational lectures that stressed the importance of making proactive choices to manage MS and establishing strong relationships with healthcare providers.

EARLY SUCCESS

Sutton didn’t race again until 1997, when she returned to compete in the Allison Pennsylvania Legacy Series. That year, she became the first female to win a race in the series, regionally or nationally—winning two feature races and earning the Most Popular Driver Award. It was a comeback story for the books.

In 1998, she competed in the PARTS Pro Truck Series, winning one qualifying race and earning the Oral B Close Brush Award. Between 2000 and 2001, she ran a few races in the NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series, sponsored by Team Copaxone. She placed among the top 12 in her first two years, proving she could hold her own against the best compact car drivers in the country.

In 2001, Sutton made history again. She became the first driver with multiple sclerosis ever to race in any NASCAR series—a barrier-breaking moment that put her in the record books and inspired countless others facing similar challenges.

Her NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut came in 2003 at Memphis Motorsports Park. She started 34th and finished 27th after suffering early transmission failure—not the fairy-tale debut she’d hoped for, but she was in the fight. That year, she finished third in rookie points, 12th in the series standings, and won the Most Popular Driver Award. From 2003 to 2007, she started 54 races, mostly in her family-owned No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado, with three races in the No. 51 truck. She logged 6,888 total laps and led 10 of them.

Her only concession to MS was the installation of a “cool unit” in her truck—a device that pumped cool air into the driver’s seat to combat the extreme heat that could trigger symptoms. Otherwise, she raced like everyone else.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 1992–1994: Competed in Old Dominion Speedway Pro Mini-Stock Series, winning five poles and earning Hard Charger and Sportsmanship awards.
• 1997: First female to win a race in the Allison Pennsylvania Legacy Series, winning two features and the Most Popular Driver Award.
• 1998: Won one qualifying race in the PARTS Pro Truck Series and the Oral B Close Brush Award.
• 2001: First driver with multiple sclerosis to race in any NASCAR series.
• 2003: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Memphis; finished third in rookie points, 12th in series standings, and won Most Popular Driver Award.
• 2003: Awarded the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award by the Women’s Sports Foundation.
• 2003–2007: Started 54 races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, mostly in the family-owned No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado.
• 2007: Received the Dorothy Draper Award.

INSPIRATIONS

No specific inspirations were documented in the available research.

REPUTATION

Sutton earned a reputation as a gutsy, no-excuses competitor who refused to be defined by her disease. She was the only stock-car racer, male or female, known to race with multiple sclerosis before Trevor Bayne’s diagnosis in 2013. Her grit and determination made her a role model far beyond the racing community, and her 2003 Wilma Rudolph Courage Award placed her alongside legends like Martina Navratilova and Michelle Akers. Fans loved her—she won Most Popular Driver awards in multiple series, a testament to her authenticity and heart.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

No future goals or plans for 2025 and beyond were documented in the available research.

REFERENCES

Kelly Sutton – Wikipedia
NASCAR Driver Kelly Sutton Outraces Multiple Sclerosis – Brain & Life
The Best of Frontstretch: Tearing Apart the Trucks – Kelly Sutton Makes Her Return
Kelly Sutton – WomenInRacing.org
Kelly Sutton | Stock Car Racing Wiki – Fandom
Truck Statistics: Kelly Sutton – NASCAR Driver Averages
TRUCK SERIES Sutton Overcoming the Odds Despite Disease
Awards – Women’s Sports Foundation
Drug More Than Just a Plug – Tampa Bay Times