Sophia, NC (Saturday, January 28, 2023) - Indiana native, Paige Rogers made her inaugural start with Rev Racing Saturday afternoon at Caraway Speedway in North Carolina as part of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program. A former winner at Angola Motorsport Speedway and Corrigan Oil Speedway, the 19-year-old from Fort Wayne not only made her debut with Rev Racing, but also just her second start behind the wheel of a Late Model Stock, the widely popular Southeast answer to the Super Late Model.
The weekend goal for Rogers was to get acclimated to the Rev Racing team, get accustomed to wheeling a Late Model Stock Car, and then set her sights on the possibility of taking home a checkered flag. Experience proved to be vital for Rogers, who improved every time she hit the track Saturday afternoon. Rogers' Rev Racing no. 2 started the day by being 12th fastest at the end of first practice, was 8th fastest in second practice, and by final practice was the fifth fastest car on the property.
In qualifying, Rogers was on pace with the rest of the field. While the eventual Pole Sitter blistered a lap of 17.164, the second-fastest driver was over a tenth off that time. However, second through ninth found themself separated by less than two-tenths of a second. Rogers' second lap was her best as she clocked in with a 17.415, good enough to roll off 7th for the 75-lap main event.
In the feature, Rogers was methodical, keeping her Chevrolet out of trouble for much of the race, driving her way up to fourth place at one point in the day. Rogers held the top five spot with just ten laps to go, but things would change after a caution flag. According to an update on the Rev Racing Twitter page, a lapped car made contact with Rogers, which appeared to affect her car. The race was restarted with four laps to go and Rogers brought home a seventh-place finish in her first start.
While Rev Racing hasn't released their schedule for their Drive for Diversity Program, or for Rogers herself, the wheel woman is prepping for her next start down south. Rogers will pilot the Right Foot Down Motorsports no.1 in the sportsman division during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing on February 11th.
Story - Zach Hiser
Photo - Rev Racing
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