Mini Tyrell Wins | SHORT TRACK REPORT

With all the negativity that seems to permeate the sporting world these days, it’s always nice to hear a story of a competitor doing something positive – especially when it involves the fans. CARS Tour driver Mini Tyrell wove one of those terrific tales this past weekend when he gave some very special supporters the thrill of a lifetime.

The 18-year-old Tyrell was the 2019 CARS Rookie of the Year and is a driver on the rise. The Solid Rock Carriers Tour is a late-model stock series sanctioned by the Championship Auto Racing Series. It is based (and primarily competes) in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Late Model Stock Car Series rolled into Dominion Raceway in Spotsylvania, Virginia, and hosted some special guests. Pediatric cancer patients from nearby Walter Reed Hospital spent some time with Tyrell and some of his fellow drivers, who happily signed autographs, shook hands, and talked with their young admirers. The day was considered a success all the way around, with the young driver being the one who spearheaded it.

“Instantly there was two or three drivers that came up to me and even team owners, and said they wanted to donate and wanted to be involved,” Tyrell said. “Really, nobody questioned it. Every single one of them was asking what they needed to do and how to do it. Everything just came together.”

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However, this week’s story actually took root over ten years ago. When Mini Tyrell was just a six-year-old go-kart racer, he found out that his close friend, Ella, had been diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. He says the news had a profound effect on him, one that he still carries to this day.

“I started it because of my inspiration, Ella Day, and the Day family,” explained Tyrrell. “She had a brain tumor when she was seven and I was six. We were family friends, and I overheard some conversations that they were struggling in certain places to pay some bills. I sat down with my father and asked what I could do to help, and how we could raise money to help with pediatric cancer awareness. That’s how Mini’s Mission took off.”

He decided to use his racing platform as a way to spread awareness and raise money. Within a year, Tyrrell raised over $7,000. His charity, Mini’s Mission, was eventually so successful that it was featured on NBC’s Nightly News.

 

Mini Tyrell is a favorite among racing fans and has been earmarked by many to be a possible NASCAR future star. The teenage driver has been essentially behind a steering wheel since he could reach the pedals and is a son of the South. And if this weekend’s events in Virginia are any indication, he will be a great ambassador for whatever league he ends up driving for.

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