Mississippi racecar driver, 16, chases NASCAR dreams

BURNSVILLE, Miss. (WLOX) – In the Magnolia State, a 16-year-old driver is chasing his dream of one day racing at Daytona or Talladega.

Austin Vaughn of Tishomingo County made his ARCA Menards East Series debut last weekend in Pensacola. ARCA is considered a developmental league for the NASCAR Cup Series. He finished 15th in the race.

Vaughn has made the move up after starting on the dirt tracks.

“It’s kind of surreal because it’s almost unheard of for anyone my age, especially from Mississippi, to be doing this,” he explained. “It’s a lot more challenging because you have to travel and spend a lot more money to get to asphalt tracks.”

Now, Vaughn looks for continued success while building up Mississippi’s racing reputation at the same time.

“I’d like to draw more attention to the racing scene in Mississippi and get young people to know that you can reach your goal no matter where you come from.”

Vaughn’s next stop is in Rockingham, North Carolina, for a race on April 19.

To follow his racing journey, visit his Facebook page.

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