Tuned-up teen: Loomis native Kenna Mitchell is making a name for herself as Late Model driver

Racing has always had Kenna Mitchell's interest. Not only did she grow up around it, it's in her blood. "My dad raced a lot when I was a little kid, which made me want to race because I always loved watching him," Mitchell said in an interview with the Auburn Journal. Now 16, she has five years of racing experience under her belt and is moving up in the ranks while her classmates are trying to earn their driver's licenses. She started on the track when she was 11, racing in Mini Cups and Bandoleros. It didn't take long for the Loomis native to find success behind the wheel. "They have you start out in Mini Cups," Mitchell said. "My parents wanted to start me off small because it's not as dangerous quite yet. I started my first race in either Stockton or Roseville, but I definitely wasn't the fastest out there." It didn't take long for her to become the fastest. At 13, she set the Bandolero track record and was the division champion at All American Speedway in Roseville. "When I came to Roseville, I was doing pretty good, but there was definitely competition with two other cars that were out there," Mitchell said. "My first year I got second in points but in the second year, I was able to come out and win the junior championship." Her success didn't stop there. Mitchell continued her impressive 2021, as she became the first female Junior Late Model champion at All American Speedway. She also set the track record for the class. "We knew we wanted to move up after that year," she said, adding she needed a step up in competition. "The late model racers are really good competition because they've been racing for a while and they know what they're doing. It's fun to be able to battle them and learn from experiences." Mitchell made the jump to the NASCAR Pro Late Model division last season and has improved in her second year in the class. She had a rough start to 2021 after a wreck threw a wrench into her season. It didn't stop Mitchell, however, as she has bounced back in a big way in 2022. On July 9, she earned her first NASCAR Pro Late Model win in a main event, becoming the first female to do so in Roseville in this era. "It just felt so good to get a win in that because I've only been doing Pro Late Models for two years, so being able to win a pro race felt great," Mitchell said. She followed with another checkered flag her next time out, noting she has more of a feel for the competition now that she has more experience. Her two victories place her second in points to runaway Roseville leader Dylan Zampa and three spots higher than her father, Michael, who has served as her mentor in the sport. "I feel like having someone who's done racing and still races in your corner definitely can give you an advantage because they know more about certain things like what the car needs and what the setup is," Kenna Mitchell said. "He definitely knows a lot more than I do, and he's been racing for longer than I have. "He constantly tells me, 'If you get out there by yourself, just experiment,' " Mitchell said. "He'll come on the radio sometimes to let me know how far back the next car is or how far I am from catching a car because he's a good spotter and he really pushes me." Another reason for her success is her ability to complete high school online, which allows her to travel across the state for races. "I can set up my own schedule, and if I had a race coming up where we leave town on a Thursday, I can get ahead with my work and I don't have to worry about it," Mitchell said. "My teachers are all really helpful, and they all think it's so cool that I race." Her travels this year will take her to Las Vegas for a national event, where Mitchell has a goal of getting on the podium. "It would be really cool since I haven't been racing these models for very long," Mitchell said. "I think a big goal of mine too is that I want to try to race SRL (Supermodified Racing League) cars just because they're like late models but are faster and heavier. I think it'd be fun to race them just because I've seen them race at Roseville a few times and it's a step up from where I'm at now." Mitchell has one final race in Roseville this season, on Sept. 10.