(FLAT ROCK, Mich.) – Two of the top female stock car drivers in America are slated to compete at Flat Rock Speedway Saturday night, September 8, when the ARCA CRA Super Series late models make their first appearance at the quarter-mile paved oval in the 7-Up 125.
Kenzie Ruston of El Reno, OK and Becca Kasten of Mequon, WI have some very impressive credentials. Ruston, at the age of 20, is currently 2nd in the ARCA/CRA point standings while Becca sits in the third spot as the season winds down for the short track Late Model tour.
Kenzie began her racing career in the Bandolero cars at the age of 14. The Legends Cars Series was next for Kenzie, where again she was very competitive at the age of 16. In 2009, Ruston won 7 championships in the Legends Series and became the first female driver to win the Asphalt National Legends Series. With much of her racing taking place at Texas Motor Speedway, Kenzie was voted Driver of the Year and participated in the “Women of the Winner’s Circle”, which was created by nationally-recognized female driver Lyn St. James. The display promotes women in racing.
In 2010, Ruston moved to the full-bodied stock cars, competing in the Pro All Star (PASS) Southern division, racking up multiple top ten finishes and gained respect of her fellow competitors. Despite missing 2 races, Kenzie finished 12th in the final point standings.
The next season saw Ruston make the jump into the spotlight of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards stock cars. She competed in 4 ARCA events and became the first female to lead laps and finish in the top 10 in her debut race. Kenzie also became the fist female to ever qualify for an ARCA/CRA Super Series event. At the end of the 2011 season, Ruston became the first female to win a CRA contest, which took place at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, IN. And she started her day by setting fast time in qualifying for the event.
Becca Kasten, also now 20 years old, entered the racing scene at the age of 16, starting in a full-bodied Late Model. She toured the short tracks of the Midwest for 3 seasons from 2007-2009. She became the first female to win a Late Model race at Madison, WI International Raceway and also at Wisconsin International Raceway. Wins at Rockford, IL, Dells, WI Raceway Park and Golden Sands, WI sent notice that Kasten had the credentials to become a successful racer.
For the 2010 season, Becca was selected to compete in the Revolution Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, all while being enrolled at Marquette University as a sophomore. Becca put school on hold and moved to North Carolina to pursue the Revolution program, where she collected 6-top 3 finishes.
There’s no place like Florida in February to win a race! Becca did just that in 2011, winning a Late Model feature at the World Series of Stock Car Racing at the New Smyrna Speedway, along with 3 consecutive second place finishes in the 9 nights of racing. For her exploits, Becca has landed the driver role on the Car # 51 BDI Racing Cars team fielded by SPEED broadcaster Bob Dillner and continues to compete across the Midwest, in addition to her commitment to the ARCA/CRA Super Series. Becca enjoys golf, fishing and hockey in her spare time.