If you follow any form of dirt racing, you have likely stumbled across standout female midget racer Jade Avedisian ripping the top side of dirt tracks all over the country. In 2023, Avedisian made history when she won the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series championship behind the wheel of the Keith Kunz Motorsports no. 71. She was also crowned rookie of the year at this years Chili Bowl Nationals.
2023 was a massive success for the 17-year-old racer from Clovis, California, as she racked up five wins while following the full Xtreme Outlaw Midget tour. Her season caught the attention of many national media members, including well-respected NASCAR reporter, Jeff Gluck, who wrote an incredible story about Avedisian back in September. With the 2023 season now in the books, we know a little bit more about what Avedisian’s plans are for 2024.
Avedisian announced via X (Twitter) that she has signed with Toyota Racing into their driver development program for years to come. She will continue to follow the entire Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series with KKM and will also join Nitro Motorsports to run the full Toyota GR cup schedule. Avedisian has always been backed by Toyota, but now it becomes official, she is part of the TRD team.
A full GR Cup schedule means that Avedisian will be getting some pavement and road course experience. Toyota is the clear leader in motorsports when it comes to diversity and developing female drivers. For them, signing Jade on full time is a no brainer. She is one of the best young racers in all of dirt racing. I’m not talking about female racers, I am talking about all racers.
This move is a huge step in the right direction for Avedisian and her career in motorsports. As a dirt fan myself, I was selfishly hoping that we would see her chasing a national 410 winged series championship in a few years. The news doesn’t mean that isn’t possible in the future, especially with Toyota’s new 410 motor program beginning to take off. But for Jade and her career, the move to get more road course experience will mean she is one step closer to moving into the NASCAR ranks.
It’s official. I’m honored to continue my motorsports career with Toyota Racing and their driver development program in the years ahead. Everyone at Toyota has quickly become family and have provided me with all the tools necessary to achieve my dreams in racing. This commitment means so much, and I’m beyond grateful for the entire team at TRD for believing in me. Let’s go places!
– Jade Avedisian
Next season will be one to watch for Avedisian, as she will try to defend her Xtreme title with a lot more on her racing plate. If anyone is up for the challenge, it’s her.
Subscribe to the Monday Methanol Newsletter. It is completely free and will go directly to your inbox every Monday!
