Madison and Allison Gay - Bandoleros Racers
Irwindale, CaliforniaSaturday, November 2, 2013
Madison and Allison Gay are racing sisters in the Bandoleros series at Irwindale Speedway and other tracks. Madison is ten years old and lives with her family in Lakeside, San Diego County, California. Her car is painted shocking pink and named the Stinky Pink III. The Bandoleros class cars are smaller than the stock cars that they represent, about half to 5/8ths size and like midgets; they handle well and give an exciting ride for the drivers and a thrill to the spectators on the 1/3rd mile paved track at Irwindale Speedway, in Irwindale, California. Madison has an outgoing and bubbly personality and the racing brings it out. Drivers have to be at least eight years old in order to race in Bandoleros and can race in the series until they are twelve. From thirteen and up they enter the Outlaw class in these small cars. The drivers know each other and offer help and advice, but at the same time there is a strong competitive urge to win on the track and so the class is divided by age grouping so as to not overwhelm the younger drivers. Safety is a concern and firesuits are required as are rollbars and other safety equipment.
The crew chief for the two racing sisters is their father, Danny Gay and he was animated and excited to see his daughters racing. Evan Simmons was a crew member and he was busy working on the cars, getting them ready for the race. “I was number one in Mini Dwarfs last season,” said Madison. “I raced at Irwindale, Kern County Raceway, Lake Havasu, Blythe and Barona in Mini Dwarfs,” she stated. I asked her if it was really hot in Blythe in her firesuit and she smiled and nodded yes. Madison made the field in all ten events in the series and averaged a solid 304 points to put her in the tenth spot in the series against older drivers. In the final race of the year she started twelfth and made it through 16 laps before she dropped out. With this successful year behind her she intends to do even better in 2014.
Allison Gay is the quieter, more pensive sister. She is twelve years old and has raced in Mini Dwarf and Bandoleros cars. She has raced since she was ten years old and likes Irwindale Speedway the best, since it is closer to her home in Lakeside. Allison is the reflective type, the racer who is always thinking about what she needs to do. I asked her this question; “Do your friends in school really believe you when you tell them that you are a race car driver?” A big smile opened up and Allison said, “Some of my classmates don’t believe me, but those that know about it think it’s cool.” Her car’s name is the Green Machine and just because Allison is calm, that doesn’t mean that she isn’t animated by her racing career. “I want to get into the Truck series when I turn 14 and someday I want to race in the NASCAR circuit,” she told me. Allison earned enough points to place number eight in the Bandoleros season race, but missed one race that could have moved her up to fifth place in the standings. In the last race of the season Allison finished ninth in the Main event, just a little less than four seconds off of the leader’s time. Next year she plans to improve on her performance and even win a championship.
Gone Racin’ is at [email protected].