Female dirt track drivers making their mark at River Cities Speedway
Jul. 27—GRAND FORKS — Laela Eisenschenk is 15 years old and just finished her freshman year at Kindred High School.
She's had her driver's license for less than a year.
Last Friday, Eisenschenk pulled up to River Cities Speedway with a 305 cubic-inch engine sprint car to race against the Northern Outlaw Sprint Association drivers, who nearly all have 410 cubic-inch engines.
Despite her lack of experience and horsepower, Eisenschenk set an ambitious goal for that evening.
"I never told anyone," Eisenschenk said, "but it was to get a top-10 finish."
She did more than that.
Eisenschenk took fifth in the feature and entered the NOSA history book.
Only two female drivers have ever posted better NOSA finishes — Amber Balcaen took third in a race in Winnipeg in 2014 and Natalie Sather took third in a feature at The Bullring in 2006.
"I thought it was great," Eisenschenk said. "It was especially cool because we know Natalie Sather. It's cool to see she's the one (with the best finish). Maybe one day when I get a 410, I can take that one from her."
Eisenschenk isn't the only female thriving on the dirt track this summer.
Her twin sister, Amelia, is believed to be the first female driver in the Northern Late Model Racing Association. She earned an 11th-place finish in last week's feature at River Cities Speedway.
She was as high as sixth until a late caution.
"The late model field is really tough," Amelia said. "Most of these guys have been doing it a long time."
Amelia has not.
Because the Eisenschenk sisters were down to one sprint motor, Amelia has been running a late model. She's done it four times this season, though she will eventually return to sprints.
"I really enjoy it the more I drive it," said Amelia, whose uncle is famed sprint car driver Donny Schatz. "It's a lot different. When I'm in a sprint car, I feel a little more pressure on me because it's what our family does. In a late model, I can have fun. Nobody expects me to go out and win. I can just enjoy it and learn."
Lightning sprints will return to River Cities Speedway at 7 p.m. Friday, July 28. That class features two prominent female drivers — Kate Taves of Detroit Lakes and Kelsi Pederson of East Grand Forks.
Taves is the points leader in the Minn-Kota circuit. Her most recent feature win came Saturday in Greenbush, Minn.
Pederson has won three features this year — two at Buffalo River Speedway and one in Devils Lake.
Last summer, she won a feature at River Cities Speedway, too.
"Everyone always says its not for girls, this and that," Amelia said. "We don't look at it that way. We try to race them just like they race us. It's pretty cool when girls can compete with the guys, I'd say."
When: 7 p.m.
Where: River Cities Speedway, Grand Forks.
Classes: Late models, Midwest Modifieds, streets, lightning sprints, wingless sprints.
Of note: It's the midseason championship for the streets and Midwest Modifieds.
