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Profile
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News
2nd Annual Girl
Scout Night At the Fulton Speedway Was a Huge
Success
Results
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Profile
Birthday: April 1
Hometown: Syracuse, NY
Occupation: Student at LeMoyne College
My Favorites Track Food: Fulton Speedway
Cheeseburgers
Race Track: Black Rock Speedway
Food: Chicken Parm
TV Channel: History and National
Geographic
Movies: Inception and the Book of Eli
Activities: Racing, Golfing,
Snowmobiling
Songs: Too many to list! I like a little bit
of everything - Country, Rock, Pop, Classic
Rock
I race Dirt Sportsman Modifieds at the Fulton
Speedway in Fulton, NY. I have been doing this for
6 years and have been attending races at the Fulton
Speedway since I was less than a year old. Racing
is in my blood, its not a hobby for me, but instead
a way of life. I wouldn't be where I am today if it
wasn't for racing. It kept me in positive spirits
when I was a young teenager battling cancer and I
also feel it is the reason I have the drive to
succeed on and off the track.
Katelyn Kane Racing is not your average race
team, frankly, because Katelyn has not had the
average life. At the age of 13 Katelyn was
diagnosed with Leukemia. After a 2 1/2 year battle
with that, Katelyn was determined to battle
adversity and live her dream by driving a Sportsman
Modified at the Fulton Speedway. Since hopping in
that car in 2007, Katelyn has not looked back and
continues to prove to the world both on and off the
track that with a little determination anything can
be achieved.
I am sure any racer will tell you racing is not
a hobby, it is a way of life. I cannot imagine
where I would be right now if it was not for
racing. My family’s involvement in racing
began before I can remember. I am sure when my
grandfather found out he had two granddaughters did
not anticipate owning a racing team forever. Being
a car owner for a prominent DIRT Modified driver,
Mitch Gibbs, my grandfather had the whole family
involved in maintaining and transporting the car to
races up and down the east coast. However, in the
early 2000’s he decided that it was time to
sell off the equipment and focus on family as his
two granddaughters were getting older.
Little did he know that he would have to start
up a new racing team just a few short years later.
I can remember being left home some race nights
when my grandfather owned the cars. I would stand
at the door crying to my parents to take me with
them. After my grandfather sold the equipment, he
was able to take me to the tracks more, and as
spectators we would attend three or more shows a
week. I can remember dancing around in all my
oversized racing t-shirts (as no team bought the
kids sizes) proclaiming someday I would race with
these drivers.
However, in January 2005 that dream of mine took
a backseat. I was diagnosed with Leukemia. Two
and a half years of back and forth and in and out
of hospital rooms, emergency rooms, and the
operating rooms ensued. However, I never gave up
looking forward to my dream. I would plead with
the hospital staff to let me leave for a few hours
on Friday and Saturday nights so I could relax and
enjoy some dirt racing action at both the Brewerton
and Fulton Speedways. Upon finishing my
chemotherapy, my family and I celebrated my 16th
birthday, and I was preparing to strap myself into
a DIRT Sportsman Modified. Since that initial race
in May 2007, I have continued to grow as a driver
and a person. I have used my story as an
inspiration to all who come to know me.
Not only are my family and I involved in dirt
track racing, but since my diagnosis we have become
active members in giving back to the community. It
was after being diagnosed with cancer that I truly
saw the impact of such services within my community
when I myself had to use some of the charities
around the area. Upon becoming healthy enough, I
immediately started participating any way I could
to give back. I lent my face and story to posters
for annual fund raisers so participants could see a
face to this awful disease called cancer including
the 2005 St. Baldrick’s poster in Syracuse, NY
and the 2005 Paige’s Butterfly Run Poster in
Syracuse, NY. I also participated in The Light the
Night Walk in Syracuse, NY that the Leukemia
Lymphoma Society hosts annually. I even was able
to share the event with my high school tennis team
who surprised me by raising over $1000 in just one
week in honor of me. As I became even healthier, I
started to go back to my normal life, but I never
forgot who helped me along the way. As a result I
continued to provide service to the community, even
donating a summer to volunteering at a local
hospital.
I donated racing items to an annual Make-a-Wish
auction in Oswego, NY as well as collecting
donations at Fulton racetrack for the Galisano
Children’s Hospital in Syracuse, NY. I also
became a guest speaker for the Leukemia Lymphoma
Society speaking on behalf of the Leukemia Lymphoma
Society at Cicero-North Syracuse High School after
the principal’s daughter lost her battle with
Leukemia. I have appeared in their yearly flyer,
as well as implementing fundraisers in my own high
school which raised over $3000 in two years which
again was donated to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.
This year I have been approached by a fellow racer
to be a part of a racing fundraiser at the Can-Am
Motorsports Park in LaFargeville, NY to further
benefit the Galisoano Children’s Hospital in
Syracuse, NY. Although I never reaped the benefits
of the Children’s Hospital during my years of
illness, I was able to watch the progress as it was
built and still hear of the amazing benefits new
families have while enduring such a terrible time
in their lives. I have also spoke to girl scouts
about breaking down barriers as well as bullying as
well as participated in reading programs with
school districts around central New York.
Just when I thought my life was busy enough
between racing and community service, I also am a
full time student at Le Moyne College in Syracuse,
NY. I am a Mathematics major, concentrating in
actuary science, and an Economics major with an
Accounting minor and a Business Administration
minor. Through all my trials as well as my busy
schedule, I am still able to remain a straight-A
student as I have always been in grade school. I
currently have a GPA of 3.934 and have received
Dean’s List Honors every semester thus far as
well as the William R. Lukacs Medal in Mathematics
and the T. Frank Dolan Jr. Medal in Freshman
Liberal Arts.I am also a member of Alpha Sigma Nu
(The Jesuit Honors Society)and Omicron Delta
Epsilon (The Economics Honors Society). I believe
that everything one pursues in life has to be given
100% effort and so far I feel that I have done just
that.
Snippets
News
2nd Annual Girl Scout
Night At the Fulton Speedway Was a Huge
Success
The Mother’s Day weekend treat at the Fulton
Speedway was a huge success for the second year in
a row. The now annual Girl Scout night gave many
local Girl Scouts their first taste of dirt car
racing. The girls came out in crowds this weekend
as soon troops got to sing the national anthem
while others raised money by face painting.
The girls not only get to watch the races that
evening, but also get to meet drivers and see their
cars up close as well as take many pictures of the
entire night.
Modified driver and host of this annual event,
Katelyn Kane describes it as “an absolute
blast, it is so great to meet all these girls and
so rewarding to hear that they have had a great
time and can’t wait to get back to the
track.”
Source: www.katelynkaneracing.com
Results
2013:
RACE 101 Premier Driver Class of 2012
Leon J. Maltby Medal In Mathematics
2012:
RACE 101 Driver Scholarship Recipient
Omicron Delta Epsilon Economics Honors Society
Alpha Sigma Nu: Jesuit Honors Society
8/25/12 Fulton Speedway SUNY Canton Sportsman
Feature Winner
The James E. Kenney Alumni Award in Junior
Economics
9th Place Fulton Speedway SUNY Canton Sportsman
Points
2011:
4th Place Fulton Speedway SUNY Canton Sportsman
Points
9/3/11 Fulton Speedway SUNY Canton Sportsman
Feature Winner
The William R. Lukacs Medal in Mathematics
2010:
5th Place Fulton Speedway SUNY Canton Sportsman
Points
Rising Star Award Fulton Speedway Sportsman
7th Place Black Rock Speedway Sportsman Points
Best Appearing Car Black Rock Speedway
Sportsman
NYS Fairgrounds Motorsports Expo Best Appearing
Car
The T. Frank Dolan, Jr. Medal in 1st Year Liberal
Arts
2008:
Fulton Speedway E&V Energy Novice Sportsman
Track Champion
7/19/08 E&V Energy Novice Sportsman Feature
Winner
Schedule
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