Kelly
Sullivan

The driver with ambition!

Kelly McDougall started racing cars on a dare. Some of her male friends (that raced) bet she wouldn't do it. So Kelly set out to prove them wrong.

The first race that she entered was an enduro race. After prepping the car herself (adding rollbar, removing dashboard, etc.). She finished the race with a flat tire and a gleam in her eye that can still be seen. Her second race was a lady's race and she finished 3rd. Since then Kelly has won races in several different states and classes.

The ULTIMATE GOAL of this courageous woman is to battle the men of Nextel Cup Racing. It will be a long road getting there, but with hours of hard work, perseverance, natural talent and a few brakes, Kelly hopes to climb the ladder. Being the only woman to race at Stafford Springs in 1996, Kelly received allot of notoriety. There were full-page interviews and always a picture in the next week's program. In 1998, New England Sports Network (NESN) interviewed Kelly for a segment about women in racing. This was excellent exposure for Kelly and all the sponsors. (Video available at your request) Kelly is a college graduate with a degree in accounting, but don't let that fool you! She is not afraid to roll up her sleeves and get dirty, This pretty young woman not only drives, but also builds cars. Numerous times men have asked her for advice about setting up their car. Many male drivers have gotten over confident while racing Kelly, only to end up behind her.

2001 was an incredible year for Kelly, and K&E Motorsports. Our focus was on learning to adjust to the conditions. The first half of the year was filled with attribution. Kelly was involved in numerous accidents and it had taken its toll. There was a distinct turning point in the season in July when we were wrecked in qualifying. Our team pulled together to repair a mangled racecar. The car was bent and needed everyone's effort to get it on the track. We even had to use an old driveshaft as a front bumper. Kelly started dead last and finished 10th! We never looked back after that. We qualified for every race since then and never had to replace the bumper again. Kelly was up against twelve rookies and finished 3rd in rookie points.

Finish Line Racing School

The 2002 season showed great improvement. Kelly proved she gained experience from the prior year capturing three qualifying wins. Finishing 21st in the points standing out of 43 competitors. As Kelly and the team gain more experience, an opportunity has arisen to compete in another division but remaining also in the Late Model. We also plan on running a limited show at Thompson Speedway. 2002 Kelly and Ed attended Finishline Racing School, learning chassis setup tips, and valuable driving skills and techniques.

2003 Kelly and her team made the move to the Sunoco Modifieds at Thompson. She competed in a total of eight events between Thompson and Stafford, and had 4 top tens and 1 top fifteenth finish.

Source: K&E Motorsports, P.O. Box 907• Naugatuck CT 06770 or 800.696.0661 or 203.720.0268 or Fax: 203.729.2861 or E-Mail or www.kandemotorsports.com/fr_team.htm

2004 Kelly will be competing for Rookie of the Year and hopes to finish top ten in the points standings. However, there was no information since 2002

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Related Issue: Women Racers Directory, Women in Racing, Women Racers, More Women in Racing, Race Schedules, Notable Women

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