ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – “They’ve never been through driver’s ed, but they’re able to get out here and get with other cars and win races, and I just think that’s really cool,” said racer Cori Fairburn.
Cori and her son Mathew Fairburn help run Fairburn Automotive, a business founded by Cori’s husband. Just this year, the two started racing six cylinder cars in their respective divisions and decided why not share a car?
“I think it makes it more special this way because we’re able to kind of do it together, so there are nights where he’ll have his races, and I have mine, and we get to kind of talk about what we each did in the race,” Cori said.
“We also both have responsibility for each other, because if one of us breaks it, then we break it for the other person, so it also helps us stay more safe,” Mathew said.
On the other side of the Fairburn shop is where high school sophomore Mady Meyers spends time on her car, No. 28, prepping it for the High School Racing Association races where she met the Fairburn’s.
“A lot of boys get upset about it because they’re like, ‘a girl is beating me,’ but a lot of them think it’s really cool that I’m racing with all of them and that I have the gut to do it,” Meyers said.
Meyer’s friend Mathew and fellow competitor says he’s supportive and happy Meyers is only one point away from the championship win Saturday.
Meyers started racing in June 2021, and although she still gets nervous, hearing the engines rev up puts her at ease.
“The good adrenaline I guess, and you’re super nervous but as soon as you get out there, you’re not focused on any of that,” Meyers said. “You’re just focused on not crashing and any of that stuff.”
Meyers ended up winning the championship on Saturday and plans to keep racing all throughout high school.
“Once you do it, it’s addicting,” Cori said.
Copyright 2021 WIFR. All rights reserved.