Hi! My name is Ellie Musgrave. I am currently 20 years old. My love for racing began at the age of 3 when my dad took me to an indoor karting place called Traxx. I loved it so much that I asked my dad for something similar. That Christmas I received a battery operated Dora the Explorer-4 wheeled ATV. From there my dad bought me a Suzuki 50 Quad which I rode every chance I could. There was a Quarter Midget Race Track close to our home. Every time we went by and there was racing going on, I would ask to go and watch. I would sit in the stands for hours cheering the racers on. I liked everything about going fast but did not necessarily like the idea of just running on an oval track. I asked my dad if he could look into something similar with different twists and turns. Then my dad heard about someone selling a brand new kid kart with all the gear I need!  I was so excited to get this at four years old. Legally, I could start racing at five. So, at 4 1/2 years old, I began to go to my local track at Evergreen Speedway with Seattle Karting Club. As soon as I turned 5 yrs old I participated in my first NW Region 6 Gold Cup in Richland, WA. We traveled 4 states and Canada for numerous seasons racing under different teams such as CRG west and ITALKART. My last season I race on the east coast and locally under Italian motorsports.

In 2017, at age 14, I made the transition into cars at Evergreen Speedway in the youth Hornets class. I was able to capture two wins, one second, and two third place finishes.

In 2018 I transitioned to the Mini Stock division and acquired my NASCAR license! thanks to Mike & Rod Helmuth donating a car to me, and not knowing I was going to be racing was a surprise and to finishing in the top 10 in points my 1st season with a low budget car. In 2019 I was offered a 2nd ride in the Street Stock division and getting to drive in two different classes on race day was beyond my wildest dreams.

In May of 2020 I wasn't feeling well while car testing at Stateline Speedway in Stateline, Idaho. We came back and decided it was best to go to see my doctor. Well after much testing they decided to do an MRI on my head. The results showed a tumor in the LH lower back area of my skull. I was immediately admitted to Seattle Childrens Hospital in Seattle, WA. The next day I was scheduled for surgery ( June 6th, 2020). After 5 1/2 hrs of surgery I was out and awaiting results to see if it was cancerous. It was a successful surgery and a quick recovery. I was released 2 day later and told to rest. 3 months later I was approved to go back to racing. It was a life changing moment for me as I realized how short life can be and how it can change in a moments notice. The results finally came back that I had a hemangioblastoma brain tumor and that it could recur. Further testing through gene sequencing determined it was a non re-occurring type. I have been back to Seattle Childrens Hospital for checks up and I am clean so far.

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I am beyond thankful to race and couldn’t have done it without countless people. This year, I will be driving a newly built Mini Stock and plan to be at the front! I’m so excited to see what this year holds for me! I hope to someday reach my goal of becoming a professional race car driver. I would like to thank each and every one of you who has helped me along the way so far. And last but not least, I thank God for giving me the ability to drive.