Only woman in the BC39 field, Kaylee Bryson races no differently
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INDIANAPOLIS – Kaylee Bryson didn't grow up dreaming about racing.
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She didn't spend weekends watching NASCAR or IndyCar, and she wasn't the kid who could name every driver on the track. Her introduction to motorsports came at nine years old, when she climbed into a dirt go-kart for the first time.
She never looked back.
"I got in a little dirt go kart for the first time, and absolutely just fell in love with the adrenaline rush of racing," Bryson said.
That first taste of competition has evolved into one of the most accomplished careers by a woman in midget racing. Bryson became the first woman to qualify for the Chili Bowl Nationals A-Main and the first to win a USAC National Series feature race, accomplishments that have helped redefine what's possible in the sport.
But when she straps into the race car, history isn't what she's thinking about.
"It's funny because we just went up and did the driver intros, and it was the first time I actually noticed I was the only girl," she said. "Whenever I put on my helmet, I feel like everybody else."
Bryson has noticed the sport beginning to change, though. Where she was once almost always the only woman in the pit area, more female drivers are beginning to arrive.
"We're growing a community," she said. "I'm not just the only one at the track anymore, so it's cool seeing other girls coming to the sport."
Bryson measures herself the same way every driver does — by speed.
"I know all of our equipment is kind of the same, so we're all in race cars, and it doesn't matter who's driving them as long as you're fast,” she said.
That mentality has taken her far beyond dirt racing. She's competed in USAC Late Models, the ARCA Menards Series and the Trans Am Series. Two weeks ago, she raced on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, making her one of only two drivers in this year's BC39 field — along with J.J. Yeley — to compete on both the road course and the temporary dirt track inside IMS.
Now, Bryson returns for her fourth BC39 appearance after recording a career-best seventh-place finish in the 2024 A-Main.
The event carries added meaning because it honors late USAC midget champion Bryan Clauson, whose legacy continues to resonate throughout the dirt racing community.
"This track is so historic, and to be able to have a dirt track inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ... and do it in Bryan's honor is honestly so cool," Bryson said. "We all looked up to him as a driver."
The BC39 is the only race each season where the USAC National Midget championship competes on the dirt oval inside IMS, giving drivers just one opportunity each year to race the track.
"Whenever you only come here once a year, it's a pretty level playing field, so we all have to figure it out whenever we hit the track for the first time," she said.
Whether she's making history or chasing another strong finish at the BC39, Bryson's focus hasn't changed since that first ride in a dirt go-kart.
"I want to be really competitive in anything I get in," she said. "I think that's a big goal for me, is for people to see me as a competitive driver each time I hit the track.
Jessica Garcete is an IndyStar sports reporter. Get IndyStar's motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to theYouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Only woman in the BC39 field, Kaylee Bryson races no differently