Kahl Cheth Races to Rookie of the Year!

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Kahl Cheth cruises to the finish line.

Shafer Newton, Reporter

 

Kahl Cheth is a well known Peninsula junior, but what many people may not know is that Cheth has a passion for stock car racing. For the last three years, Kahl has joined his friends and family at Evergreen Speedway. While not many people know much about Cheth’s racing career outside of his friend group, his recent success is quickly changing that.

While Cheth started out in a smaller 4 cylinder car, this last year he has worked his way up to the Nascar Whelen All American Series and has moved up to a larger V8 vehicle.

Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and uncle, Cheth has found tremendous success as the youngest driver in a league made up primarily of more experienced adult drivers. After completing his first season in October, Cheth was awarded Rookie of the Year.

“It meant a lot, because it was my first year in a big car,” Cheth said. “I got the opportunity to move up to the bigger V8 cars that I have watched my uncle race my whole life, so it was really cool to be recognized with this award.”

Not only does Kahl love racing as a hobby, but he hopes to one day be a professional Nascar driver.

“Everything he does revolves around racing,” said Cheth’s longtime friend Kaelyn Gillespie. “I feel like a lot of kids have a sport that they love and they can really get into, and for Kahl that’s racing.”

Not only has Cheth been successful on the track, but his racing has helped him in many areas of his life. Cheth’s counselor Mrs. Copeland articulated the benefits of an extracurricular activity.

“I absolutely think that any kind of engagement, whether it’s sports, or a different kind of sport like this… any kind of engagement where you are connected to like-minded people who are focused on learning and doing well for their community, they just tend to make more opportunities for themselves to be successful,” said Copeland.

Cheth is not the kind of guy to flaunt his success, but people around the community, like Mrs. Copeland are beginning to take notice. He hopes to continue to improve this year and continue to pursue his dream.

“I race because it is in my blood and the racing community has had an amazing impact on my life. It has allowed me to become a better person on and off the track,” said Cheth