About Mickey
Mary “Mickey” Wright was the ninth of eleven children born to Frank and Mary Wright of Homewood, Illinois. Growing up amidst a band of brothers, Mickey was destined to be a tomboy. She loved sports, daredevil activities of all sorts, and most of all– RACING!
Mickey’s first racing experience developed as a kid when she raced her brothers and their friends on bicycles. When old enough to drive a car, she began to channel her “need for speed” at Raceway Park Racetrack in Chicago’s south suburban Blue Island. By the age of 21 Mickey was a two time “Powder Puff” Champion. In her twenties and feeling the pressures of adult responsibilities, Mickey pursued a career in the construction industry as a project coordinator. Her passion for the track was always in the back of her mind. She knew eventually she’d circle back to her love for the lead foot and where her racing enthusiasm called home.
Six years ago at the age of 45, Mickey Wright got the itch to revisit her dream. With middle age, most of Mickey’s friends had settled into a comfort zone but her restless spirit would not permit her to do the same. Rather Mickey was ready to turn the page and move onto the next chapter. Moving from Colorado to Clearwater, Florida, Mickey’s life in the fast lane became a reality once she learned the racing trade under the tutelage of Stuart Lycett at Competition 101 Racing School. Her new career was officially in full throttle.
A Competition 101 driver in 2007, Mickey Wright’s orientation year consisted of hitting a circuit of oval tracks throughout Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. The first year for drivers is always the toughest in many respects, though Mickey took strong, mental notes and catalogued her experiences. The more information she soaked up and put unto practice, the more quickly she moved up into faster and more powerful cars. The challenge was kept very much alive! 2008 and 2009 marked the years for dirt track racing. Growing tremendously as a driver, Mickey placed THIRD IN SEASON POINTS both years.
Returning to pavement in 2010, she finished SECOND IN POINTS in the Florida Modified (FMD) division.
Now that Mickey had experienced oval, dirt, and pavement modified, in 2011 she was ready to add road racing to her schedule. Having established a true talent for road racing, she and Stuart decided to make that a full time pursuit in 2012. The results for 2012 speak for themselves. At season’s end Mickey placed FIRST in the Super Production Over (SPO) division for the Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) Central Florida region. Additionally this year, she scored FIRST IN POINTS in the South Atlantic Road Racing Championships (SAARC) and SECOND IN POINTS in the V8 Stock Car circuit.
Mickey was the first woman in history to lead Super Production Over (SPO) points in the V8 Stock Car series, with a year-end SECOND IN POINTS finish. Capping off the season Thanksgiving weekend, she crossed the finish line in FIRST PLACE for Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) annual “Turkey Trot” at Sebring National Raceway. Although the 2013 season was shorten, due to team transitioning, Mickey triumphantly placed in the “Top 10” at the Historic Stock Car Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, along with a handful of other first place victories. Her outstanding resume and promising future secured the rising star a coveted spot on the Derhaag Motorsports Championship Team.
Mickey’s addition to the Derhaag Motorsports Championship Team was announced in February 2014, and this season Mickey is doing what she does best, standing out. With 5 races remaining, Mickey is currently ranked in the Top 10 of Trans Am One. Her relentlessness on the track has her positioned as a strong contender for Rookie of the Year.
As Colin McRae once said, “Straight roads are for fast cars, turns are for fast drivers,” and Mickey has proven that she lives for the turns, both on and off the track. She’s not only driving to victory, but also driving excitement for the sport among a new demographic. She is showing the world that the track is no longer just a place for men, and women can compete. Mickey Wright is in the driver’s seat of her life and making believers of those who would judge a book by its cover, one lap at a time.
