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| MORE HARDWARE FOR KALI |
(Meriden, CT) East
Hampton, CT's Kali Trapp, she's living your typical 12-year
girl’s life, but with a added twist. You got Kali the soccer star, the basketball
star and on the softer side, you got Kali, the dancer. So now as she’s entering the
seventh grade at East Hampton Middle School, you got Kali the pole vaulter, you
heard it right, The Pole Vaulter. So what can be so special about this three-sport star? How about Kali the race car driver?
You can find Kali at the Silver City Quarter Midget Club on Saturdays following in her mother’s footsteps. Kali’s mom Mary Nowakowski Trapp spent her youth running Quarter Midgets throughout the area, actually not just running but setting records and spending lots of time in victory lane with countless victories. Talking with Mary a few weeks back she was surprised to learn that one of her speed records at the Little T she set when she was competing was finally broken not to long ago. The record stood for over a decade. So Kali doesn't have far to go to get some quick pointers.
You can find Kali at the Silver City Quarter Midget Club on Saturdays following in her mother’s footsteps. Kali’s mom Mary Nowakowski Trapp spent her youth running Quarter Midgets throughout the area, actually not just running but setting records and spending lots of time in victory lane with countless victories. Talking with Mary a few weeks back she was surprised to learn that one of her speed records at the Little T she set when she was competing was finally broken not to long ago. The record stood for over a decade. So Kali doesn't have far to go to get some quick pointers.
A few weeks
back I stopped by Silver City to take in that days
racing program. This was my first visit in a few years but this pink quarter midget #14 kept catching my eye.
One lap it was low, the next high on the track making a pass and then the outcome
was the complimentary laps holding the
checkered flag. after the race.
For Kali, it
all started when she was seven years of age. Silver City was hosting a “Arrive and Drive” event one afternoon and that’s all it took for Kali to realize
her dream. At this time she traded in her soccer cleats and dance attire for a
fire suit and helmet. It didn’t take Kali long to visit victory lane as she
accomplished that feat in her maiden run in a Junior Novice at the track. As
the wins kept coming so did the achievements. She was named “Girl Driver” of
the Year for four straight years and walked away with the Rookie of the Year
honors following the 2014 season. One accomplishment was Kali finishing in the runner up spot in her first attempt at the "Eastern Grands". The Daytona 500 for Quarter Midgets.
Just how competitive is Kali? Well when I asked her, what goals she
set for the season, her answer was quick and simple “Win more races”. After hearing that answer, it's hard to argue
why Dale Earnhardt Jr is her favorite driver and her favorite thing in racing
is the victory laps with the checkered flag after the win.
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| FEATURE TIME |
When you just sit back and read about this young girls achievements over the years it’s ironic that her favorite TV show is “Super Girl”,
which in my opinion had to be centered around her as the star.
When Kali is away from the track you’ll probably hunt her down at one of
the many local beaches in Connecticut, or during basketball season catching the
UCONN Woman’s Basketball game on TV while eating her favorite food, a bowl of homemade Baked Mac and Cheese .
Many drivers have certain reasons or superstitions and Kali is no
different. When we started to discuss her number choice (#14) I was bracing
myself for Tony Stewart’s name to come up or it was my mom’s number when she
raced answer, but it seems the number fourteen was a key number to not just
Kali but the whole family. “It was my brother’s soccer jersey number, the day I
was born and the year that my sister graduated from High School” was her
comment on her number of choice that sits on her pink Nervos Chassis, DNA Motorsports powered Quarter Midget. The color pink was not hard to
figure out, it was her favorite color, but one additional reason was that she
wanted the fans to be able to spot her quicker on the track.
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| AT SPEED |
The team has the backing of Pro Gas Installation; Theater Square, Fireworks, Classic Auto, Papa Z's; Daniels Propane, Deb & Peter Zawisza; Marks United Auto Parts; Team Fitness, Ron, and Gloria Trapp; Bev Warga; Joe & Kathie Nowakowski.
Whether it's on the track racing or shooting hoops or just sitting at the table drawing, you can be sure that Kali is giving it her all and she’s doing what makes her happy. What else can you ask from a 12-year-old?
You can follow Kali’s racing progress on her Face book page at Kali Trapp Racing
Story by Alan Piquette (The Racing Times)
Photos from Mary Nowakowski Trapp
Photos from Mary Nowakowski Trapp
Check out Kali’s sponsors on the web at
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