She’s got speed in her blood like a race car engine has oil.
And she’s a champion in her sport.
McKenna Kitterman, a Holmes Beach resident and University of Central Florida student, won the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod held March 3-5 at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton.
McKenna battled her way through the field of some of the world’s best racers to claim the title of “World Series of Pro Mod Champion-Top Dragster Shootout.”
The event was billed as the “Biggest, Richest Pro Mod Race in the History of the Known Universe.”
For McKenna, it’s the pinnacle of a 10-year racing career that started when she was in seventh-grade.
“My dad used to compete in motocross events when he was younger and one weekend took me to Bradenton Motorsports Park on a daddy/daughter weekend, where we saw the Junior Dragsters,” McKenna wrote in a March 8 email to The Islander.
“I absolutely fell in love with the atmosphere and environment and when my dad asked if it was something I wanted to do, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity. I found a passion in the sport of racing I never knew I was capable of possessing. The relationships and memories I have made throughout my career with my dad and my racing family are ones I will cherish forever.
“I raced the junior dragster all throughout middle and high school until I aged out and, around 16 or 17, I moved into the full-size dragster.”
McKenna said her car runs around 4.3 seconds in 1/8th of a mile — around 165 mph. The car is a 540-cubic-inch Chevy big block with a blower and it runs on alcohol.
At the racetrack, McKenna was humble after the big win with the big prize of $100,000.
“I was good when I needed to be good and I was lucky when I needed to be lucky,” she said. “I know not to drive faster than my angels can fly, so I do my best and let God do the rest.”
Next, McKenna will be graduating University of Central Florida-Burnett Honors College in May and fueling a doctorate in occupational therapy with her winnings at University of Southern California in the fall.