At the beginning of the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series season, Jade Avedisian was seeing red.
The 16-year-old was relentless in her early pursuit of the title, anxious to make a statement in her shiny new No. 71 Keith Kunz Motorsports ride.
It didn’t take long for her to make a splash, as the pairing won the second feature of the year at the Southern Illinois Center — her third national midget victory with the series.
But her initial fervor came at a cost.
“Every race I just saw red, and I pushed the issue a lot. I think that’s why I spun out two or three times, trying to pass for the lead. Just not realizing the speed I have and that I don’t need to push the issue so fast and right at that moment,” Avedisian said.
It may have taken a few bad nights, but the talented Californian believes she’s learned her lesson and found a better balance between being aggressive and keeping her cool.
However, it doesn’t help that Avedisian is one of the lead contenders in the Xtreme Outlaw championship, adding more weight to her shoulders.
“I’ve been racing seven years and I don’t think I’ve ever felt this much pressure,” Avedisian said.
Her mark to beat this season has been Cannon McIntosh, who has kept tight control of the points lead for a majority of the year. He boasts a 5.57 average feature finish, compared to Avedisian’s average finish of 6.19.
The 16-year-old admitted McIntosh’s consistency has been difficult to beat. When the series returned from its summer break in late July, fourth-place Avedisian was 180 points behind McIntosh.
“We were 180 points out and I kinda thought, this is probably going to be over,” Avedisian said.
Despite her doubts, the No. 71 pilot kept her head down and unleashed a storm of near-perfect results. Within six races — picking up three wins, two podiums and one sixth-place finish — Avedisian had the point lead.
“To have the points lead, seven up, was a good feeling,” Avedisian said. At the time, she became the first female to top the points in a national midget series.
If it weren’t for a topsy turvy run during Appalachian Midget Week in Pennsylvania, Avedisian might still have the lead, but she’s since relinquished it to McIntosh, who has a 24-point advantage.
“It’s super nerve-wracking,” Avedisian said. “Now that we’re in second, it’s a little shaky. I would definitely like to have the lead. But all we can ask for is a chance, and I think we have that.”
There are eight races left in the Xtreme Outlaw season, including a doubleheader this weekend at Indiana’s Paragon Speedway.