Conversations with Mark Ashcraft

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Ashcraft

Hi Mark, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always been interested in motorsports. As a fan, driver or even volunteer track worker, I’ve always been involved. When my daughter started racing what started as a weekend hobby quickly evolved into a full-fledged racing endeavor as we participated not only local events, but nationally as well.

Being just one of 4 girls in our local racing community had its own struggles. At times my daughter would questions her abilities or suggest maybe she don’t belong in the high-pressure racing environment.

Fast forward thru some up and downs, smiles and tears a passion project formed. Rooted in a love for speed and competition, devoted to supporting opportunities for young women in motorsport by creating a positive resourceful environment. Ashcraft Motorsports Racing was born, providing mentorship and education to the next generation, to help bring a successful future and bring continued growth in motorsports.

Our Vision is to grow an inclusive community of like-minded young women who can thrive in motorsports. We currently have 4 drivers driving in the National Open Wheel 600 series, POWRi Micro and NASCAR Youth Series.

Drivers:
Memarie Ashcraft- 600 Micro Sprint
Riley Allen- 600 Micro Sprint
Payton Geitzenauer- LWF
Emma Smith- 600 Micro Sprint

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Of course there are struggles. Maybe not what we would have seen 10, 20 years ago but still a lot of stereotypes and bias. Many female drivers face stereotypes that question their abilities. Overcoming these biases can be a significant hurdle. Outside of limited opportunities come funding and sponsorship. I feel women often struggle to attract the same level of sponsorship as their male counterparts, making it challenging to fund their racing careers. This financial disparity can limit their ability to participate in key events. With the rise of female talent such as Jade Avedisian and Kaylee Bryson these barriers are starting to come down but are still a huge hurdle.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As I said before AMR is a passion project for our family. My “daily grind” is a electronics engineer for the United States Space Force. I also own and operate Ashcraft Motorsports- we provide parts and accessories for UTV and racing communities.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
Outside of racing we enjoy spending time on the western slope from riding the SxS to geocaching. When the Army brought us here Ft. Carson was the Army’s best kept secret and we fell in love with the area. The thing we like the least is the growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://AshcraftMotorsportsRacing.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Ashcraft_Motorsports_Racing
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/AshcraftMotorsportsRacing