By admin 
GILBERT, AZ (AZFamily) — Jensen Mechelke may not be old enough to drive himself to school, but he is already driving race cars professionally.
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The 14-year-old from Gilbert competes in the Whelan Mazda MX-5 Cup Series in IMSA, racing against drivers who are often around 18 years old.
While many kids his age are learning algebra and thinking about getting a learner’s permit, Jensen is studying lap data, radioing with his dad and hitting speeds up to 100 mph on the track.
His love for racing started long before he ever climbed into a real race car.
“That’s where the racing [came from],” Jensen said, remembering the old Xbox full of car games his dad, Ryan Mechelke, gave him when he was just 3 years old.
When Jensen wanted to turn his video game passion into the real thing, the family had one big question.
“How are we going to get the money for that?” Ryan said.
Jensen’s mom, Miki, had another concern: safety. Still, she saw how much racing meant to her son.
“His passion was so strong,” Miki said. “Every single race, I’m watching.”
Now, Jensen races locally in Arizona and drives a Mazda MX-5 coupe built to IMSA specifications by a company in Florida. But racing is not just about going fast.
After every session, Jensen studies his performance with his team, looking for ways to get better.
“We go over data, looking what I’m doing wrong, what I’m doing right, and then overlay it,” Jensen said.
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The family has landed a few sponsors, but they are still working to secure more funding. Ryan said strong results on the track will be key as Jensen moves forward.
“It’s tough to get sponsors if you’re not out there winning,” Ryan said. “We’ll see how he performs in the Pro Series coming up.”
Jensen already has big dreams. His ultimate goal is to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. He also hopes to compete in NASCAR one day.
“Anything open, I’d love to race,” Jensen said.
Ryan is at every race and stays in constant radio contact with Jensen, helping him focus on car handling and performance. Miki and Jensen’s younger brother Emerson also attend races whenever they can.
For now, Jensen is balancing classes at ASU Prep Digital, family and a professional racing career — all before he can legally drive on Arizona roads.
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