{"id":1937,"date":"2026-06-12T11:03:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T11:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=1937"},"modified":"2026-06-12T11:03:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T11:03:10","slug":"gilbert-teen-too-young-for-a-license-already-drives-race-cars-professionally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=1937","title":{"rendered":"Gilbert teen, too young for a license, already drives race cars professionally"},"content":{"rendered":"
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GILBERT, AZ (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 Jensen Mechelke may not be old enough to drive himself to school, but he is already driving race cars professionally.<\/p>\n

Read more Dashcam video shows cop accidentally shooting fellow officer during \u2018horseplay\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

While many kids his age are learning algebra and thinking about getting a learner\u2019s permit, Jensen is studying lap data, radioing with his dad and hitting speeds up to 100 mph on the track.<\/p>\n

His love for racing started long before he ever climbed into a real race car.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where the racing [came from],\u201d Jensen said, remembering the old Xbox full of car games his dad, Ryan Mechelke, gave him when he was just 3 years old.<\/p>\n

When Jensen wanted to turn his video game passion into the real thing, the family had one big question.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are we going to get the money for that?\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n

Jensen\u2019s mom, Miki, had another concern: safety. Still, she saw how much racing meant to her son.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis passion was so strong,\u201d Miki said. \u201cEvery single race, I\u2019m watching.\u201d<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

After every session, Jensen studies his performance with his team, looking for ways to get better.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe go over data, looking what I\u2019m doing wrong, what I\u2019m doing right, and then overlay it,\u201d Jensen said.<\/p>\n

Read more FBI seizes 13 websites that officials say were used by China to target and recruit US workers<\/a><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tough to get sponsors if you\u2019re not out there winning,\u201d Ryan said. \u201cWe\u2019ll see how he performs in the Pro Series coming up.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything open, I\u2019d love to race,\u201d Jensen said.<\/p>\n

Ryan is at every race and stays in constant radio contact with Jensen, helping him focus on car handling and performance. Miki and Jensen\u2019s younger brother Emerson also attend races whenever they can.<\/p>\n

For now, Jensen is balancing classes at ASU Prep Digital, family and a professional racing career \u2014 all before he can legally drive on Arizona roads.<\/p>\n

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? <\/i>Please click here to report it<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send <\/i>it to us here<\/i> with a brief description.<\/i><\/p>\n

Read more New law aims to lower costs for new homes in Arizona<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jensen Mechelke may not be old enough to drive himself to school, but he is already driving race cars professionally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nGilbert teen, too young for a license, already drives race cars professionally - Tucson Moving Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=1937\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gilbert teen, too young for a license, already drives race cars professionally - 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