At just 15 years old, Maddie Grace is the only girl competing in her regional karting category, an unlikely rise for a teen who once struggled in school while navigating a home shaped by her parents’ addiction.

With the help of her grandparents, Grace went from repeating third grade to becoming a straight-A honors student, all while spending multiple days a week building and racing her own go-kart.

Now she’s preparing to take on some of the world’s best young drivers at the FAT Karting League World Finals this month at Willow Springs Raceway in California.

The league, founded by former F1 leaders Ferdi Porsche and Rob Smedley, gives promising kids from under-resourced backgrounds a rare, no-cost path into a sport often reserved for wealthy families.

Grace hopes a strong showing will fuel her dream of becoming a groundbreaking F1 driver and a role model for girls with stories like hers.

ABC15's Cameron Polom talked with the dedicated racer and leaders in the league about how talent, grit, and opportunity are intersecting to rewrite what’s possible for young racers. Watch the full Uplifting Arizona story in the video player above.

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