The young go-kart racer known as “The Mighty Quinn” continues her rise through the junior ranks of the sport.

Quinn Ahrens, the 8-year-old daughter of Patrick and Tracey Ahrens of Waterloo, has been racing go-karts since she was 5. 

Her first racing win was in the 2018 Ignite Challenge racing series in Joliet, during which she reached a top speed of 43.6 miles per hour. 

Quinn competed Jan. 10-11 in the Lowe Boats I-44 Winter Shootout, which was held indoors in Lebanon, Mo.

She competed in the Blue Rookie .25 Midget Division with seven other participants in her class.  

Quinn won all four heat races and both features, sweeping the entire weekend.  

“They ran two heat races and a feature each day,” Patrick Ahrens explained. “These were her first wins of any type competing in her .25 midget.”

Her father added that this was just Quinn’s fourth race event in the .25 midget. She ran a Stanley built car with a Honda 120 engine.

On Jan. 25, Quinn competed in an entirely new racing experience, the Xtreme Ice Racing event held at Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo. 

Quinn raced in the Junior Karting class, which was for kids ages 13 and under. With four kids in her class, Quinn was the youngest and the only girl competing.

“Competitors were allowed to put traction screws in the tires for traction,” Patrick Ahrens said.

This event consisted for two heat races and a feature. Quinn placed third in both heat races before winning the feature.

“This was her first ever experience on ice,” her father said. “She quickly become a crowd favorite there. Her favorite part of the event was hearing everybody cheer for her and being asked to have her picture taken in the stands with several young fans.”  

Quinn, who turns 9 on April 29 (she shares a birthday with the late, great racing legend Dale Earnhardt Sr.) drove a Birel cadet kart with a Briggs 206 engine at the ice racing event.

The go-kart and .25 midget seasons begin in early April.

Quinn will open her karting season April 5 in the Supercomp Series at Gateway Kartplex in Madison.

The following Saturday will be opening weekend for .25 midgets.  That will be at Tri-City Junior Speedway in Granite City.