Motor Issues Force Beierle to Reflect on 2015 Plans
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
by Joanne Cram
After a lack-luster and hugely disappointing debut at Knoxville Raceway’s weekly sprint car season, twenty year old Andee Beierle of Bismarck, North Dakota, was looking forward to her 2015 season behind the wheel of a 410. She began her season chasing away rain and freshman year finals at the University of Alabama, only to blow up the team’s only motor on the second night out at Knoxville Raceway’s May 9th National Sprint League event.
Andee’s drive and determination will likely find her behind the wheel again, however the timing is up in the air while the team sorts out funding options for a replacement motor.
Andee grew up in Fort Myers, Florida, where the racing circuit is huge. Her parents said she has always been an adventurous kid; from jumping a bike off a cliff to taking challenges from her brothers. She had no fear. Growing up, the Beierle family was race oriented, with her two brothers being named after famous racing figures. While the family had roots in North Dakota, Andee’s dad, Scott, pursued a career in the restaurant business down in Florida. Over the years, he sponsored several drivers, Sammy Swindell and Donny Schatz to name a couple.
Andee started her young career at the age of 7, driving a quarter midget in Tampa, FL, where she won her second ever race. The number #41 has always been her signature number. Troy DeCaire worked on Andee’s first quarter midget, so to honor him, Andee adopted his asphalt sprint car number. The following season, Andee took her quarter midget into the championship at the Wild West Quarter Midget Series Senior Novice; Ambassador Speedway.
Over the next three seasons, the Beierle race team went asphalt and dirt kart racing with The World Karting Associating, racing all over the country throughout the summers. Andee has always managed to balance school and racing as much as possible, keeping both a high priority. She had a few wins, and progressively climbed the ranks; 7th place kart in 2005, and up to 4th in 2006. She raced Dirt Devils Speedway in Florida for dirt track experience. The season of 2006 found the Beierle family relocating back to North Dakota for family reasons, allowing Andee to continue moving up in the Junior Lite Kart class where she raced at Buffalo River Race Park. She earned 2nd place at Buffalo River Race Park in 2007, and a 1st place at the Brown County Fair Race that same year.
With the desire to move into open wheel racing, Andee made the transition from kart to mini sprint in 2008 at the age of 11, where she raced her rookie season at Williston Basin Speedway in North Dakota for points. She brought home 3rd place on her first showing in the mini sprint, and ended up 8th overall.
When Andee was 12, she began the season racing two classes; the mini sprint at Williston Basin, and the Stock Lite Kart at Buffalo City Speedway. She took 3rd place that season in both the Stock Lite Karts and the Western North Dakota Mini Sprint Tour, and was named the Sports Person of the Year at Williston Basin. Another accomplishment Andee is proud of is earning the title of first female feature and heat race winner in a mini sprint at Williston Basin.
A new opportunity to diversify her driving capabilities opened up in 2010 with the offer to drive Legend Cars for INEX Legend Cars on Dirt. Andee also continued to run her mini sprint when able, and won another feature at Southwest Speedway in Dickinson, North Dakota. The Legend Car opportunity was a successful one for Andee; winning the North Dakota State Championship, as well as 2nd place in national INEX Legend Car points.
Two new forms of racing presented themselves to the Beierle’s the 2011 season when an opened wheel modified opportunity arose, as well as the option to drive a midget. Andee jumped in and earned a 10th place finish in her inaugural race in the midget at Ventura, California. While racing with the WISSOTA series in the modified, Andee quickly learned the ropes around Buffalo City Speedway. She continued with the stock car into 2012 running weekly with WISSOTA and earned a season high finish of 8th place at Red River Valley Speedway in Fargo.
2013 seemed to test and culminate all of Andee’s driving talents, as she did time in the kart, midget and the modified. A highlight from all the racing that season was earning the title of first female to run United States and Canadian Modified Tour, with a top 25 finish out of 100 drivers on the IMCA Dakota Classic Modified Tour. Andee also took home the track championship in the Stock Lite Kart at Buffalo City Speedway.
The ultimate goal for Andee was to drive a sprint car at Knoxville Raceway. Along with her dad, Scott, and mom, Connie, the family began racing a rented 305 weekly at Knoxville when Andee was 18. While the season was less than successful in Andee’s opinion, she learned a lot despite the constant equipment and mechanical failures. She ended up in the top 20 for overall points at the end of the season, which was far below what she had hoped. Her goal was to showcase her skills as a driver, and while her car didn’t seem to allow for that, she is eager to make 2015 the year that her talents can be materialized behind a sprint car. Up until that 2014 season, Andee had never had the opportunity to race against another woman. She was able to do that at Knoxville, appreciating the diversity that Knoxville Raceway is known for offering to its drivers. In the off season, Andee raced at the Chili Bowl as well as the Turkey Night Grand Prix in the midget.
Along the way, Andee has constantly strived to better herself as a driver, keeping her inspired to progress and keep working towards her dream of driving professionally some day. She has continued to push herself and enroll in various driving schools offered by Kory Kruseman and Jimmy Sills.
Andee’s future at this point is bright; she is starting her junior year on a pre-med track, with an emphasis on mechanical engineering. She hopes to finish the season in her family-owned, 41A with the NSL and get more laps at Knoxville as well. The hardest part at this point in her season is waiting for the answer on what the motor situation will be. Sprint car racing is such a leap in expense from any other form of racing, and every sponsor and dollar counts. Andee appreciates her family’s support as well as the sponsors that are behind her: Lone Mountain Trucking, AB Auto Detail, Harmony Stables, Simpson, and Super Shox.
Andee is living in Knoxville for the summer, where the car is located so she can actively work it, helping the crew of Tom Madden and Mark Aaron. Her goal for this season is to complete the NSL tour in full and to get a good feel for the car to run for points next year with both Knoxville and the NSL in a 410. When Andee isn’t working on school and racing, she enjoys working out, being outside, hanging with friends and family, and reading.
Andee’s long term goals include finishing her degree to be either an engineer or doctor, and hopes to race professionally in Indy Car or Formula One. When it’s all said and done, she is ready to take both of her dreams as far as they can go and see which will provide a living. Andee believes she has potential; she just needs the opportunity to show it!
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