CONCORD, N.C. (Sep. 12, 2014) — Asphalt and dirt were foreign elements to Paige Decker when she first began racing at three-years-old on her snowmobile. In her hometown of Eagle River, Wisconsin, she raced for her family-owned team called Decker Racing, which began with her father and uncle, Allen and Chuck Decker. Both raced snowmobiles, and the family tradition continued with their daughters. Paige’s teammates were her younger sister, Claire, and cousin, Natalie. Growing up, they both looked up to her. “I’ve always been there for them, and every time they race at home, they call and update me, and that’s how I want it to be,” she said. “I just want to be a role model for them and do everything I can so they can succeed.” After racing snowmobiles, Paige transitioned to go-karts, and eventually began to race limited late models and super late models. In 2013, Paige became the first female and rookie to win a race in the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series after taking the checkered at Golden Sands Speedway. She later became the first woman to receive the Rookie of the Year award after a successful season in the series. Alongside racing, Paige had an active childhood. She danced and competed in water skiing, but as racing grew more prominent, the other extracurricular activities dwindled, and so did her social life. “It was tough trying to balance the racing and all the other activities even from a young age. I had very few friends because a lot of them just didn’t understand how seriously I took the racing,” she said. “In order for me to do something 100 percent, I wanted to focus on one thing.” Her hard work and focus paid off. After her second attempt at NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity combine, she was selected to the 2014 Rev Racing Team and now races her late model in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Though Paige constantly raced and has garnered much success, it wasn’t all fun and games for the young female driver growing up. Her father made her and her sister work at the two hotels he still owns. In the hotels, the Decker girls literally worked their way from the ground up. “My dad used to make us pick up cigarette buds in the driveway of the hotel, and he wouldn’t pay us. It was horrible,” she laughed. “I think he just wanted to keep us grounded, so he told us we had to work.” That’s not all Allen made his daughters do to earn their racing privileges. Paige and Claire were also responsible for getting their own sponsors throughout their racing careers. After graduating from high school in 2011, Paige attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout for two years. But, balancing college-level coursework and full time racing proved to be a difficult task. Like most young drivers pursuing an education and racing career, she struggled to convince her professors how serious racing was to her, and she occasionally missed classes, which eventually caused her academics to suffer. “It was really tough to focus on both academics and racing. I left home to come down here and follow my dream,” she said. “I never thought that I would have dropped out of school to come down here and race, but I have a once in a lifetime opportunity, so I’m trying to make the best of it.” In college, Paige was a member of the university’s dance team and studied early childhood education because she has a passion for children. She discovered her love for kids when she volunteered as a teacher’s assistant in high school, and though she dreams of becoming the first woman to win a Sprint Cup race, she also hopes to teach kindergarten in the future. Paige enjoys volunteering with special education students and participated in pen pal projects writing letters to elementary students in Wisconsin. The Mexican-food lover also works as a hostess at On The Border when she’s not revving it up on the track or playing with her cat, Chase. ABOUT REV RACING: Headquartered in Concord, NC, Rev Racing, owned by Max Siegel, operates the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, which is the industry’s leading developmental program for ethnic minorities, women drivers, and pit crew members. For more information about Rev Racing visit https://revracing.net and follow us on Twitter @RevRacin.

Concord, N.C. (Aug. 15, 2014) — Devon Amos starts every day by writing down ten things he’s thankful for. One of those is his opportunity to drive for Rev Racing. He traveled more than 1,400 miles from his Rio Rancho, New Mexico home to drive for the team. Amos became interested in racing at 9-years-old after watching a cartoon called, “NASCAR Racers.” The show had an ethnically diverse cast as well as both male and female drivers. “The cars were going upside down in these circles, and they had these rocket boosters. They were flying, and I said I was going to do that someday.” His stepfather later introduced him to the real world of NASCAR, and he was automatically hooked. Amos began racing quarter-midgets at 12-years-old and then moved on to race a 4-cylinder Volkswagen Beetle. His mother and stepfather, Christi and Michael Feery, raised the young Italian and African-American driver along with his older sister, SaRae. The 23-year-old learned the importance of work ethic and responsibility at a young age. His parents only allowed him to race if he made good grades. “My parents did a great job guiding me and my sister as kids,” Amos said. “They brought me up to work hard. They taught me that I needed to work for the things that I wanted.” At 15-years-old, Amos stopped racing altogether, but after graduating from Independence High School in 2009, he knew he wanted to race professionally. He worked at Home Depot and in 6 months, Amos saved $6,000 to buy a racecar to pursue his dream of becoming a NASCAR driver. “I bought my car, but I didn’t really think everything through. I didn’t know how I was going to do it. I just knew I was going to do it.” He bought his car from Wim Dons who was heavily involved in racing. Dons allowed Amos to travel with his family to compete in races and let Amos keep his car in his garage. Even with a three-year absence from the sport, Amos excelled with help from the Dons, which Amos refers to as his second family. He first applied for the Drive for Diversity Program in 2010 but needed more racing experience, so he went to racing school in Hickory, N.C. He did well and was invited to the 2011 combine, but was not selected to the team. “I was really frustrated, but it just pushed me more. Each time pushed me to be better and make it to the next level,” he said. “I was devastated, but then I was like, ‘I’m going to go to the combine next year and not give them a choice but to pick me.’” And he did just that. Amos persevered and was selected to the 2013 Rev Racing team. He now balances full-time racing and working 25 hours per week. When he’s not at work or racing, he helps out as a mechanic on teammate Daniel Suárez’s crew to learn as much as he can about all aspects of the sport. As a driver, Amos believes that his ability to work on the outside of the car will help him develop better communication, as well as a stronger chemistry with his own crew, which is vital to team success. “I have a high standard for myself. I want to do everything that I can to just go fast,” he said. He started racing in the Legend Series his first year, and despite a significant transition from mini-sprints, he secured four top-5 and seven top-10 finishes. Amos advanced to the Whelen All-American Series for the 2014 season. With a competitive drive to succeed, Amos says he always strives for greatness and optimism. Despite his many accolades in racing throughout the years, Amos, just like every athlete and every person, is sometimes frustrated with his performance, but he refuses to let negativity interfere with his potential and success. “I give myself positive affirmations. One thing I do is look at my trophies in my apartment. I remind myself that I’ve succeeded before and tell myself that I have to focus on what I want to get to,” he explained. “Then I understand that I just have to continue to have faith in God and move forward.” Because his passion for racing requires much of his time, Amos is unable to visit his family and often misses his Southwest home. He says his mother is his biggest supporter, and they talk often. She sends him inspirational books that he reads almost every night. Though most of his support system resides in New Mexico, he is still able to rely on his girlfriend, Christine, who moved to Charlotte with him when he was selected to the team. One of the main things he misses about home is looking at the stars. Unlike Charlotte’s busy metropolitan area, Amos lived on the outskirts of Rio Rancho, where he could see the stars for miles. “I remember spending just about every night sitting on the back wall, looking at the stars. I would just connect with everything and be one with life,” he said. “It just felt so good. I would think a lot about being successful and where I wanted my career to go.” To Amos, racing is more than a sport. He believes racing is his purpose. “I look at racing, and it can help people in many ways, especially with what we’re doing with the Drive for Diversity. There are so many people that can be pulled from different places to achieve goals they never thought they could and make a difference in the community.” He hopes NASCAR’s diversity continues to grow on and off the track. Amos was happy when he learned that Wendell Scott, the first African-American to win a NASCAR race, would be inducted into the 2015 Hall of Fame. “I think it’s great. I hope there’s more to come,” he said. “He paved the way for what we’re working on now. I couldn’t imagine what Wendell Scott went through back then. He’s a true inspiration.” While he admires Scott’s legacy, Amos’s favorite NASCAR driver is Jeff Gordon. He hopes to race for Hendrick Motorsports someday, just like Gordon. Amos loves watching the Miami Heat and enjoys giving back to the community. He participated in Habitat for Humanity’s effort to build homes earlier this year. And with his experience on both dirt and asphalt tracks, he also mentors Rev Racing’s bandolero drivers. ABOUT REV RACING: Headquartered in Concord, NC, Rev Racing, owned by Max Siegel, operates the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, which is the industry’s leading developmental program for ethnic minorities, women drivers, and pit crew members. For more information about Rev Racing visit https://revracing.net and follow us on Twitter @RevRacin.