By Sophia Moreno
Staff Writer
Heart racing faster than the 175 miles per hour Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2, alumni Aidan Yoder zooms past his final lap, going head-to-head against some of the best racers around the world. Yoder roars past the finish line of the November 2022 Lamborghini World Finals in Portugal. As he steps out of the car, hand over the blistering sun, he receives word of his victory. With his teammate, they rejoice as the highest finishing Americans to complete the race.
Yoder currently races with various sports car brands such as Toyota, Porsche and Lamborghini, attending racing events around the globe.
“Throughout all of my years of racing, what stuck has been my sheer determination,” Yoder said. “I want to keep pushing myself while keeping that drive I’ve had since I was a kid.”
One of Yoder’s biggest achievements is when he competed in the 24 Hours of Sebring and won the race by four laps.
“Standing on the pit wall, my teammates and I were screaming because we couldn’t believe it,” Yoder said. “It’s crazy to say that I won a 24-hour race.”
At the age of three, Yoder’s passion for racing began when he watched the movie premiere of “Cars,” screaming McQueen’s name as he watched in awe. When he was old enough, Yoder attended go-kart rentals every birthday he could, taking after his parents who raced with vans recreationally.
Annually attending Colorado’s Grand Junction Motor Speedway for recreational go-karting, he was quickly scouted as a potential candidate to start racing competitively. It was then at the age of 11 where Yoder began his racing career in the Los Angeles Karting Championship of 2015. From there, Yoder rose through the ranks, petitioning into the X30 Pro class at the age of 13.
“At the 2017 SuperNationals kart race in Las Vegas I was scouted by Formula 4 team owner Jay Howard, to join his F4 race team. ” Yoder said. “ I began racing with his team in the F4 Championship just a few months later. After the pandemic in 2020, I decided I wanted to change up my career path, and began racing with sports cars.”
On top of racing full time, Yoder currently attends al State Fullerton studying for a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Constantly traveling, Yoder continues to stay on top of his education with the help of his instructors, letting them know in advance the days he will be missing.
At TC, he also maintained communication with all of his teachers, but one in particular made a lasting impact on Yoder.
“Madame Kenderes loved hearing all of my stories,” Yoder said. “She told me traveling was one of the best things you could do at a young age, constantly supporting me.”
He hopes to one day race with prototype sports cars, vehicles that can go up to 223 mph, and attend the world’s largest sports car race in North America, the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, an endurance race held yearly in Florida. Yoder dreams of winning the race and receiving the Rolex Daytona watch.
“When I think about where I see myself in the future, I definitely want to keep pursuing my dream,” Yoder said. “As much as I can, I want to keep racing and living out my passion.”