Lawson Ingold is well regarded in his field.
He’s well regarded at every turn, being noticed by the right people and progressing through every stage of his chosen interest.
And he’s not even 10 years old. And he’s usually leading the field toward the finish line.
Ingold, whose parents and sister moved from Cumming to Social Circle with him when he was 5 years old to accommodate his two quarter midget race cars and race shop, is beginning his first year as a sponsored Bandolero racer in just a few weeks.
After his father Kevin, a former short track racer himself, took him to a race and let him try it out when he was about 4.5-years-old, Lawson not only enjoyed being behind the wheel and weaving in and out of traffic, but also showed a knack for it.
"He was pretty good," Kevin Ingold said.
From the first time Lawson got in a car before he was 5 years old throughout the next two years, he continued to get familiar with racing and handling himself on the track, running in the middle of the pack during most of his races.
However, his perseverance and the intelligence shown both on the track and in the classroom, where he is an A student at Social Circle Elementary, helped him move up on the world of racing.
"At about 7 years old in the quarter midget cars, it just clicked," Kevin Ingold said. "He started leading laps and winning."
Lawson won his first major race in the Region 3 Race in Alabama in October 2011, being named one of the top three drivers in quarter midget racing, taking first in two more races that year. In 2011, Lawson had 18 top-three finishes, 33 top-five and took second place in the NGQMA Championship.
The following year, he jumped to the Bandolero cars, which increased in speed to 70 mph on ¼-mile tracks, and success didn’t slow him down.
In 2012, Lawson had four wins, 26 top-three finishes, 28 top-five, took second place in the 2012 Watermelon Capital Speedway
Lawson Ingold is well regarded in his field.
He’s well regarded at every turn, being noticed by the right people and progressing through every stage of his chosen interest.
And he’s not even 10 years old. And he’s usually leading the field toward the finish line.
Ingold, whose parents and sister moved from Cumming to Social Circle with him when he was 5 years old to accommodate his two quarter midget race cars and race shop, is beginning his first year as a sponsored Bandolero racer in just a few weeks.
After his father Kevin, a former short track racer himself, took him to a race and let him try it out when he was about 4.5-years-old, Lawson not only enjoyed being behind the wheel and weaving in and out of traffic, but also showed a knack for it.
"He was pretty good," Kevin Ingold said.
From the first time Lawson got in a car before he was 5 years old throughout the next two years, he continued to get familiar with racing and handling himself on the track, running in the middle of the pack during most of his races.
However, his perseverance and the intelligence shown both on the track and in the classroom, where he is an A student at Social Circle Elementary, helped him move up on the world of racing.
"At about 7 years old in the quarter midget cars, it just clicked," Kevin Ingold said. "He started leading laps and winning."
Lawson won his first major race in the Region 3 Race in Alabama in October 2011, being named one of the top three drivers in quarter midget racing, taking first in two more races that year. In 2011, Lawson had 18 top-three finishes, 33 top-five and took second place in the NGQMA Championship.
The following year, he jumped to the Bandolero cars, which increased in speed to 70 mph on ¼-mile tracks, and success didn’t slow him down.
In 2012, Lawson had four wins, 26 top-three finishes, 28 top-five, took second place in the 2012 Watermelon Capital Speedway Championship in Cordele and was 11th in the 2012 Bandolero Nationals, according to statistics compiled on his Ingold Racing’s website, lawsoningoldracing.com.
"It’s fun and I love winning," Lawson said. "It feels good to beat all of the other drivers."
He has developed that winning spirit from an attitude which keeps him pushing forward and past his competition.
"He has a remarkable ability to read what’s going on around him in that respect; he has a situational awareness I haven’t seen in other drivers," said Ken Goldwasser, Lawson’s manager. "There’s a part of him that’s full throttle. I rather have a driver like him than one I have to push harder to put the throttle down."
Lawson’s winning attitude isn’t the only thing keeping Lawson going, but also his interest in the sport (his favorite racer is Dale Earnhardt Jr.) and his ability to learn and adapt. He does some of the same developmental activities as older professional drivers, and immediately works in the advice of his managers and coaches.
"Lawson listens very well, takes constructive criticism and coaching and incorporates it into what he’s doing," Goldwasser said. "There was a situation where I told him he had to wait another half second to come out of a turn, and by God, that’s what he does."
Goldwasser is a recent addition to Ingold Racing, bringing a ton of experience in all aspects of racing, including being a manager with Dempsey Racing. Dempsey Racing is led by actor Patrick Dempsey, who himself has been noticing the racing exploits of young Lawson Ingold.
"Lawson is in the eye of Patrick a little bit right now," Ken Ingold said. "We have better equipment, better support now, and have a team manager and a crew chief."
Those new benefits have come on the heels of Mellow Mushroom signing on as a sponsor, along with 3 PD Delivery.
"We have access to a lot more equipment and a lot more availability now," said Lawson’s mother Aleah Ingold.
The new support and leadership of Goldwasser is nothing but a benefit to Lawson Ingold as he heads into a new season starting with the Thursday Night Thunder series at Atlanta Motor Speedway beginning June 6.
The series takes place on a ¼-mile track using the straightaway and pit road of Atlanta Motor Speedway, and features racers who also have talent and sponsorship opportunities.
"Not only my kid but all the kids are amazing," Ken Ingold said. "These kids are friends off the track but when you get them out in their cars, friendship is thrown out.
"What they do at their age is incredible."
If his short career thus far is any indication, then Lawson should continue to do incredible things on the track, progressing through Bandolero racing and into Legends and beyond. Something he is now equipped more than ever to do, not only because of his new management and sponsorship but also his parents.
"Ingold Racing is special to me because they have a lot of fun and are in it as a family," Goldwasser said. "It really is a family effort."
