by Mercadel Motorsports
January 2007

Beka Mercadel

Beka Mercadel is the driver of the Mercadel Motorsports Top Alcohol Jr. Dragster. Beka’s hometown is New Orleans, LA, but (via Hurricane Katrina) now hails from Fort Worth, TX. This talented young lady is certainly making a name for herself around the country, but not in the way one would expect this fourteen-year old to perform. In 2004, Beka won the “Mahalia Jackson Music Award of Excellence,” but although she is a talented singer, Beka has chosen to perform on a different stage… the DRAGSTRIP! She is one of about 8,500 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) junior drag racers, and one of a very few licensed minority top alcohol junior drivers in the country. In just a few short years behind the wheel, this talented young lady has proven she’s got the right stuff though, successfully piloting a fifteen-foot long racecar that goes from ZERO to 85 in just SEVEN SECONDS!

The family-based Mercadel Motorsports team consists of driver-Beka, crew chief/dad- Michael, mom- Kelly, sister- Gabrielle, and brother- Joshua, and has been burning up the asphalt from Texas to Florida (and all points in between) for four years. A racing season for the Mercadel’s consists of a demanding thirty to forty racing and show appearances, but in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the team has competed in only twelve race events. Despite the lack of racing this year, Beka still had some bright spots in 2006, with one final round and four semi-final round appearances.

Beka Mercadel winner of the Jr Dragster Class Photographer: Mon Musslett

Hurricane Katrina devastated thousand of lives along the Gulf Coast, and temporarily split up this tight-knit family for nine months. Dad, an American Airlines employee, was sent to Dallas/Fort Worth, while the rest of the family stayed in Springfield, Illinois with family members. Reflecting on the days after the storm, Michael reflects, “ My wife and I were more worried about our children’s mental state than our home in New Orleans.”Gabrielle (12), and Joshua (9), seemed to have taken things a little better than Beka. “After Katrina, racing was not high on the priority list, but we knew a few weeks after the hurricane that racing was exactly what Beka needed. That cockpit was the only normal thing to her, and we had to get her back into her racecar,” said Beka’s mom Kelly.

Two months after the hurricane, Beka finally got her chance and returned to the track at the Halloween Nationals (St. Louis, MO) at Gateway International Raceway. Her performance was impressive, winning five rounds of racing on the first day, and finishing just two rounds short of making it to the finals. Beka has tasted victory many times. Just two months before Katrina hit, Beka won the “King of the Coast Bracket Series” race in Gulfport, MS. The win came only six weeks after she suffered a top end crash that saw her rushed to the ER in Hattiesburg, MS, and sidelined for a month. “Most adults would have quit under less circumstances,” said Michael. He recalls Beka asking him on the way to the hospital, “How bad is the car?”

Gaylon Rolisen and Tommy Castanedo, founders of Bracketnews.Com and the “King of the Coast Bracket Series,” surprised Beka with a special Sportsmanship Award not only for her bravery in racing again after her crash, but for the talent to race and win their event.

Despite criticism from some family and friends about the dangers of the sport, Beka is undaunted. She sums it up the best: “How many girls get to drive a race car from ZERO to 85 MPH in just seven seconds? Besides, there’s not a sport out there that you can’t get injured in (i.e. gymnastics, volleyball, softball, basketball etc.). It’s especially cool beating the boys!”

Beka Mercadel

Beka has been learning more than just driving a racecar she has also been developing her people skills by being active in her community. Beka often displays her racecar at school fairs, car shows, and local clubs where she speaks with her dad about career goals, peer pressure, and the pitfalls of drugs and alcohol abuse. When asked, is this what you want to do when you grow up? Beka replies, “I really like drag racing however, my hope is to become a Pediatrician!”

Mercadel Motorsports looks forward to a full season of racing and sponsorship appearances in 2007.

Beka's Thunder Valley Racing Profile

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