Teen on Long Road Toward Indianapolis 500

Lindsay Adams, 19, is delaying college to climb into the driver's seat, says writer Kim Breen.

"I'm going off and making my dreams come true," she said in a recent interview. "I started out feeling invincible and believed everyone would immediately love me. I recall thinking that I could let this affect me."

She went on to win several regional and one national karting race, according to records.

"She's achieved quick success in her relatively short four years on the race car track," reported Breen. "Getting to the top requires several steps with progressively faster cars."

Adams says she has never liked limits as she poses in her Ralph Lauren shades and miniskirt, onboard her pink Formula Mazda shortly after winning a regional race May 27th at Texas World Speedway near College Station, TX.

Her grandfather, Chuck Adams, stopped racing when his first child was born, fulfilling a promise to his wife, according to the family.

Dr. George Adams, Lindsay's father and an orthodontist who practices in
Plano, said his dad told him he wasn't going to be a racer. George later raced amateur motocross and promised his wife he would quit when he won a championship race, which he did in 1996, according to research.

Lindsey said she often asked to race and her dad told her no.

"But what if I was good?" she asked.

That was the end of it for George, who raised his two daughters on Vince Lombardi quotes about competition and winning, wrote Breen.

"That was four years ago," said George.

"She's definitely a very talented driver; she's proven that several times," Marshall Martin, a national director of karting races who has seen Lindsay race, told Breen. "Being female has assets and liabilities in a male-dominated sport. Even though we don't want to admit it, it's still a good old boys' network."

At first Lindsay said she bristled at the sight of her new hot pink race car.

"You have to bring something to the table," she said.

And she loves the reaction she gets from little girls at the track, she said.

"I have made their Barbie car life-size," she explains.