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Thiering Living Dream With Third Title

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Canada’s Erica Thiering is living her dream.

The 21-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alberta won her third track and NASCAR provincial championships in four years at Edmonton International Raceway in 2011.

Thiering grew up around the .250-mile paved oval near in Edmonton. Her father Ron is a 30-year veteran of both dirt and asphalt racing, and was competing at the track at about the time she was born. She grew up helping with her dad’s race cars, and knew she wanted to driver herself some day.

Ron and his wife Loretta became the track operators and promoters of the Edmonton track in 1995. It became part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series in 2005.

Erica finally got to launch her own racing career in 2006. Then 16, she started out driving in the entry level Feature Stock division at the track. Despite large fields in the four cylinder division she was able to score her first feature race win and placed fifth in points.

“Being able to race and be competitive was a big thing to me,” Thiering said. “Dad was my biggest supporter and coach.”

She believes the division provides great competition where driving ability and mechanical knowledge are is put to the test every race night.

“Sure they’re four-cylinder cars, but racing is racing. It takes a whole package to be competitive no matter what kind of car you race.”

She won the Feature Stock division championship in 2007. The Feature Stocks became the track’s NASCAR Division I in 2008. Thiering won the track and provincial championships in the division in 2008 and 2009.

Late Models became Edmonton’s top NASCAR division in 2010, so Thiering moved to that division. It was a big career step.

“It was a huge change but we were able to figure it out,” she said. “It probably took half the season to get comfortable in the car. We won a feature late in the season and finished fifth in track points.”

Greg Moir won Edmonton’s 2010 NASCAR Late Model championship.

Thiering’s success in 2011 exceeded her expectations.

“I thought we get to maybe second or third in points,” Thiering said. “I wasn’t thinking we’d be able to win our first Late Model championship.”

Her record includes nine wins and 16 top fives in 16 starts.

Armed with all those championships, Thiering would like to try the challenge of traveling the country with the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. The series offers a mix of oval short tracks and several different road course or street course races.

Ron Thiering is car owner and crew chief for his daughter’s racing efforts. Crew members include Kevin Grimstead and Steven Proden. The Chevy Impala is based on a Howe chassis and sponsored by Innertech Valve Ltd.