Macie Hitter – The Quantum Leap to Junior X30
Images: Stu Stretton Media
Words: Jake Sanson, Racing Voice PR
Norfolk’s latest top young racing driver Macie Hitter has made a strong start to her 2020 season by making the mammoth jump from Honda Cadet racing to Junior X30, one of the most exciting and competitive classes in the sport which even the best racing drivers in the world regularly return to, including George Russell, Lando Norris and BTCC champion Ash Sutton. So where did it all start for Macie?
“My dad used to race bikes and my cousin used to race karts and said to me ‘Why don’t you come and have a try?’ So we tried it and I loved it immediately.
“I started with motocross, but I had a lot of crashes (which happens in motocross!) so Dad suggested we switch to karting. I’ve been doing it for about 4 years now and last year felt like our first proper year!”
It’s quite a challenge for any racing driver to jump from a Cadet category straight into a Junior class in the modern era, so why has Macie elected to do so?
“We decided to switch straight to Junior X30 from Honda Cadet this year because of my height, and we all felt the Mini class would be a bit of a wasted season for me,” she explains. “There are larger grids, and the class is much more competitive. I find I’m pushing myself so much harder than ever before.”
Of course, being in motorsport as a female driver it is inevitable that the age-old question of gender equality comes up, so what is Macie’s feelings about being a woman in karting?
“I think it is harder to be a girl, and race,” she tells us. “But my attitude is to treat every driver the same when you’re on track. You’re not friends when the visor goes down, and your only task is to make your way to the front.
“I’m also one of the youngest in my category, but I don’t really care about that. Once your helmet is on and your hands are on the wheel, excellence knows no age!
“Fortunately I do find it very easy to make friends with people in the paddock though, we’re all quite like-minded in that way. We like the same things and are developing in the same way, and I’m quite a social person which does actually help me be more accepted.”
Last season, Macie was not only the top female kart racer at Kimbolton’s club series but was also vice champion in the Honda Cadet category for the 2019 campaign. For the 2020 season, Macie has switched to the very successful Coles Racing team, which has seen major success over the years both here in the UK and in Europe.
