12-year-old kart driver Josiah Unaeze is touching new Heights of success. Josiah Unaeze’s talent for racing has caught the attention of leaders at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison. Josiah is from Belleville and was awarded the inaugural Ignite Scholarship as part of the track’s Raceway Gives Foundation formed to reach out to youths.
The youth driver also received an $8,000 scholarship to help launch his driving career in the Raceway Gives Ignite series locally and regionally. He hopes to race on the top levels of professional racing.
Josiah attends Belle Valley School in Belleville and races go-karts at the Gateway Kartplex at the World Wide Technology Raceway.
As part of the pre-race events for the Enjoy Illinois 300 race in the NASCAR Cup Series at World Wide Technology, Josiah received his scholarship, which will be used to pay for his family’s expenses for him to race at 11 sites in the St. Louis metro area.
Josiah is the only African American Driver competing in the Ignite series regionally & one of only a handful of African Americans nationwide in the development ladder of racing. Josiah says ” He is honored, humbled & appreciative to have been included as a role model I feel, & source of inspiration to others from a diverse background whether male or female.”
Josiah is following in the footsteps of the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Bubba Wallace just to name a few and his ultimate goal is to be world champion in NTT IndyCar or Formula 1.