Meet Mitch
In 2015, Mitch Thomas started racing in the Mini Wedge Division, proving to be almost immediately competitive in car racing. Thomas is now the 3rd generation in his family to race on the dirt track; it is in his blood to race.
Initially, Thomas raced Mini Wedges for two years, where he won numerous races at Elkins Raceway. It wasn't long before he wanted to move up to the Modified Division.
In 2017, with the go-ahead from Elkins Raceway, the family thought Thomas would have the summer to gain some track time and learn his car. Well, they were wrong! By the end of the year, Thomas was presented the 2017 Elkins Raceway Rookie of the Year award.
Thomas showed that he was picking things up quickly and was ready to be competitive in the Modified Division at the age of 11 years old.
Continuing to gain more experience on the track paid off in 2018, as Thomas received a special invitation from Carl Short to race at the Dirt Track World Championship held in Ohio every year in October.
Unfortunately, an accident outside of racing took Mitch out of the driver's seat for a few weeks, putting him on the sidelines of the Dirt Track World Championship. But that didn't stop the accomplishments for the end of the 2018 racing year. Thomas received the 2018 AMRA Rookie of the Year and placed 4th overall in the AMRA Racing Series, at 12 years old.
At just 13 years old, Thomas walked away with a 2nd place finish from a popular race called "Let it Ride 55." Overall, in 2019 Thomas ended up placing 7th out of 21 drivers in the DIRTcar UMP Modified East Region Division and 102nd nationally out of 1,737 drivers. Thomas traveled that year and competed in 34 plus races, had 3 FEATURE WINS, and many top 10 placements at other tracks.
Geared up and ready to go further in 2020, Thomas had his goals outlined and was ready to start racing. However, 2020 proved to be a tough year of dirt car racing, as it wasn't able to dodge the effects of COVID restrictions.
Even with races canceled and extra restrictions to the pits and fans, Thomas came out on top by continually keeping his car on the track and rearranging his schedule as the season went on.
Thomas was able to race 27 plus times and park his car out front 8 times for a FEATURE WIN. He finished 5th out of 216 drivers in the DIRTcar UMP Modified East Region Division and 69th nationally out of 1,499 drivers.
Thomas kicked off the 2021 year in Florida at Volusia Speedway Park in February and then it was off to Bristol, TN - March 15th-20th. Thomas showed he had what it took to be on the track competitively by making the MAIN feature race that took place on Saturday night.
In May, Thomas and his team geared back up and were ready to get back on the track.
Thomas raced Elkins Speedway and Roaring Knob during the spring and summer. Thomas finished all races in the top 5, which was a HUGE success for Thomas and his team.
2021 was a year full of challenges for Thomas and his team. Many mechanical issues took place.
Thomas STILL managed to keep faith and finish most feature races with top 5 finishes.
In June 2021, Thomas picked up a new "hobby" farming. Thomas decided to start planting crops and selling them to put the money towards racing. Something everyone should know is Thomas is a very hard worker.
In September 2021, luck started to finally come Thomas's way. Thomas picked up his FIRST feature win of the season at Roaring Knob. The good luck followed and Thomas picked up a second feature win at Bedford Speedway for the DJ Troutman Memorial.
Following the second feature win, Thomas parked it in victory lane for the Small Car Nationals. This was a HUGE success for the Thomas Racing Team.
In October, Thomas successfully raced his way into both features at Charlotte Motor Speedway and completed both feature races.
Thomas ended the year traveling to Springfield, Illinois, for the 36th Annual DIRTcar Banquet. He received awards for placing nationally 36th out of 1,847, Eastern 8th out of 260, and Appalachia 9th out of 293.
At just 16 years old, Thomas was accomplishing great successes.
March 2022 - Bristol Motor Speedway. Thomas started 6th and finished 2nd in his heat race. He finished 4th overall the first night of racing. Thomas finished 5th in the main feature event.
In April, Thomas parked it in victory lane at Roaring Knob for his first feature win of 2022.
Thomas was feeling more confident about the 2022 racing season!
May was a great month; Thomas won two feature wins in ONE night. During the second feature, Thomas started 6th, on lap 3 hit the wall and went to 17th, then raced his way back to FIRST place. What a great accomplishment.
During the summer months, Thomas and his team raced at more local tracks, picking up more wins.
In November, Thomas headed to the Gateway Dirt Nationals. Thomas raced his way into the main feature at the Dome, starting 5th and finishing 3rd.
Thomas ended the 2022 season feeling more confident and thankful for a year of great accomplishments.
2023 has been the year of growth and success!!!
Thomas started the 2023 season off by traveling to Volusia Speedway in Florida! The team had a very successful week, parking the 97 in victory lane! Thomas won his first-ever GATOR!
The team traveled back home and continued racing at local tracks including Winchester Speedway and Bedford, bringing home first-place finishes!
At the beginning of April, Thomas was sitting 1st in National points!
We all knew the day would come... Well, 2023 was the year Thomas and his team made it home. Thomas parked his first EVER late model win! It was only his second night out in the car.
Thomas has continued racing his dirt modified and late model through this year. Mitch and his team are so thankful for the success they have accomplished this 2023 race season!
2024 started off very successfully for Mitch and his team. Mitch attended the 2024 DIRTcar Racing Banquet, receiving three awards. He was ranked and received awards for placing 8th in the Appalachia Region, 10th in the East Region, and 17th Nationally! This was a great success for Thomas and his team.
On February 6th, 2024, Thomas won his first modified race of the year. This was a HUGE success. Thomas picked up his first win of the year at Volusia Speedway Park during the 53rd annual DIRTcar Nationals.
Thomas got to bring home his second golden gator from the Sunshine State.
Thomas and his team will travel this year with his modified and late model.
March was a busy month for Mitch, with numerous races at Winchester Speedway. His hard work paid off with a win and several strong finishes. April brought excitement as Mitch tested with Lee Faulk Racing and Toyota Development, furthering his career in motorsports. He also competed in the prestigious 43rd Dirt Track World Championship at Eldora Speedway. Despite a broken motor during qualifying, Mitch pushed through and finished the night in his backup car.
In May, Mitch competed at Raceway 7, where he finished 3rd in the feature race. The month also saw victories at Elkins and Roaring Knob. Another notable achievement was setting the fastest lap time at Pittsburgh Motor Speedway. June marked a significant milestone as Mitch graduated from high school and embarked on a new chapter of his life. He launched his own business, Mitch Thomas Motorsports, providing high-quality racing parts at unbeatable prices.
June also proved to be a successful month on the track, with more wins at Elkins and Roaring Knob. Despite balancing his racing career with helping run his family’s businesses, Mitch continued to make an impact on the local racing scene. As the month came to a close, Mitch embarked on a racing tour out West. His first stop was at Macon Speedway in Illinois, where he placed 8th in the feature race. At Farmer City, Mitch made an impressive climb from 20th to 10th before mechanical issues forced him out of the race. He went on to place 6th at Fairbury Speedway and 4th at Red Hill Speedway before returning home to Garrett County.
However, Mitch’s racing career was unexpectedly put on hold upon his return. On July 1st, Mitch was admitted to the hospital with blood clots, undergoing two surgeries. Doctors advised him to step away from racing for several months while he heals.
Mitch is currently on the road to recovery, and while his racing has paused, his determination remains strong. If you're reading this, please keep Mitch in your thoughts and prayers as he continues his healing journey.
