Team Dirt Dog Driver Claims 2013 OCRS Sprint Championships & Targets ASCS Short Track Nationals Tonight
Colcord, OK | Oct. 24, 2013 - Many of you probably know that Donnie Ray Crawford saved Harli White’s life in her very first race in 2008. Sadly, October 9th would have been Donnie Ray Crawford's 26th birthday had he not been killed tragically in a domestic dispute on January 14, 2012. Donnie Ray is undeniably Harli's guardian angel and on October 4th this year, Harli, her team and family honored Crawford with an early birthday present by becoming not only the first ever female champion of the Oil Capital Racing Series but the first female sprint car driver to achieve such a feat in any sanctioning series within the entire plains region.
Harli's first career-start was in micro-sprint racing in April of 2008, and was almost her last. In that first ever race, the young rookie's car flipped, landing on its side with Harli trapped inside. Unable to escape her harness, White was pinned in the seat when the car exploded into flames. Without knowing Harli, but realizing something was horribly wrong, fellow racer Donnie Ray Crawford pulled Harli from the burning wreck. She is alive because of Donnie Ray but sustained third degree burns across 50% of her body, leaving permanent scars. White spent 21 days at Shriner's Hospital for Children in Galveston, TX where she would undergo several skin-graft surgeries to heal her burned body. But the 13-year old girl would not let the experience detour her dreams. While still in the hospital, Harli was already asking if her race car could be fixed, and wanted to return to racing as soon as her health would allow. Grateful for the second opportunity at her dream, she returned to micro racing in 2009, and continued up the ranks to sprint car racing.
This year, Harli and her team had one goal in mind; to win the OCRS season title. They did that and more! In a series that saw 88 drivers compete, she would claim seven OCRS feature wins and 18 top-tens in 22 events in 2013. They clinched BOTH the winged and Non-wing sprint championships at West Siloam Speedway in Oklahoma on Oct 4th. The attached photo shows their post race celebration that night when they sent 26 balloons up to Donnie Ray for his birthday.
“This is a dream come true,” said the new champion. “At the beginning of the year, we really didn’t expect to come out as good as we did, but after the first two wins (White won the first two races on the schedule), we thought we would go for the championship. I have been really blessed with my dad (Charlie) setting up the car really perfect for the whole season. I have to thank my sponsors: Jerry Tucker / Terraco Soil Farming / Crash Enterprises / All Star Cafe and Boyd Engines. I also have to thank my angel, Donnie Ray Crawford.”
Now that she has wrapped up her first championship, Harli will move onto the ASCS Short Track Nationals at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Arkansas. White will also welcome veteran crew chief Rob Hart to her team for this weekend and are hoping his expertise to help White at the marquee event.
"We are really excited to have Rob on board for the next few races." said White, "Rob has worked with a lot of young drivers and has the experience to really assist us to be a better team. I look forward to working and learning with him."
We are very excited and proud to announce that Harli White is now a member of Team Dirt Dog and look forward to more great results in 2014.
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