"I want to take this as far as I can," Tonchuk said. "I love it.  "The biggest thing right now is to continue to gain experience and to get my name out there. I would love to get in one of the driver development programs and continue to move up the ladder."

Tonchuk really wasn't a racing fan until her father, Paul, turned her onto the sport. Paul Tonchuk was a huge fan of the NFL's Washington Redskins, and when then Redskins coach Joe Gibbs got into racing as an owner, he became a fan as well.

Even today, father and daughter are big fans of Bobby Labonte, one of the original drivers in the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. Labonte drove for Gibbs for 11 seasons, posting all 21 of his career victories in the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet. Tonchuk may have been happy just watching, except for what happened while she was at a go-kart race in Orlando at the age of 9.

When the winner of the race took off her helmet, Tonchuk realized it was a girl. "I knew right then I wanted to race," Tonchuk said.

Tonchuk got the racing bug right away, racing karts on the dirt in Orlando. Racing at Ocala Raceway, Lakeland Raceway, Dirt Devils Raceway and Port St. Lucie Speedway followed and she was crowned East Orange County Raceway's 1999 Go Kart Jr. Restricted Track Champion. In May 1999, Tonchuk started racing her Ford Escort in the Junior Division 4-cylinder bombers at Orange County Raceway. She moved up to mini stocks at Orlando Speedworld in 2003 and stayed in that division for two-plus seasons.

"I wanted to go faster," she said. She entered her first Late Model race in March at New Smyrna Speedway, starting from the back of the pack. She had intended to only practice the car but instead finished sixth overall in the seven-car field. "It was an awesome feeling," she said. "It was a lot faster than I had been driving. That first night the main thing I wanted to accomplish was to earn the respect of the other drivers." Tonchuk knew it wasn't going to be easy, not only being a rookie, but also a female.

"I know it's a male-dominated sport," she said. "That definitely doesn't make it easy. You know a lot of guys have a hard time being beaten by a girl. After that first night, I feel like I earned a lot of respect. I talked to several of the other drivers and they told me I drove awesome and I drove a clean race." Tonchuk surprised even herself when in only her third race in Late Models, she picked up her first victory.

"I was pretty shocked," she said. "I don't know if I've ever had a better feeling than I when I saw that checkered flag." Tonchuk not only drives but also works on her own cars. She demonstrated that ability as a student at Colonial High School. "Mandi overcame a lot," said Dominick Saffioti, an instructor at Colonial's Automotive Academy.

"Being a girl in a primarily male class, she had to gain the respect and admiration of all her classmates. If they had troubles with a task, they got Mandi to help. "She showed me and my students that this is not just a male industry. Females can do the job and do it quite well."

Tonchuk's first-year in Late Models has had a few bumps along the way. The night of her first victory in the Late Model heat race, she came back in the feature race and hit the wall in turn three. She missed the next three weeks getting the car back in top shape. She finished seventh out of nine cars in her first night back - May 5 - then came back the following week with a fifth-place finish in a strong 13-car field.

She finished the season 3rd in championship points and was awarded "Rookie of the Year".

Tonchuk's sponsors include Rob Goderis & Sons, Builders of Fine Custom Homes, Jeepers Den and Jesse Solum from Amsoil.

"I don't know where this is going to take me," she said. "But I do know I want to make a career out of it. I know I have the ability. I just need the experience.

"Who knows, maybe one day I'll be one of the few females to ever race in the NEXTEL Cup Series."

BILL LUMPKIN - CORRESPONDENT
DAYTONA BEACH NEWS JOURNAL