Saying 10-year-old Austin Steinke was born to drive would not be an understatement.
"On my second birthday, there was this bouncy castle in my cul-de-sac," Austin recalled. "I got bored with it, and I told my parents to get out Herbie, and I was driving it around."
Herbie was a miniature version of the iconic Love Bug that served as Austin's first foray into racing. Since then, he's kept his eyes on the road and foot pressed firmly on the gas pedal.
"My first couple races [in a Legend car], I was on a road course and I think my max speed was like 145," Austin said while wearing a black t-shirt that reads "send it" and exuding a swagger that can only be described as a mix between Dale Earnhardt and Ricky Bobby.
Naturally, I asked, "145 what?"
"Miles per hour," said Steinke, with a grin.
His parents, Melissa and Kevin, fully support Austin's drive to thrive — even if Mom sometimes drops her phone in shock watching her son flip onto the roof of his racer. Yes, it's happened more than once.
“I say, 'Oh my gosh, why do we do this?'" Melissa Steinke said. "He and I have a thing when he does wreck, we do a thumbs up or a thumbs down. If he gives me a thumbs up, that means, 'Mom, you don't have to freak out. You don't need to run like a crazy person onto the track.' Thumbs down means, 'Mom runs like a crazy person onto the track.' Luckily, we haven't had any thumbs down yet."
This journey started for the Steinkes nine years before Austin was born.
“We went through nine years of infertility before Austin was born," Melissa said. "On our 13th wedding anniversary, his birth mom came to my hospital, and I got to be there, not knowing he was going to be my baby that day. How it worked out, it just felt right, and I knew this was the kid that was meant for our family.”
Melissa and Kevin had decided to adopt a child before Austin's birth mom, Kaylee, came into the hospital that day. At the time, Melissa was a labor and delivery nurse, working in the delivery room where Kaylee brought Austin into the world.
"His birth mom is our family," Melissa said. "She is welcome in our life anytime she wants to be there. It's so great for him to maintain that relationship and have her be a part of his life and know where he came from and be proud of where he came from."
Fast-forward 10 years, and Austin is blazing his own trail on the racetrack. He's one of the youngest Legend car drivers in the country, and the youngest to ever compete at Colorado National Speedway.
His exceptional talent and determination have put him in the spotlight, as he's currently in the lead for Rookie of the Year honors.
“He’s just a great kid," Melissa said. "I know I’m biased, being his mom, but he really is. He’s a leader on and off the track.”
His dad, Kevin, is a lifelong racing driver and instructor, growing Rocky Mountain Motorsports into an iconic Colorado racing brand. He's also helping Austin make his driving dreams a reality.
“It’s so much bigger than what you do on the track," Kevin said. "It’s how you interact with people, it’s public relations, it’s [being a] spokesperson [for yourself]. Obviously, he’s 10. He’s [learning] a lot of those things, we have to help him along those journeys.”
They're working on developing Austin's social media following because racing sponsors like to see your ability to captivate an audience. But when the business of racing feels rigid and stale, the Steinkes return to the heart of why they love racing: it's fun to go fast.
“You’re only supposed to go one way on the track," Austin said. "But me and my dad sometimes went out to the track with nobody there and went the opposite way or did figure-eights on the track.”
Someday, Austin hopes to be a professional race car driver. His top three destinations (in no particular order) are NASCAR, Formula One, and IndyCar. Anywhere he lands, his mom will be happy as long as her son continues chasing his dreams.
“I think even more than racing, I’m trying to raise a good human," Melissa said. "He's a good role model, and he's kind to younger kids. I hope he continues to grow and mature and be a good leader, and that he gets to do what he loves."
Austin will be racing all summer, running the entire season at Colorado National Speedway in the Legend Car Division.
