From getting a late start in his racing career, to winning big at the Summer Shootout, Aiden Mcconnaughey never thought he would get the opportunity to race. Once his family moved to North Carolina that changed, and now his dreams are becoming a reality behind the wheel of a Legend Car.
Hometown: Westerville, Ohio
Division: Semi-Pro
Number: 71
Team: Three Sixteen Motorsports
1. How did you get into Racing?
I was into racing at a very young age. My dad took me to my first race when I was about six months old at the Columbus Motor Speedway. Growing up, I never really thought we would have the money or the opportunity to race, just because of where we lived and the situation we were in. But that started to change when I was fifteen. When I was sixteen, we moved from Ohio to North Carolina, and we decided we were going to give racing a try. Even at that point, we didn’t know anything about any kind of racing; we didn't even know what a Legend car was. So, we decided to look on Facebook Marketplace for cars that we could buy and see what classes there were, and that's how we bumped into Willie Ridenhour and Three Sixteen Motorsports through a listing of an old beater car. That was what we decided we were going to go with.
2. What is the most challenging part of driving a Legend Car?
I would say the most challenging part is learning car control and things along those lines. Most of the time, when you step into a Legend Car, they are very tricky to drive. Normally, the people already driving Legend Cars have had several years of experience karting or racing Bandoleros beforehand. At 16 years old, I’d never even driven a streetcar before. It was tricky to learn throttle control and just keep the car under you in general, but once I got that figured out, things got a little easier.
3. What's your mental preparation before at race?
I know a lot of drivers have some sort of crazy ritual, but if I had to be honest, I have absolutely nothing. I wake up the day of the race, try to eat as healthy as I can, and drink as much water as I can. At most, I take some stress naps at the track when I'm not mentally ready.
4. What inspired you to drive a Legend Car?
I really wanted to drive it for the sake of getting into anything. I thought I would never get to race at all, so anything was cool with me. Looking at them, I thought they would be a good car to learn in, a very good car to develop in, and one of the cheapest options out there. So, really, it was those factors and not having any other options.
5. What has been your favorite moment racing?
It would be my first track championship at New River All-American Speedway in 2023, or my first Summer Shootout win in Round 7 in 2024.
6. Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
It would have to be my dad. He’s always been there since the beginning. He took me to my first race at six months old, and it was something that he was into when he was a kid as well.
7. What do you enjoy the most about racing a Legend Car?
Having the ability to get out on a race track and be competitive and have a good time. At the end of the day, it’s something I love to do, just racing hard for the passion of the sport.
8. What's your ultimate goal in motorsport?
To race in the Daytona 500.
9. What did winning the Summer Shootout in 2024 mean to you?
Getting that win at the Shootout was really special not only for me but for everyone at Three Sixteen Motorsports because that was the first win in that series for us as an organization. I knew that our team owner (Will) had been chasing one of those for a long time, so it was really special to finally get one.
10. Do you have any other hobbies outside of Legends?
I’ve been running track and field in some capacity since I was five years old. I also enjoy mountain biking. I just enjoy being outdoors in general.
11. If you could move to any state, where would you go?
I would stay in North Carolina because North Carolina is the center of America’s motorsports, and the general racing infrastructure here is the strongest out of any state in the country. If I had somewhere particular to move in the state, I would choose to move into downtown Charlotte.