First-generation race car driver James Monolo loves going fast and having fun. As he becomes a better driver and improves his race craft, he has the goal of winning a race at Charlotte Motor Speedway's oval, and hopes to achieve this in 2025!
Hometown: Beaverdam, Virginia
Number: 04
Division: Outlaw
Team: AK Performance / Pope Motorsports
1. How did you get your start in racing?
We won free tickets to a race at Dominion Raceway, and we went. There was a track meet and greet, and we talked to Mike Gwaltney, who sold us a used car, and we started racing at Dominion.
2. How did you pick the number 04?
I was just looking around for stuff, and I wanted to be number 4 at first. I looked, and my dad has a dump truck company, and number 04 is on one of his trucks, so we took the number off of one of his trucks.
3. Who is your biggest inspiration?
Pretty much my dad. He encourages me when I'm racing. When I don’t do good, he tells me how he can help me, even though we just started with this, and he’s never done this before.
4. What is your favorite racing memory?
The first time I’ve ever went to Charlotte Motor Speedway. I love the road course, and I went down to the Dominion [Raceway] road course once to try it out, and it was super fun. So, when we went down to Charlotte, it was essentially the Dominion road course, but we had more cars, and it was just really fun racing.
5. How do you get focused before a race?
I kinda just watch the other races, it helps me not think about my race. I’ll pick a car that I like the paint scheme of and root for that car or my friends.
6. What is your favorite track (and why)?
My favorite road course is the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course, and my favorite oval is Florence Motor Speedway. I like Charlotte’s road course because it's a lot of uphills, downhills and fast corners and slow corners. It's a little bit of everything, so I feel like it's a good show of talent down there. I like Florence Motor Speedway because it's how fast you are going down there, and you get the same feeling like you would if you were to go to the Charlotte oval.
7. Who is your favorite race car driver?
Kyle Busch.
8. What makes racing a Bandolero fun?
It’s just the speed and adrenaline to me. I really like going really fast and turning the steering wheel. Just driving anything, and it’s really competitive.
9. What is the biggest lesson you have learned while driving a Bandolero?
Don’t focus on finishing well. Just go out there and have fun. If you get too focused on finishing well, you’re not really worried about what's going on around you, you are just worried about pushing the car harder and harder. Sometimes, that is not always faster.
10. Is there somewhere you would like to vacation or visit one day
I would like to go to Daytona Beach and watch the Daytona 500.
11. If you could be in any movie, which movie would you pick?
Grand Turismo because they get to drive really cool cars, and you get to drive on a fast, famous track.
12. How do people react when you tell them you are a racecar driver?
Most people are surprised, but I don’t tell many people. I mostly tell my close friends, and most of my close friends have known me long enough not to be surprised.
13. What are your 2025 goals?
Get a win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. I really wanna win on the oval, and hopefully we’ll be able to do that this year, and I want to get another win on the Dominion road course because it was really fun. They'll be running more events in the fall, and hopefully we can get another one down there.