Elijah Gile, 14, Joins Xtreme Outlaw Midget Roster

Elijah Gile (Jacy Norgaard photo)

CONCORD, N.C. – The wave of youth in national midget racing continues to sweep through the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota.

Announced Thursday, 14-year-old Elijah Gile has joined the list of championship chasers with the tour this season.

Gile, of Phoenix, Ariz., has been a presence in the micro sprint ranks for the past two years and will take on the biggest challenge of his career this year, piloting the Racecraft-sponsored Spike/Stanton No. 13 midget for all 30 races on the Xtreme Outlaw schedule.

“I’ll give it my all, and I feel like we’ll have a really good year,” Gile said. “I’m excited to run with them. I’m glad I have this opportunity and can’t wait for the races coming up.”

Elijah will hit the road with his father, Dennis Gile, sporting the colors of Dennis’ newly founded motorsports coaching brand Racecraft.

The young Elijah was one of the first students of the program – which pairs young drivers with an experienced professional for one-on-one, at-track coaching – and received his first lessons with World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series driver Logan Schuchart during the Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout at Volusia Speedway Park in January.

“We didn’t make the A-Main the first night, but we for sure improved the second night,” Elijah said. “We got faster in qualifying; we did a little bit better in the heat race, we made the A-main. We got laps under our belt, and it was just a good week; a lot of learning.”

Elijah also has plans to contest several dates with the American Sprint Car Series, which World Racing Group recently acquired, in addition to the Xtreme Outlaw Midget schedule.

He posted his best career finish on the national scene during the Xtreme Outlaw finale last October at I-44 Riverside Speedway, starting 21st on the grid and advancing to 10th by the checkered flag.

“I got into the A-main, got some laps down and got a top 10,” Gile said. “We were racing with Daison Pursley, throwing slide-jobs. I was just trying to get around the pack to get up front. That boosted my confidence, and that’s what I can hope we do this year to get a championship.”

Now, the young Arizonan turns his attention to the regular season, where he’ll encounter several tracks he’s yet to race at. The younger Gile is ready for the challenge of racing against some of the best drivers the national Midget circuit has to offer each night.

Above all, however, he’s looking to learn as he navigates his most hectic season so far.

“Just go out there, have fun, and if we have our downs, we can get it next time,” Gile said. “Pass as many cars as we can, get the best finishing spots. Every race, just be confident and tell yourself you’re good enough to race with these guys, you’ve proved it before, and see what we can do from there.”

Elijah Gile begins his season with the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota during the March 15-16 season-opening weekend, inside the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, Ill.

Tickets will be on sale at the gate on race day, but for those unable to attend in person, every lap of the event can be streamed live on DIRTvision.