BETHEL, NY – Fans at Bethel Motor Speedway have become accustomed to the sight of 20-year-old Kimberlee Morgan strapping on her racing helmet each Saturday, as the Lake Ariel, PA resident has become a regular competitor in the track’s headline dirt Sportsman class at the quarter-mile asphalt oval.

 

This coming Saturday, however, Morgan hopes to trade her helmet for a different type of headwear as she competes for the prestigious title of “Ms. Motorsports” during the Motorsports 2012 show in Oaks, PA.

 

It will be Morgan’s second year taking part in the pageant.

 

“I think I am better prepared this year, because I know what to expect after doing it last year,” Morgan commented. “I think it makes it a little easier knowing exactly what you’re going into.”

 

Morgan already has her share of titles – she was named Ms. Rockland County Motorsports Show last March, and she was also Ms. LegendStock 2010 at Bethel Motor Speedway the previous year.

 

But Morgan also has a confidence that very few contestants possess – she has experience behind the wheel of a race car, making her more well-versed in racing than most, which is sure to complement her pageant experience.

 

“I’ve experienced the racer’s point of view, the fan’s point of view, and the pageant point of view,” she said. “I think the combination of experiences will make me more confident going into the pageant.”

 

Morgan will represent Morgan Racing in the pageant, a two-car Sportsman team that fields cars for both herself and her father, Greg Morgan. The elder Morgan finished second in points at Bethel in both 2009 and 2010, and he closed out the 2011 season fourth in points.

 

Both father and daughter plan to compete at Bethel again in the 2012 season – undoubtedly with the elder Morgan’s eye on the championship and the younger Morgan’s eye on her first win.

 

This week, however, she will be content with a win in the Ms. Motorsports pageant.

Photo attached: Kimberlee Morgan normally wears a racing helmet on Saturday nights; this coming Saturday, she hopes to wear a crown instead.

Photo credit: Lisa Andresen