Mitchell deJong | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 15, 1997 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Race car driver, esports athlete |
| Years active | 2010—present |
Mitchell DeJong (born September 15, 1997)[1] is an American professional race car driver and esports athlete competing in multiple disciplines, including Nitro Rallycross, and the eNASCAR iRacing series for NASCAR 23XI Racing Team.[2] He has many wins with the 23XI Racing team.[3] Mitchell DeJong then became a Porsche Factory Works Driver[4][5] in 2020.
DeJong was born in Laguna Hills. He grew up in Southern California. He started riding ATVs in 2000. In 2002, he started racing go-karts. He started racing off-road trucks when he was ten, with the CORR Series and the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS). In 2011 He captured the attention of Red Bull Energy Drink and became the youngest athlete in their arsenal. In 2012, when DeJong was 14, he traveled to the Midwest to compete in the Traxxas TORC Off-Road Racing Championship, where he competed against professional racers twice his age. He won the Traxxas TORC Championship title as well as Rookie of the Year. In 2013, he got his debut at rallycross racing, by competing in the Global Rallycross Championship Series and X Games where he won the silver medal in his 1st attempt.[6] DeJong won the Gold medal in the X Games' Austin 2014 Rallycross Event, becoming the youngest to ever win the GOLD in a four-wheeled motorsports event.[7]
In 2018, he was 1 in only 4 drivers in the world invited to participate in the Porsche Young Driver Academy, where they choose the top young talented drivers and put them through a series of challenges that includes: driving in adverse situations, automotive technology, sports psychology, media and nutrition.[8]
2009, 2010, Go Kart Champion coached by Dave Dimond of Apex Karting. 2009, 2010, 2011 Off-Road Modified Kart Champion. 2012 Super Buggy Champion. X Games 2013 Toyota Speedway, Irwindale, CA. Silver Medal winner. X Games 2014 Gold Medal winner.
| Edition | Event | Performance | Rank | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X Games Austin 2014[9][10] | RallyCross Lites | 5:22.019 | 1st | Gold |
In 2017, he moved into rallycross supercars as a Honda Factory driver and finished third in Red Bull's Global Rallycross Championship and received Rookie Of The Year honors.[11]
In 2021, he ranked third in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, behind the champion Keegan Leahy and runner-up Logan Clampitt.[12]
In 2018, he finished second in the iRacing World Championship Grand Prix Series to Martin Kronke,[13] and won the iRacing Rallycross World Championship.[14]
From 2017[15] to 2019, he finished the VRS GT iRacing World Championship ranking in the top three.[14]