Mitchell DeJong (born September 15, 1997) ^[1] is an American professional racing driver, stunt driver and Esports athlete competing in multiple disciplines, including rallycross, ice racing, road course, off-road, dirt, and oval track racing. He also travels the world as an Esports champion and competitor of invite-only events held by top manufacturers such as BMW ^[2] and Porsche. ^{[3] [4]} deJong is known for his dominant road course racing style in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing series, ^{[5] [6] [7]} the Porsche Esports Supercup, ^{[8] [9]} and iRacing F1 Championship. deJong holds world records and championship titles in multiple disciplines, including X-Games. He was invited by Porsche to participate in their young driver academy ^[10] and in 2020 he became a Porsche Factory Works Driver. ^{[11] [12] [13] [14]}

Early life and career

DeJong was born in Laguna Hills. He grew up in Southern California and 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. 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 in a Super buggy as well as Rookie of the Year. In 2013, he got his debut at rallycross racing, by competing in the Global RallyCross Championship and X Games where he won the silver medal in his 1st attempt. ^{[15] [16] [17]} 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. ^[18] In 2017 his racing took him to Sweden and Norway where he became the first American driver to win the RallyX on Ice Championship ^[19] and a month later deJong was signing with Honda Racing as a Factory Honda driver in the Global rallycross series. ^{[20] [21]} In 2018, he was 1 in only 4 drivers in the world invited to participate in the Porsche Young Driver Academy, ^[22] 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. ^[23]

Racing career

At an age when most kids were pushing toy cars across the carpet pretending to be race car drivers, Mitchell deJong was winning race championships. ^{[24] [25]} Racing since the age of five, he won his first two championships -- in two different disciplines -- in the same year.

In 2011, he attracted the attention of Red Bull Energy Drink and became their youngest 4-wheeled driver in the world. ^{[26] [27]} What followed was a landslide of championship titles and X-Games medals. ^[28] Over the course of the next ten years, the deJong household revolved around one thing: racing.

deJong's racing accolades have come in all shapes and sizes, from go-karts to off-road to short course modified trucks ^[29] to Legend cars, pro-buggy’s, and rallycross cars, ^[30] and have pitted him against drivers twice his age. He was also amassing an impressive record on iRacing. At the end of 2013, deJong competed in his first full iRacing season, racing in the Grand Am Sports Car Series, he won the championship. He immediately went on to race the Daytona 2.4 in the Daytona Prototype back before there were driver swaps, and he managed to win all 3 of 3.

In 2014 while deJong was real-world racing in rallycross, he wanted to compete for (an iRacing) Pro License as well. He was able to win the championships in The Global Rallycross Series and the iRacing Grand Prix Series that year. He went on to win round three of the 2015 iRacing World Championship Grand Prix Series at Sebring. Starting from pole position, he led 40 of 52 laps in route to a 7.8 second victory. The win was all the more impressive given that Sebring was just deJong's sixth iRacing World Championship GP Series event. It came just after a trio of starts that saw him earn a pair of top-five finishes after capturing the Pro Road Series title with nine wins in 10 starts. deJong's performance allowed him to join the ranks of iRacing World Champions at just his sixth start, and he continued to earn more titles year after year.

DeJong says his sim racing has been a useful training tool for his real-world racing. For example, at the start of his rallycross season, it had been 6-7 months since deJong had been in a real race car; the only driving he had been doing was on iRacing. He then traveled to Lydden Hill Race Circuit in England to compete in one of the largest and most well-known rallycross events in the FIA World Rallycross Championship. With no real rallycross driving practice, deJong's goal was to prepare for the upcoming X-Games rallycross event he had been invited to compete in as the youngest ever to compete in a 4-wheeled event. His goal was to learn what he could from the veteran racers in Europe, but he ended up winning the whole event. ^[31]

His fast, fluid, and controlled racing style has translated into overwhelming success. But for a driver who knew at age three that he wanted to be a professional racer, competing in the pro classes at a young age was just another challenge that he tackled with the tenacity and skill he used to attack a race course.

In 2017, deJong became a factory Honda driver ^[32] and joined Olsbergs MSE for a season of ice racing in Sweden and Norway with no prior experience driving in snow or ice in any vehicle. But deJong proved that he was up for the challenge, when he brought home the Rallyx on Ice championship title ^{[33] [34] [35] [36]}

Personal life

In 2022 deJong competed in his first triathlon in the Netherlands and in 2023 he competed in his first Ironman triathlon.

Racing record

Career summary

Career achievements

• 2009, 2010, Apex Open Go Kart Champion.
• 2009, 2010, 2011 Off-Road Modified Kart Champion.
• 2012 Super Buggy Champion.
• 2013 X Games Silver Medal Toyota Speedway, Irwindale, CA.
• 2014 X Games Gold Medal Austin, Texas.
• 2014 Global Rallycross Champion.
• 2017 Global Rallycross Supercars - Rookie of the year.

Red Bull's Global Rallycross Championship

2014 deJong became the first American to win the Global Rallycross Championship in the new supercar lite's class and the youngest to compete.

2017 deJong moved into rallycross supercars as a Honda Factory driver ^[39] and finished third in Red Bull's Global Rallycross Championship receiving Rookie Of The Year honors. ^[40]

iRacing esports racing

2013 Grand Am Sports Car Series Champion.

2013 Daytona 2.4 Prototype Champion.

2014 iRacing Grand Prix Serie Champion.

2017 ^[41] to 2019, he finished the VRS GT iRacing World Championship ranking in the top three. ^[42]

2018, he finished second in the iRacing World Championship Grand Prix Series to Martin Kronke, ^[43] and won the iRacing Rallycross World Championship. ^[42]

2020, he sealed the IRX title before the last race of the season. https://rallycrossworld.com/2020/05/13/rallycross-world-7-days-in-rallycross-13-05-20/

2021, he ranked third in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, behind the champion Keegan Leahy and runner-up Logan Clampitt. ^[44]

See also

• Bucky Lasek
• Scott Speed
• Tanner Foust

References

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