Mackenzie Deitz Repin would race just about anything, but Figure 8 racing is where her heart lies.
The third-generation driver from Lake Stevens, Washington comes from a long line of Figure 8 racers. Her grandfather, Vern, and uncle were both champions, and she’s one of nine drivers in her family currently competing.
“It’s definitely a family affair,” Repin said. “Our family has very deep roots in Figure 8 racing. That’s where a lot of our family roots are and so that’s what I wanted to try and accomplish. I’m open to any sort of racing, that’s just what’s in my blood.”
As a way to honor the legacy of Figure 8 racing in the northwest, Repin’s car this season at Evergreen Speedway has a new wrap with the names of every past champion in the division at the NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts track in Monroe, Washington.
The wrap, Repin said, was a way to “pay tribute to the history and to all the incredible talent there has been and is still around and still racing.”
One of those names is Repin’s. She won her first championship in the Super Stock Figure 8 division at Evergreen last season, and in doing so became the first female champion in that division at the track.
Even though she’s always had the bug to race, Repin got a later start in the sport than many of her competitors. Nine years ago, her grandfather and uncle had cars that were collecting dust, so her uncle let her try her hand in one. She ran a partial schedule in her first year, and said “We did OK. We stayed out of trouble for the most part.”
The next year, she moved into her grandfather’s car.
“He was like, ‘Let’s see how you do. That car’s been around for a while. A lot of people have driven it and have won in it,’” she said.
She kept racing and climbing the ranks, seeing improvement every year, which only made her want to keep competing.
The team did well in 2024, winning the first two races, and then three more before the season was done. But motor issues and a couple DNFs put them behind, and the team finished third in the final standings. Even though there were some disappointments, Repin said the strong year gave them confidence heading into 2025.
“We were confident that we had the ability to do it,” she said. “We just really needed to focus on preparing in the shop before every race, going through the car, making sure that it was set to go, and then just being smart on the track, making good decisions, being patient when needing to be patient and being aggressive when it allowed. So, last year I think what really lined up for us was just the consistency.”
Helping in her corner was Repin’s husband, Jake, a two-time track champion who now serves as her crew chief. The two actually met at the race track.
“My husband, first and foremost, he’s really the backbone of our team,” she said. “He has a lot of knowledge and he knows what it’s like to have that pressure on the line trying to go for a championship and trying to prepare and get everything ready for that. So it was really nice to have him in my corner and supporting me that the entire season.
“There’s quite a few that help us out. I really couldn’t do it without the support of my team.”
Repin didn’t have as many wins last season as she did in 2024, but she did finish every race, which was crucial. After finishing on the podium in 11 of 12 races, Repin won the track championship by 38 points.
“To be honest, it felt so surreal,” she said. “Winning the track championship has always been a dream since I started racing nine years ago… And having a family line of champions, thinking about it is a little overwhelming because you want to do well and show that you have the capabilities as well, but it puts a lot on your plate. So, just being able to win that championship, it meant so much for myself.”
While she says she’s never been a points racer, about midway through the season someone told her she also had a shot at winning the NASCAR West Region Division IV championship, which convinced her and the team to really go for another title. To get a few more races and collect points, the team twice traveled eight hours to Coos Bay Speedway in Oregon to compete in the track’s Hornet division. The issue – Coos Bay is a dirt track, and Repin had never raced on dirt before.
“It was different,” Repin said with a laugh. “Definitely different. It’s a completely different feeling.”
In her first practice at Coos Bay, Repin was the slowest car.
“I came back in and my husband/crew chief was like, ‘Babe, you’re pretty slow. You need to pick it up,’” she said.
After getting some pointers from those around her, Repin was third out of 11 cars after qualifying, and she finished third in both of her races at the track, something she said wouldn’t have been possible without her team and competition.
“It’s just taking the input that I get from my team and from my husband,” she said. “There were other racers out there that were giving us some feedback and helping, too, so it was just a team effort being able to do that because I would not have known what to do without the feedback of everybody else.”
At the end of the season, Repin’s success at both tracks was enough to clinch the NASCAR West Region Division IV championship.
“It was pretty surreal,” she said. “Even attempting to try and win it wasn’t even in our playbook for the year.”
Repin is hopeful her championship inspires the next generation of racers, and there’s one in her family who is catching on. Her daughter, Trinity, competes in Evergreen’s Hornet division, and has a second and third place finish so far this season.
“Just being able to watch her grow and learn and get more confident in herself and her capabilities has just been such a pleasure to watch,” Repin said. “It’s been pretty incredible watching her get comfortable and confident in herself and go out there with 30 cars.”
So far in 2026, Repin is third in the Super Stock Figure 8 points at Evergreen, just three points behind first.
Just like last year, she said consistency will be key this summer if she wants to compete for a second title.
“My husband and I always say that to win a championship, it’s done in the garage,” she said. “You need to make sure that your car and your equipment is ready to go every race. You don’t want to have a DNF because of something silly like you forgot to nut a bolt on the car. So we’re always in the shop each week working on it.
“We’re ready to try and win another championship. We’re excited. We’re optimistic. We have worked so hard in the offseason and through last year that we really want to try and back it up, but it’s going to take a lot of time and effort and consistency to try and get there. We’ve had an OK start so far this season, so we’re just optimistic trying to get ready for this year.”
Repin will be racing with a family legacy in the history books, and a Figure 8 legacy written right on her car. And she has immense pride in being part of all of it.
“I wish I would have started earlier in life, but it just didn’t work out that way, and so now I’m just trying to take advantage of the time that I have doing it now,” she said.
“This whole experience has just been super surreal. It’s been such a blast being able to do this and getting people interested in Figure 8. Introducing it to more people I think is really important. I just hope that it inspires the next generation and others to get into this sport. It’s for anybody willing to put in the work, and hopefully there’s more people that join. Especially to the young females and ladies that want to but don’t think they can, they absolutely can. I hope it just encourages more ladies, young ladies, all ladies, to get in and try it because you don’t know until you do.”
Racing will return to Evergreen Speedway this Saturday for Busch Light Military Appreciation Night Presented by Good Guys Heating Air & Electrical.
Matt Hirschman fans have many reasons to be excited about Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Seekonk Speedway.