From Hobby to Calling: How a Kid Racer Led His Family to God

“His car just headed straight for the wall,” Cassie exclaimed.

Moments like this are the cost of chasing speed. One wrong move can end it all. So why would someone keep climbing back into the driver’s seat?

For Atley Wiese, the answer goes back to childhood—when the roar of engines and the thrill of the track first captured his heart.

At just nine years old, he asked his parents, Cassie and Dayton, if he could take up a new hobby: race car driving. They were surprised.

“We were really reluctant at first because we thought he probably wasn’t going to like it,” Dayton admitted.

“He wasn’t wild, he wasn’t reckless… that just wasn’t his personality.”

“We just woke up one day and we were at peace with it,” Cassie added. “We thought, ‘This is what we should do.’”

In 2019, nine-year-old Atley began go-kart racing. However, once he started, his parents quickly became fearful of what they saw.

“If you hit something, you were flying out of the kart,” Dayton explained.

“There are so many circumstances in racing that are outside of your control,” he continued. “We try to make sure we've done everything we can to make it as safe as possible, but there's still unpredictability to it.”

Despite their fears, Cassie and Dayton realized that race car driving was no longer just a hobby for their son. It was something deeper—something that was growing his faith and changing his life.

“God has kind of put this in my life to help turn my attention toward Him,” Atley said. “To put that faith in Him and give that glory to Him. Because at the end of the day, I’m just there turning the steering wheel… He’s guiding me every step of the way.”

As Atley’s passion grew, so did his family’s commitment. Weekends at the track became part of their rhythm.

“It was just that passion that continued to drive him,” Dayton said. “And that’s what continued to drive Cassie and me.”

Atley began racing stock cars, which are designed to be safer. However, racing still tested their faith. The crashes, the costs, the constant risks forced them to trust God in ways they never imagined.
And then came the wreck in 2023 that changed everything.

“I go straight into the wall. I immediately thank God I wasn’t hurt,” Atley recalled. 

“At that point, I started to question: as I’m getting into this higher level, these more dangerous situations… is this something I really want to continue doing? And if I’m going to have this feeling again, do I want to feel it again?”

“I thought about it that night. Then the next day, there was a go-kart race. Some of my friends were in it, and we went to the racetrack. I remember just standing there—and it killed me that I wasn’t out there.”

The very next day, Atley was back on the track—certain that this was what God was calling him to do: race car driving.

“His passion for it was something that I had never seen before—in myself or anyone else I know,” Cassie said. “For him to be so passionate and know what he wanted to do from such a young age… I think it had to be something he was called to do.”

“It’s special to me,” Dayton shared. “It’s pretty cool to see someone love what they’re good at, to enjoy it, and to acknowledge that it’s through Christ that he does it. He’s able to do it, he wants to do it, and he wants to give that glory to God when he’s doing it.”

In 2023, Atley was crowned state champion in the NASCAR Weekly Series.
Today, 16-year-old Atley is still racing—but for him and his family, racing has always been about more than just trophies. It’s brought them closer to one another—and to God.

“I am proud of Atley because of who he is,” Dayton said. “I know that he is far more determined, faithful, and positive than I ever was. I know that his faith is stronger than mine was when I was his age.”

“This experience and opportunity has taught me that we aren’t always in control,” Cassie reflected. “And it’s okay to relinquish a little control and have faith that everything’s going to be all right.”

“Race car driving has really brought me closer to the Lord,” Atley said. “It’s made me realize that I need Him in my life. I know that I’m not alone, because I have that peace—that peace of knowing God is with me.”