Competition is high on the track for drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Cook Out Summer Shootout, but for one driver, the real fight is at home.
When Hunter Jordan was just five years old, he and his family traveled to Florida for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disney World. His dream vacation ended abruptly when Jordan became ill and needed immediate care.
“I traveled back home the next day and my family took me to Urgent Care,” Jordan said. “The doctors went through a process of interviews and testing, and then they took me to a hospital where they told me I had type 1 diabetes.”
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. This leads to low blood sugar levels, causing heart palpitations, dizziness and blurred vision.
Recognizing his condition and adapting to daily challenges is part of Jordan’s reality at home and especially on the track, where he has spent the last four years perfecting his craft and working his way through the ranks of the Cook Out Summer Shootout. Monitoring your blood sugar level before starting a race and controlling the amount of sugar leaving your liver is essential for competing in the summer heat and maintaining your overall health.
No matter what challenges he faces, Jordan is determined to move forward and live a normal life, something he says he learned from his grandfather.
“I learned everything about life from him,” Jordan said. “I really looked like him. “He was my inspiration to keep going, work hard and never give up.”
Jordan fell in love with racing when his grandfather first gave him a Bandolero for Christmas when he was eight years old. In Jordan’s first year at the Summer Shootout, his family wanted him to learn more about racing before getting behind the wheel, so Jordan’s first experiences in motorsports came from the sidelines. Taking what he learned, he returned in 2021 to make his debut in the Summer Shootout races in the Novice Bandolero Division.
Despite the adversity Jordan faced, he never let it stop him and was a quick study on the court. He obtained the 2022 Southeast Bandolero Tour Championship after achieving six victories in the season. Transitioning to Legend Cars, Jordan took on the challenge of the Night Owl Companies Young Lions Division in 2023, where he was ranked as one of the top 20 drivers in the country. This season, the Davidson, North Carolina native has made the jump to VP Fuels Semi-Pros as he looks to continue improving with each round and continue his winning streak.
“We started on the pole six times last year and crashed five of them,” Jordan recalled. “Then in Round 6 we took the checkered flag and won my first Cook Out Summer Shootout.”
Jordan said his family has instilled in him the nature of giving back to others. A year after his diagnosis, he formed the team Hunter’s Power Rangers, which walked to raise more than $20,000 for a cure for diabetes. Continuing to give back is an important part of who he is, and his social presence is where he has found another passion to encourage others in their battles with diabetes.
“Some people with type 1 diabetes put themselves down,” Jordan said. “They no longer feel like they are a real person. I encourage you to be able to do anything you set your mind to. You can still pursue your dreams and live your daily life. You have to go one step further than other people.”
Jordan has taken on life and, despite his health issues, overcomes the obstacles thrown his way to perform in the highest divisions at the Cook Out Summer Shootout.
ABOUT SUMMER COOKING SHOT:
Cook Out Summer Shootout is a 10-race speed showcase between eight different divisions of Legend Cars and Bandoleros. Races take place every Tuesday night and drivers accumulate points throughout the summer for a championship that will close out the season.
TICKETS:
The action continues next week with “Awful Night.” Karen and Richards get in FREE thanks to their iconic internet infamy. Tickets are $10; Children under 12 years old enter FREE. For tickets, schedules and more details on all events at Charlotte Motor Speedway, visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.
KEEP TRACK:
Follow all the exciting action from the Cook Out Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway on X, Facebook and Instagram.
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