Axel Rivera

09/03/2026

Sometimes you don't realize just how impressive something is until you try it yourself. 🏁

At Axel's first dirt race, he was racing on a surface he'd never driven before, in a car he'd never driven before. And because he couldn't quite reach the pedals, we had a catch can attached to the pedal to extend it so he could drive.

He adapted to it like it was nothing.

I honestly didn't think much about it at the time because Axel just got in the car and went racing. But the other day I asked my husband to put the same setup on my SUV so I could see what it actually felt like...

WOW. 😂

It was SO much harder to drive. The pedal felt completely different, the leverage was different, and it took much more effort to make smooth, precise inputs.

And that made me realize just how much Axel was adapting that day.
New car. New surface. New pedal setup. First dirt race. And he still went out there and battled like he belonged. 🏎️💨

That's one of the things I'm becoming more and more impressed by with this kid. Give him something unfamiliar and he doesn't spend much time worrying about it — he just figures it out.

He's only 8, and watching him learn, adapt, and push himself every time he gets in a race car is something I'm incredibly proud of.

The results are awesome, but watching him develop the ability to adapt to whatever is thrown at him might be even more impressive. ❤️🏁

He will be back out there tonight with the new pedal adapters!

08/31/2026

🏁 POINTS RACE #9 IS IN THE BOOKS! 🏁

What a weekend! So many highs, a little heartbreak, and a whole lot of racing! ❤️🏁

JR HONDA HEAT RACE 🏆
Axel started P3 in his heat and had an awesome race! He stayed patient, made his moves, and crossed the finish line with the HEAT RACE WIN! 🥇

JR HONDA MAIN 🏁
Axel started P2 but got shuffled back to around P5 right off the start. He worked his way back toward the front and eventually found himself battling Cara for P2.

These two put on another AMAZING battle with multiple over-under passes! Axel eventually locked in P2. Unfortunately, the two of them were scrubbing so much speed while battling that it created a huge gap between them and P1, who was absolutely FLYING this weekend! 🚀

Axel crossed the finish line P2! 🥈

JR ANIMAL HEAT 🏆
Axel started his heat in P1 and once again had an incredible battle with Cara! They battled all the way to the checkered flag, with Axel taking the heat win by barely a tire! 🥇

And a HUGE thank you to Joyce for capturing this awesome picture of them crossing the finish line! 📸❤️

JR ANIMAL MAIN 💔🏁

This one was a tough one.

Two races before Axel was scheduled to go out, Lui went to start Axel’s car and noticed that the carburetor wasn’t working properly.

Lui was supposed to race direct the next two races, so we want to give a HUGE thank you to Nick Frank and Dave Monte for searching for someone to take over for Lui so he could work on Axel’s carb.

And another HUGE thank you to Seth Perlot and Nick Frank for stepping up and race directing for Lui those 2 races!❤️

Unfortunately, even with the extra time, the carburetor just wasn’t cooperating.

We basically told Axel, “Just go out there and do your thing. Just know you’re probably coming in last.”

The car was sputtering before the green flag even dropped.

And somehow… AXEL DID AXEL. ❤️

He went out there and battled with Cara for lap after lap with more over-under passes and incredible racing between them. Axel eventually locked into P1 and held the lead for a few laps.

Then the carburetor completely gave out.

One by one, the other drivers passed him as his car slowly crawled to a stop on the track.

DNF.

This sport can be absolutely heartbreaking sometimes. 💔

Not because of something the driver did. Not because he made a mistake. But because something completely outside of his control can change the outcome of an entire race.

But Axel took it with a SMILE on his face. ❤️

He was waiting for his friends to get off the track so he could tell them congratulations. Huge congratulations to Cara Madison Racing on your Jr Animal win you were absolutely on 🔥🚀 this weekend 👏🏻🏁❤️

He fought until the very end, gave it everything he had, and when it was over, he was still cheering for his friends.

Now Axel and Lui already have plans to hit the track today and get this car BACK TO RACE READY! 🔧🏁

Because that's racing.

You win some. You lose some. You break things. You fix them. You learn. You come back stronger.

On to the next one! 🏁🔥

Thank you so much to our sponsors win or lose Axel loves being behind the wheel and you all make it possible!

The Dough Duo
Becky Monnar - Keller Williams Boston Northwest
GPR Autosport
M.L. Voelz & Jacob Voelz
Karen Hill Cain
Irene Huff D'Agostino

08/28/2026

What an amazing experience and such a great battle. Fun was had, lessons were learned and Axel now has another form of racing to love! Super proud oh him for his first time on dirt! ❤️

08/26/2026

Thursday night we made the trip up to S**o, Maine for Axel to try something completely new, dirt racing in the Adult XBP Class!

We missed the first practice because of a throttle issue, but got it sorted and made the second practice. With very limited track time on dirt, Axel went out and qualified 4th out of 6 against the adults.

During the race he worked his way up to 3rd, but unfortunately spun and ended up finishing 5th.

The finishing position really doesn't tell the story of the night. Watching an 8 year old jump into an Adult XBP Class, on dirt, and adapt as quickly as he did was awesome. His car control and confidence impressed me the most, and having several of the adult racers come over afterward and compliment him on his driving made me incredibly proud.

This wasn't about going up there chasing a trophy. It was about putting Axel outside his comfort zone, giving him another type of racing to experience, and adding another tool to his toolbox.

Asphalt, ice, dirt, quarter midgets, karts, seat time is seat time, and every new challenge helps make him a more complete driver.

A BIG thank you to Greg Piller for opening this door for us and giving Axel this opportunity. We really appreciate it and we're already looking forward to the next race!

Proud of you, Axel. Keep learning, keep having fun, and keep wheeling it! ❤️

Special thank you to all our sponsors! Every opportunity Axel has is made possible by you!!

Becky Monnar - Keller Williams Realty Boston Northwest
GPR Autosport
The Dough Duo
Karen Hill Cain
Irene Huff D'Agostino
M.L. Voelz & Jacob Voelz

08/25/2026

Points Race #8 Update 🏁

Axel was fighting cars all day, but managed to put together two incredible races❤️🏁

Points Race #8 was our Super Feature Cup Race, which meant no pill-draw qualifying. Instead, the drivers went out for time trials, getting 5 laps total — 2 warm-up laps and 3 hot laps to put down their fastest time.

Jr Honda 🏁

Axel qualified P4. He hadn't practiced in this car, and there had been no work or adjustments made since the previous race.

He went out there and took every little bit that car had to give him. You could see it in his driving — he utilized every little bit of the car and every inch of the track to put together a great race and bring it home P3! 🥉

After the race, we checked the micron and found that we were over 200 RPM down. It definitely wasn't giving him everything we wanted, but Axel made the most of what he had and drove the wheels off that car.

I couldn't be more proud of that drive and watching him work with what he was given. ❤️

Before he went out for the Jr Animal race, knowing how badly he wanted that 1st place finish in a Cup Race, I told him to go out there, do his best, and give it everything he had.

His response?

“I know how much work Dad and I put into racing. I’ll always show up. You got the driver, I need the car.” 🤣

Well… then he went out and proved it.

Jr Animal 🏁🏆

Axel qualified P3.

This race was caution after caution after caution. And honestly, his car looked pretty rough out there. It was biking in Turns 3 and 4, and every lap I was holding my breath watching him fight that car through the turns.

But Axel stayed patient.

He picked his moment, made the pass for P1, and never looked back.

His car control was honestly what got him that win. Watching him fight the car through every turn, stay composed, and still find a way to get to the front was incredible.

🏆 P1 Jr Animal
🥉 P3 Jr Honda

Two great drives all weekend, and we couldn't be more proud of you, Axel. ❤️

You keep showing us that when you have the driver, he'll find a way to make it happen.

Keep showing up. Keep fighting. Keep chasing your dreams 1 race at a time🏁❤️

Thank you so much to our sponsors this season wouldn't be what it has been without you!

Becky Monnar - Keller Williams Realty Boston Northwest
The Dough Duo
GPR Autosport
Karen Hill Cain
Irene Huff D'Agostino
Jacob Voelz & M.L. Voelz

08/06/2026

Axel had so much fun last night racing at R1 Indoor Karting with his friends from Little T and his cousin!

The absolute best part of racing isn't what happens on the track—it's the friendships you make off the track. ❤️ We're so grateful for our track family!

Axel and his buddy Teo's new handshake! 🤝

07/30/2026

🏁Junior Honda Points standings for the first 7 Races 🏁

Points Race 7 is in the books! Your Norfolk Auto Inc Junior Honda Division has officially entered the final portion of the race season, and heres where your full drivers points lay out!

Leading the charge is Jack. With a 27 point lead, he will be hard to catch but Cara is going to do everything she can to close that gap! Cara sides in 2nd, with a 50 point lead over 3rd. All but locking her way into a top 2 finish for the season! In 3rd, Garrett was able to grow his lead over 4th place to 12 points. Your 4th place position belongs to Koda, who jumped up from 5th and put himself 7 place to the good over Chase who is sitting in that 5th place position. But the story doesn't end there for 5th place, Axel who joined in the hunt for the championship in the 3rd race of the season, has fought his way all the way up to tie Chase for 5th place with his 3rd win of the season! Just 10 points back is MJ whose ready to pounce on a top 5 position for the finale. And just 4 points behind MJ is Niko who moved up one spot after last weeks Tech DQ. Just 3 points back from Niko is Hayden and that battle between 5th and 9th is getting tighter by the race. With just a 17 point spread between 4 cars, anything can happen with 3 more opportunities to collect points this year! In 10th, Logan with 238 points and just 13 points back is Dakota, still recovering from a missed race back at points race 4.

So your top 2, have to fight every lap for the championship. All it takes is 1 win and 1 last place finish and the gap will be completely gone. 3rd through 9th is just a 36 point gap. Nobody knows how it will shake out, but only those watching at the track will get to see it unfold live! Join us for our 8th points race on August 16th!

07/23/2026

Axel had an unforgettable Points Race #7 weekend, bringing home two feature wins! 🏁🏁

This weekend was extra special because two of Axel's favorite people, who we hadn't seen in years, came out to cheer him on Rudy Koehle ❤️

🏎️ Junior Honda

Axel started his heat race in P3 and wasted no time making his way to the front, taking the lead early and bringing home the heat race win. That put him on the pole for the main event in a full field of 12 cars.

It was a long race with plenty of cautions. Every time Axel built a comfortable lead, another caution erased it and put second place right back on his bumper. He stayed calm, made smart decisions working through lap traffic, and drove a flawless race to take the feature win! 🏁

The victory lap was made even more memorable when Susie McGee handed Axel the checkered flag!

🏎️ Junior Animal

Axel started his heat in P2. After getting shuffled back a few spots on the start, he methodically worked his way back to the front to claim another heat race win.

Starting P1 in the feature, Axel put on an incredible drive. Watching him work through traffic is something special—he always seems to know exactly where his car needs to be and executes with confidence. On one restart, Niko slipped by for the lead, but Axel battled back to reclaim the top spot. Niko stayed glued to his bumper all the way to the checkered, making for an exciting finish, but Axel held on for his second feature win of the day! 🏁

A huge thank you to everyone who supports Axel on this racing journey. Your encouragement means the world to him.

A special thank you to Sgl Racing for giving an Axel a seat in your beautiful Purple Car to run the Jr Honda division- you are the reason Axel can be behind the wheel for a second division! ❤️❤️

And, as always, a very special thank you to Axel's amazing sponsors. None of this would be possible without your support! ❤️🏁

Becky Monnar - Keller Williams Realty Boston Northwest
GPR Autosport
The Dough Duo
Karen Hill Cain
Irene Huff D'Agostino
The Voelz Family- Jacob Voelz M.L. Voelz

07/06/2026

Last week Axel had the opportunity to do a radio interview with 101.3 MyFM he was so excited to share with the community his passion for racing. Although I listened for hours I missed it on the radio 😅 but we had a few people reach out that they heard it! They also did a really cool write-up about the interview! Thank you so much to MyFM Radio for reaching out and giving Axel this incredible opportunity to share his passion with your listeners!

https://www.myfmtoday.com/local-sports/franklins-8-year-old-racing-phenom-chasing-checkered-flags-with-family-support/?fbclid=IwdGRzaASxCgRjbGNrBLEKAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHiIlwY0PmrNHrV-MWbhWIM3R412hfNyLUpLC7B3HYTNX3GFJk2z0NoUiOum4_aem_rJyFP5WdebPyk8am64AZlQ

FRANKLIN — Most eight-year-olds spend their summers riding bikes or playing backyard games. Franklin’s Axel Rivera spends his weekends strapped into a quarter midget race […]