OTTEAU BATTLES THROUGH RAIN-SOAKED NASCAR YOUTH SERIES DIRT FINALE AT KEYSTONE
12-Year-Old New Jersey Racer Advances to Three A-Mains, Earns Fourth-Place World Formula Finish During Weather-Shortened National Weekend
SCHNECKSVILLE, Pa. — Clayton Otteau closed out the dirt portion of his 2026 NASCAR Youth Series schedule by doing something young racers learn quickly is just as important as being fast — adapting to whatever the weekend throws at you.
And at Keystone State Quarter Midget Race Club, Mother Nature threw just about everything she had at the competitors.
Persistent rain and repeated weather delays forced officials to compress what had been scheduled as a multi-day national event into a marathon day of racing, with heat races, lower mains and A-Mains all being worked into the shortened schedule.
By the time the A-Mains began Saturday evening, competitors and their families had already endured a long day at the racetrack. Another rain delay pushed the program even later into the night, making patience and preparation every bit as important as speed.
Through it all, Otteau kept racing.
The 12-year-old Bernardsville, New Jersey, driver successfully advanced into three A-Main events, competing in World Formula, Senior Honda and Modified competition.
His strongest result came in World Formula, where Otteau raced his way to a fourth-place finish, narrowly missing the podium against a competitive national field.
Otteau added a seventh-place finish in Senior Honda and finished 10th in Modified, giving him three A-Main appearances during a weekend that tested drivers and teams with constantly changing conditions and a heavily compressed schedule.
More important than any single finishing position was the experience gained during a weekend when virtually nothing went according to the original plan.
Changing track conditions, rain delays, a condensed racing schedule and A-Mains stretching late into the evening forced Otteau to continually adjust — exactly the type of experience that helps develop a young driver.
The Keystone event completed Otteau’s 2026 NASCAR Youth Series national dirt schedule, which also included stops at Blackbird Quarter Midget Association in Delaware, Terre Haute Quarter Midget Association in Indiana and Christian County Quarter Midget Association in Illinois before returning to his home track at Keystone for the finale.
For Otteau, finishing the national dirt campaign at Keystone was particularly fitting. The Pennsylvania facility has played an important role in his development, and he has enjoyed considerable success there throughout the 2026 season, including victories and numerous podium and top-five finishes.
The national dirt schedule may be complete, but Otteau’s racing season is not.
He is scheduled to continue competing in additional events at Keystone throughout October and November as he closes out another busy season behind the wheel.
ABOUT CLAYTON OTTEAU
Clayton Otteau is a 12-year-old first-generation racer from Bernardsville, New Jersey, competing in Quarter Midgets and Junior Sprint competition. Otteau began racing Quarter Midgets at age eight and has developed into a consistent front-runner while competing locally, regionally and nationally.
In 2026, Otteau has competed in the NASCAR Youth Series national dirt schedule along with events throughout the Northeast and at his home track, Keystone State Quarter Midget Race Club. Away from the track, Otteau proudly supports the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation and its mission to improve the quality of life for children and families affected by pediatric cancer.
For more information, visit Clayton Otteau Racing.
ABOUT FRIENDS OF JACLYN FOUNDATION
The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation (FOJ) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children battling pediatric cancer and other serious illnesses by pairing them with local sports teams, athletes and communities.
Through its adoption program, children and their families become part of an extended team that provides friendship, love and support throughout their journey. Since its founding, Friends of Jaclyn has created more than 1,300 adoptions across the country, building relationships that extend far beyond the playing field or racetrack.
Clayton Otteau proudly supports Friends of Jaclyn and its mission to bring children and families into the racing community and remind them they never have to face their journey alone.
ABOUT KEYSTONE STATE QUARTER MIDGET RACE CLUB
Located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, Keystone State Quarter Midget Race Club provides young racers the opportunity to develop their skills in competitive Quarter Midget racing. The dirt facility hosts local, regional and national competition and serves as Clayton Otteau’s home Quarter Midget track.
ABOUT THE NASCAR YOUTH SERIES
The NASCAR Youth Series provides young drivers the opportunity to develop their skills through Quarter Midget competition at tracks across the United States. The series features both pavement and dirt competition and has served as an early developmental platform for generations of racers as they begin their motorsports careers.
