Caleb Heady has grown and developed as a driver over the years, and is ready to excel now in the realm of coaching. Fresh off earning the 2025 INEX Racing Series Pro Road Course National Championship, Heady is ready to take on this next year’s challenges head-on, pushing himself to success in everything he does.
Hometown: Shelbyville, Kentucky
Division: Pro
Number: 7NY
Team: Scott Allen Racing
Favorite Track: Atlanta Motorsports Park
1. How did you get your start in racing?
My best friend in elementary school took me to his 11th birthday party at an indoor go-kart track, and from there I was hooked. So I kind of stumbled upon it and within a month after the party I was a regular at the track. So I got addicted to racing in a very odd way.
2. How did you get your number?
When I went to start racing dirt go-karts I was going to be the number 24. I was a huge Jeff Gordon fan growing up. My mom tells the story of how she was flipping through channels on the tv one day and a NASCAR race was on, so being the three year old that I was I saw a car with flames on it and was hooked. I was set on Gordon’s 24 until the week before the first race, I realized I didn't want to copy anyone else’s number. So out of nowhere I came up with the number 82 and ran that for a while. The number I have now, the 7NY, I started running with Tommy Baldwin in modified for 3 years. I got really close with the family and through a couple of different situations, ended up getting into Legends. I asked him if I could carry the 7NY and his legacy wherever we went. Thankfully, he said yes, so it's been pretty cool to carry that.
3. Who is your biggest inspiration?
From a racing standpoint, I would have to say Jeff Gordon. That is who I always looked up to as a kid. I was just inspired by how young he was the first kid to really be successful in what was the “old man’s” sport that NASCAR was back in the day. I have always liked how ambitious he seemed, he was always comfortable with where he was and was never ashamed of what’s going on. If you look back in the day, he would do all of the odd interviews and helped to make NASCAR media more laid back, at least from my perspective. He was just comfortable being himself and it showed me that cringe can be a good thing. It is a fun, good feeling and typically an unexplored emotion, so it's fun to tap into that. It is a big reason I have been able to come out of my shell and be who I am today.
4. What is your favorite racing memory?
From this season specifically, I would have to say Road Course World Finals, that was just such a crazy and fun weekend. Showing up, we felt really confident. On day two, there were some mess ups on my end at practice and I was awfully slow. So to be able to get through that and figure out what the issues were with me and with the car and then qualify second was just a cool moment for me. It’s a cool one that I won’t ever forget, not because of our success in qualifying and overall, but just the range of emotions and battling through it all.
5. How do you get focused before a race?
I love listening to music, it depends on what kind of music I listen to though. Back when I did oval, it was a lot of rap or heavier rock. With road courses though, it is kind of a different mindset to me. It is a little more relaxing to me, so I listen to some more wild and mellow music. Tyler Childers is a go-to artist for me before I race, I don’t know why but I always get amped up to go out there after listening to him.
6. What is your favorite track and why?
From this season, it has to be Thompson Speedway. I did not even know they raced Legends up there at all, so that was a really fun one to try out. It’s got some elevation change to it, so it has some difficult places where you have to be careful. There are some really flat corners and some very basic technical stuff, plus it’s in New England so it’s raining every other day. It’s such a fun place to Legend Cars. I would have to say my favorite track flat out is the long course at Atlanta Motorsports Park. We ran that in 2019 for the Road Course World Finals.
7. What's one skill outside of racing that you wish you could master?
I am starting my own development program actually, and have been doing that for about a year to a year and a half now. Looking at this upcoming year, I just have a crazy busy schedule and I think one goal I have is to take some time for myself this year. I am really looking forward to the enjoyment behind the coaching side of it and getting out of the seat for a little bit to share what I have learned and worked my whole life at. It is exciting to get some of these kids up through the ranks and the series faster than I could, so it is a real joy. I have gotten to experience that some this year with Domonic Chisholm at Wake County and it is such a cool moment.
8. You just won a Pro Road Course National Championship title. What are some key takeaways from your success this season that you can carry on into next year?
From a racing standpoint, I just have to keep continuously bashing my head at the wall, metaphorically of course. That is what this year has really felt like, just continuing pushing against the wall with everything I got until I finally broke through at the end of the year. So a big goal for next year is to just continue to have that determination and drive. Knowing what is at stake at the beginning of the year and what is at the line at the end of it. I know as a driver, it is easy to get into the heat of stuff very quickly, so still being able to take that step back and know what we are doing and what we are here for. It is all about finding the balance of determination, grit, and patience.
9. If your car had a theme song for every time it drove onto the track, what would it be?
It seems a little cliche, but “Smooth Operator” by Sade. That was the song we used for our first promo video of the season, so I guess that set up the vibe for the whole season.
10. What is a key life lesson that racing has taught you?
Echoing what I talked a little bit about earlier, you just can never give up. Things do not work out in your favor the first time you try, if it does then you are not challenging yourself nearly enough. You have to keep fighting and pushing, hoping that wall breaks and even if it doesn’t, just to find improvement little by little.
11. If you could race against any driver- past or present- who would it be and why?
Probably Dale Earnhardt Sr., not just to say I got to race against him though. I want to move him, do something crazy to get under his skin and just make for an interesting time. Everyone is quick to say they want to race against the big guys of our sport, but I would like to see if I could ruffle some feathers while doing it.
12. What are some racing goals you have for yourself in the future?
The first is to get as many of the [Road Course World Finals] championships as I can. I know a couple people have an absurd amount of them, so I want one more than the person that has the most. If someone has 15, then I want 16. The second goal of mine, which I have always told people, is that I want to race Legend Cars long enough to be one day older than however old Bill Clemens is when he retires. If he races to be 96 and 37 days, I am going to be 96 and 38 days to beat the record.