Collecting bits of tires from the raceway or getting her pink shirt signed by her favorite drivers, the late Riley Hudson was a "gearhead," her mother Tara Hudson said.
Racing is a family interest that Riley had been inducted into the week after she was born nine years ago. And she loved it - whether it was the local tracks in California and Holts Summit or NASCAR's Talladega Speedway.
"It's amazing - you can feel the thunder through your whole body; it's a whole different excitement level," Hudson said of Talladega. "She was right there in it, always."
Riley also enjoyed sharing the experience. With a big, extended family, she would marshal the younger children after the race to the fence where the winning drivers were and try to get a checkered flag signed for each of them.
"Taking care of others, that was her thing," Hudson said.