Kelly, Todd Souza persevere to keep their stock-car racing dreams alive

Todd and Kelly Souza are not afraid to admit that owning a stock-car team — especially a small one — in the 2020s is an arduous process.

A dream that began in the late 1990s has seen the Souzas endure plenty of sacrifices to build their own program in Central Coast Racing. It’s been a long, meticulous journey, but their diligent work has transformed Central Coast Racing into one of the top teams in the ARCA Menards Series West.

On paper, the 2025 season was another positive chapter in Central Coast Racing’s story. They secured another victory with Tanner Reif at Tucson Speedway, and Reif tallied four more top fives to help the team secure a fourth-place finish in the owner standings despite missing the finale at Phoenix Raceway.

But from Kelly’s perspective, the 2025 season fell below her and Todd’s expectations. She believed Central Coast Racing could win a West Series title with Reif at the start of the year and was disappointed when that goal didn’t materialize.

“I don’t think we had a solid season by any means,” Kelly said. “Pushing and never settling is a mentality we have to have, and we aren’t happy unless we’re really running for a championship. We saw that go away midseason. Tanner’s goal was a championship, and that’s what we wanted to give him, more than anything.”

Kelly views stock-car racing as a team sport, adding that Central Coast Racing wins and loses together. She has always loved the dynamic and camaraderie behind team sports, which was a major influence behind her desire to become a team owner.

With Central Coast Racing operating on a small budget, Kelly and Todd rely on volunteer help to ensure the program gets to the track each weekend. Kelly commended every person who has assisted Central Coast Racing since its inception, allowing her to sustain her dream of creating a positive impact in NASCAR.

For many years, Kelly felt Central Coast Racing could climb to the top of the West Series pedestal with her husband Todd as the anchor driver. A seasoned West Series veteran, Todd earned his lone victory at the Utah Motorsports Campus in 2008 and has two NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts to his name.

Todd has remained a consistent competitor on the West Series platform, as he scored three top-10 finishes across seven starts last year. Despite this, Todd is at a point in his life where he understands that bringing in younger competitors is the correct avenue Central Coast Racing needs to take to stay competitive in a constantly evolving industry.

“I feel like I’m at that age now where I shouldn’t be in the car,” Todd said. “I’m over 60 now, so while I feel like I can still go out there and compete with these kids no problem, my time is not now anymore. It has passed, and it’s time to get somebody else in the car. We’ve put people in it that have a pretty good skill set, and we’re so close to dominating.

“We just need to get the right driver.”

The Souzas have already found some success with younger drivers. Before Tanner Reif piloted Central Coast Racing’s No. 13, his younger brother Tyler teamed up with the Souzas for the entire 2024 season, putting together a solid campaign that saw him score two victories, three poles and nine top fives, all while leading 296 laps.

Such consistency was enough for Central Coast Racing to lock up the West Series owner’s title with Tyler, much to the elation of both the Souzas. Todd enjoyed sharing ideas with the Reif brothers and watching them both develop, something he hopes to continue with prospects who drive one of their cars.

“Our program is doing what it’s supposed to do for these kids,” Todd said. “It’s to showcase the skill set they have and get them to that next level. Our first season taking on a driver full-time other than myself, we got the owner’s championship. The whole team worked hard, fought for it and won it.

“We know we got what it takes.”

The primary hurdle obstructing the Souzas from doing more with driver development is finding funded drivers. No ride can come to fruition in the modern era without some form of financial backing, but Kelly hopes to see the business model evolve to the point where talent and skill take precedent when it comes to signing drivers.

One area Kelly particularly would love to focus on under ideal circumstances is developing female drivers. Bringing in Jade Avedisian for the 2025 West Series finale offered a glimpse into the future Kelly wants for Central Coast Racing.

“I had my eye on [Avedisian],” Kelly said. “It took me a couple of years for [the opportunity] to manifest, but we got her for Phoenix. That’s the direction I want to go in. I want to be someone who develops girls. I really connect with them, and I want them to do well. We offer something different, and I want people to start seeing that.”

Both Souzas know the West Series is a great platform for young drivers to enjoy great racing while simultaneously learning key fundamentals. Todd singled out Tanner Reif’s victory from Tucson last year as a microcosm of what the West Series provides, as Reif was able to make the winning pass with two laps remaining by conserving his tires for most of the evening.

With so many elements that go into a West Series race, along with several diverse tracks, Kelly and Todd believe there is potential for the platform to thrive and attract more teams in the region looking for somewhere to race. For the time being, the Souzas plan to work within their means to keep Central Coast Racing competitive.

This includes finalizing their outlook for 2026, as Central Coast Racing currently does not have a driver lined up for their No. 13 or No. 3.

In a perfect world, the Souzas would have already their 2026 plans locked down weeks ago. Todd is still optimistic about Central Coast Racing’s outlook for the year, but he and Kelly are having to utilize patience as they search for someone who brings sufficient funding.

“There’s a lot of drivers out here we’ve been talking to, many that I think are capable of winning the championship,” Todd said. “We can showcase [the talent], but the families don’t quite have the backing to cover it. It stinks, because there’s three or four kids out there that are awesome.

“Hopefully we can give them that chance, but financially, we need some backing to get them there.”

Even with the challenges they face on a regular basis, the Souzas believe Central Coast Racing is enjoying some of its best years as a program. Their success and influence now extends beyond the West Series, as Tyler Reif is preparing to tackle a part-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season with Niece Motorsports two years after delivering the Souzas an owner’s title.

For Kelly, one aspect that makes team ownership worth it is the positive feedback she has received over the years. She wanted to create an environment where everyone felt appreciated for their efforts, all while receiving valuable knowledge that could help them regardless of the career path they chose.

That culture and impact is why Kelly intends to continue operating Central Coast Racing alongside Todd for as long as she feasibly can.

“People love what we do,” Kelly said. “This is more than just pushing the gas and going. It’s about character-building, team-building, appreciation, the whole package. We just need the opportunity to continue showing what we can do.”

No matter who ends up driving their cars, the Souzas will be at the West Series season-opener at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway on Feb. 28 ready to compete for a win and maintain their mission of influencing stock-car racing in a beneficial manner.